SAM Cosgrove joked that his bizarre winner against Wycombe on Tuesday night was the best goal he’s ever scored – but the Chairboys manager wasn’t so chipper in his views.
Barnsley’s number nine scored his first goal for the club in the 91st minute after Wycombe ‘keeper Max Stryjek fell to the ground, dropping the ball and leaving Cosgrove with the easiest of finishes.
It was a controversial decision by referee Darren Drysdale – but the 26-year-old striker said he will take every goal he can.
“It’s probably one of the best goals I’ve scored,” he jested.
“It’s not often you come across goals like that in football but you take it.
“I haven’t seen the video of the goal back yet but I’m sure it’s pretty amusing.
“From my point of view, Wycombe were trying to slow the game down and the boy went down under minimal to no contact trying to waste time from the corner – it’s tough to see.
“I’ve been desperate to get my first goal for Barnsley so there’s no way I’m not putting that ball in the back of the net.
“I’ll hold my hands up – there was contact but there’s no reason for a boy of his size to go down like that and drop the ball.”
Head coach Neill Collins said as strange as the goal was, it’s not the first time he’s been a part of something similar.
“We were 2-0 up at Bramall Lane with Sheffield United against Bournemouth, Steve Simonsen has got the ball and I’m running up the pitch.
“He goes to throw it to someone, a guy bumps into him and it goes in the goal – I turn around and it’s been given a goal.
“While very bizarre, I have been part of it before.
“I’ve watched it back and you can make of it what you want. For me the contact is nowhere near enough to go down.
“The ‘keeper drops the ball because he falls to the floor and Sam finishes it off like a good striker does.”
But Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield wasn’t as amused. He said: “I’ve never seen a goal like it – the circumstances are so disappointing. Usually when a striker runs at a ‘keeper – it’s a foul.”