Mansfield Town's Regan Hendry as stunned as anyone over wonder goal as Mansfield Town sink Orient
Midfielder Regan Hendry was as stunned as anyone in the One Call Stadium after his incredible wonder goal from the halfway line in Mansfield Town's fine 4-1 win over Leyton Orient yesterday.
The 27-year-old Scot, signed this summer from Tranmere Rovers, finished with a brace while Will Evans and Luke Bolton also found the target in a game in which Orient finished with 10 men after Idris El Mizouni was sent off.
But the post-match talk was all about Hendry's 15th minute opener where he won the ball on the centre spot before lifting a breathtaking finish up and over stunned keeper Tommy Simkin.
It is almost certain to win Goal of the Season already and Hendry smiled: “I have never scored a goal like that to be honest with you.
“I won't deny it – it's probably the best goal I have scored and don't know if I will ever score another one like it.
“I can't even recall ever trying to do that either.
“Obviously I won the ball in the middle of the park and then just thought why not? They were wide open in the middle of the park and there was a chance the goalie would be off his line.
“I didn't know if he was off his line or not but he obviously was.
“It felt like it was in the air for about 20 minutes and I was just delighted to see it in the back of the net.
“I couldn't believe it had gone in as you could probably tell by my celebration. I was overjoyed but didn't really know what to do with myself afterwards. I just ran towards the corner flag.
“If I had missed the boys on the pitch would probably have asked me what I was doing, but it went in, so all was good.”
He added: “When you are playing with confidence you try things like that don't you? You don't really care about the outcome afterwards. If you miss it you miss it and just get on with things after.
“Not just me, we are all playing with such confidence at the moment and enjoying our football.
“I am just glad the fans went away happy. I think it was my goal that got us three points and they have seen their team play unbelievably well, so it's a great time to be part of the Stags family and I am just enjoying my football so much at the moment – I am loving it.
“My second goal was not quite such a good one, but in other ways it kind of was as it was such a good team goal.
“It's something I really want to add to my game – arriving in the box and scoring goals.
“Frazer (Blake-Tracy)picked a good ball out and I just knew if I made that run to the back post I was free and, thankfully, the ball landed at my feet and I put it in the net.
“Again I didn't know what to do with myself as I have not scored that many braces in my life either – it was a great day. I am not too disappointed I didn't get a hat-trick as I have never scored one, though I did have opportunities. But it wasn't to be. Maybe there will be another chance later in the season.”
Hendry began the season playing deeper but has been pushed further forward and is loving the freedom.
“I have not played in that No.10 role too often in my career but as you can tell by today I am loving it, picking up good spaces and the boys are finding me,” he said.
“I want to add more goals and assists and create more for the team. It is something I have not done too often in my career but I know I am capable of creating a lot more.
“I don't want to get too ahead of myself but it is obviously a great start to the season, not just for me but for the team. It was a fantastic day for the club.
“We are being ruthless at both ends of the pitch.We are not conceding too many goals and we are scoring goals for fun.
“I don't think we played that badly in the first two games but since that first win of the season at Chesterfield the boys have relaxed a bit and knocked the ball about with confidence, playing some really good stuff.”
On the game overall, he said: “When they scored a goal at 2-0 it could have given them a bit of momentum, but we put a stop to that quite quickly. We didn't let it bother us too much and we scored another good goal.
“It was a fantastic finish from Will, then it helped with them going down to 10 men as well.
“It was an unbelievable performance and just shows what we are all about at the moment.
“We are playing with such confidence and I am really enjoying it.
“We are playing well and nothing can stop us at the moment.
“It is a good time to be playing for Mansfield. We're playing our best football at the moment and long may it continue.”