Everton captain Seamus Coleman insists his incredible winner against Leeds was a shot on goal rather than an attempted cross, as his side picked up a massive three points in the relegation battle.
oleman’s 64th minute stunner was his first league goal in over 12 months and proved crucial as the Toffees picked up a second win in three games under new boss Sean Dyche.
After his 401st appearance for the club, the Donegal native reflected on his spectacular finish which lifted Everton out of the relegation zone to 16th.
“I’m not sure I would catch it like that again if I hit it another 10 times,” said the Ireland captain, who was also named Man of the Match.
“Everybody was predicting the cross, but the way my hips were feeling, I couldn’t wrap around it. So I thought I would take on the shot because I knew he (Illan Meslier) would be anticipating the cross. Thankfully I caught it well.
“We didn’t go away from what we have been working on since the manager has come in, trying to outrun the opposition, fight to the very end and be compact. We did that and got the win.”
The strike also means that Everton are still unbeaten in all 28 games that Coleman has scored in. Dyche lauded the 34-year-old’s work rate and shared his thoughts on the goal.
“The way he struck it looked like a shot, it’s a sublime finish,” said Dyche, who took over from Frank Lampard last month.
“He’s a fantastic pro. He gets forward when he can, and with his experience he makes good decisions. There’s no question about his professionalism and what he means to Everton and Evertonians.
“The way he goes about his business and the way he trains, he’s still got that edge. That’s the main thing for me and you saw it there. We’ve got six points from nine which is important and, I think, deserved.”
