Damian Batt on beating Bournemouth
Right-back Damian Batt proved to be the match winner as United edged out AFC Bournemouth in the first round of the Capital One Cup last night. In a tense finale it was Batt’s penalty kick that won the game for the U’s after extra time had failed to find a winner.
Goals are a bit of a rarity for the ever reliable right-back, once again outstanding on the night, so Yellow Player asked him how the spot-kick takers were decided?
“We spoke before the game and then the Manager came round and asked us who felt confident. I think the five boys who went up are all confident on penalties and as you saw they were five good kicks. The order was down to the Manager; he just said to me you are number five, and I was OK with that. You can’t really say no!”
United’s penalties were all, literally, spot on. Damian revealed that his technique is simple, and something he has worked on at the training ground:
“I like taking penalties. I may not have taken them for the first team as yet but I like taking them in training. I didn’t even look at the keeper. I just put the ball on the spot, focussed on the ball and put it in the top corner.”
It was the perfect curtain raiser to the season and Damian believes that United can now take confidence into the opening npower League 2 game on Saturday:
“It was a very good team performance. Bournemouth came and played well and passed the ball well but we more than held our own and it puts us in good stead for Saturday’s game at Bristol Rovers now.”
See the whole interview only in Yellow Player