Oxford United hero Steven Kinniburgh admits he gets more pleasure out of making goals than scoring them.
But Tuesday night’s exquisite 25-yard inch-perfect chip over the keeper was an exception!
The young Scottish left back, who has performed so consistently since joining the U’s on loan from Rangers that he is keeping experienced Kevin Sandwith out of the team, confessed he doesn’t get many goals.
And that was why his key strike in the 3-1 win over Crawley Town at the Kassam Stadium was celebrated with such glee.
“That was my first goal in about four years,” he said after the match.
And he told the Oxford Mail: “I’m not afraid of getting forward, as you could see with my assist (at Gateshead) last week – that’s a big part of my game.
“I don’t know why, I suppose I just don’t have that many shots.
“I think I would rather have an assist than get a goal more often than not – though maybe not with this one!
“I always look for the pass, but I didn’t see one so I thought I’d have a wee shot.”
The brilliantly-struck goal put United back into the lead after Jefferson Louis had cancelled out an earlier Adam Chapman free-kick goal, which in itself was a great strike.
Chapman became the tenth, and Kinniburgh the 11th Oxford United player to find the net in just 14 games this season.
After his celebrations, defender Mark Creighton soon brought the Scot back down to earth with a quiet word.
“It was only 2-1 and it wasn’t the end of the game,” Kinniburgh said.
“But I was on cloud nine still, and then focused on the job again.”
United have taken 19 points out of 21 at home this season, and if they can keep on winning at the Kassam Stadium, they know they will go a long way towards achieving success.
“If we take care of our home games we are on our way, but we don’t talk about that . . . we just talk about the next game, and that’s Barrow,” Kinniburgh added.
“So long as we look after that next game all the time, that’s what matters.
“It’s another long journey, but that’s not seemed to bother the boys in the slightest.
“We’ve had Wrexham and Gateshead and won those two games, so hopefully, the way we’re playing, we can just keep going.”
CHESTER parted company with manager Mick Wadsworth on Wednesday after just three months in charge.
The club started the Blue Square Premier campaign on minus 25 points, and have won just twice in 13 matches.
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