Sam Saunders admitted he was embarrassed with a comedic fall before getting up, dusting himself down and scoring a superb goal for Brentford in their Sky Bet League One win over Swindon Town.
The Bees were 1-0 down midway through the first half when Sam scored a goal that caused both laughs and cheers inside Griffin Park.
He stepped up to take a free kick, ran up, slipped and fell flat on his face before getting anywhere near the ball.
As most of the ground laughed, he recovered his poise, lined it up again and curled it in to the top corner.
It proved to be a key moment, although Swindon went ahead again, Clayton Donaldson and Marcello Trotta scored to give The Bees the win.
Sam explained he had got off his sick bed to score the goal and was delighted he got a chance to respond to the Swindon fans’ laughs.
“I have taken millions of free kicks in training and games and I have never done that before,” said Sam, speaking to Bees Player: Match Day Live after the win.
“I am blaming it on the flu.
“I have been in bed all week and my legs are like jelly.
“I was embarrassed but I had to take it on the chin.
“I was buzzing that it went in.
“I took a long time after falling over.
“Even running up I was having a chuckle about what happened.
“When it came off my foot I knew it was in.
“The Swindon fans were laughing at me so I could give some back.
“It got us back in the game.
“I felt we had the ascendancy after the first 15 minutes.
“Even after they went 2-1 up, I felt we would win the game.
“The character and quality of the boys showed through.
“I am delighted to get another win.”
Clayton Donaldson also spoke to Bees Player: Match Day Live after the win and said it was a good Christmas present for the Brentford fans.
The striker said he felt Brentford got stronger as the game went on and he always felt The Bees would win.
He praised the performance of Marcello Trotta, who caused Swindon no end of problems and eventually scored the winner.
“It is a good present for the fans,” said Clayton.
“Three points is all we wanted.
“Swindon are a good side.
“They try to get the ball down and play.
“I don’t think we started well but we got stronger as the game went on.
“We always had the belief we would come back.
“Marcello Trotta caused the defenders lots of problems today.
“Nothing fazes him, he copes with missing chances.
“He has the skills he showed today in training.
“He deserved his goal and it won us the game.”
Brentford went 2-1 down early in the second half but Clayton scored a diving header to level it up within minutes.
Marcello Trotta scored the winner inside the final 20 minutes.
Clayton talked Bees Player: Match Day Live through his goal, his 11th of the season.
“The ball came to Sam Saunders, I made a run inside as I had seen Alan McCormack would be free,” said Clayton.
“Sam played it to Alan, there were players out of position and a gap at the front post.
“Alan has that ball, he has been doing it all season.
“I knew I was free.
“I just wanted to hit the target and it was a goal. “
Sam said Brentford Manager Mark Warburton had told The Bees at half time to carry in attacking.
He said the introduction of Stuart Dallas for the injured Will Grigg helped The Bees.
“He wanted us to keep attacking,” said Sam.
“We were loose in the first 15 minutes.
“We had more width once Stuart came on.
“He helped us down the left.
“They weren’t able to play around us so easily.
“We passed it well.
“We have goals all over the pitch.
“The gaffer told the front five to be free and attack and that is what happened.
Sam started in a central midfield three, his first start for more than two months.
He said he was confident but wanted to do himself justice.
Sam has excelled in recent games, coming on as a substitute and making an impact, but he said he wanted to do it from the start.
He said he felt Brentford Manager Mark Warburton had confidence in him as he had shown it when working with Nicky Forester as part if a management team three years earlier.
“I feel confident,” said Sam.
“When Warbs was with Nicky he gave me a bit of freedom and I felt I played well.
“I had a central role today.
“Uwe Rösler did a lot of great things for this club as manager but I don’t feel he trusted me to play in there from the start.
“It was nice to be trusted, hopefully I justified that.
“I hate sitting on the bench, I don’t want a tag of coming off the bench to do well.
“I had to do myself justice today.”
Brentford are third in League One, a point behind the top two – Leyton Orient and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Their next match is against Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday.
Clayton said he expected there would be goals in the game and teams would try to take Brentford’s scalp now.
He said there was strength in the squad to deal with whatever was coming between now and May.
“There will be goals in the game,” said Clayton.
“MK Dons are a footballing team, they will come to play, like Swindon did today.
“There will be goals.
“We have done well against them.
“We have confidence and hopefully we can get another result.
“It can be easier getting to the top than staying there.
“Teams will be trying to shoot us down.
“We are not letting up, we will keep going.
“We had injuries and sickness today that could have disrupted us but we have a good squad.
“Players have come in and stepped up.”
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