Spot on Freddie Sears is so quick off the mark
FREDDIE Sears was quick off the mark to take Colchester United’s 81st-minute penalty, to secure a 1-1 home draw against Hartlepool United on Good Friday.
Sears would normally have been well down the pecking order of spot-kick contenders, but he took full advantage of the absence of normal pretenders Steven Gillespie, Anthony Wordsworth and Ian Henderson.
All three had been substituted, so Sears didn’t need a second invitation.
“In a way I was lucky that all those lads were off the pitch,” admitted Sears.
“There were doubts about who was going to take the penalty, but I just wanted to take it. As a striker you want to score goals and be responsible for it.
“I had a chat with Rosy (Michael Rose and he said – ‘do you want it?’ – and I said ‘yes,’ especially as no one else went for the ball.
“Everyone was looking around, so I grabbed the ball and thankfully stuck it in.
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“I’ve not taken many penalties. I’ve missed one (for Crystal Palace, against Scunthorpe), and scored one today, but I used to take them all the time for the Reserves and youth team at West Ham.
“I’m confident to step up and hit the target, and it felt good to score again,” added Sears.
It was only the fourth goal of Sears’ professional career, following three strikes (two in the league) for his parent club West Ham.
And his opportunities have been limited, since his loan switch to the U’s in mid-February. Good Friday was only his fourth start.
“I’ve been biding my time a bit, trying to break into the team, and I think I’ve done a good job today,” explained Sears.
“I’ve come in, looked lively, and played off Steven (Gillespie) in the first half and then Kayode (Odejayi) in the second half. I thought it went well.
“But we are disappointed with the result, because towards the end I thought we edged it,” added Sears.
The U’s travel to Bury for a 3pm kick-off tomorrow. The Shakers have only won one of their last 15 games and are in danger of dropping into the relegation zone during the closing weeks of the season.
