James Collins on a goalscoring landmark as he clocks up 100 professional goals
Do strikers experience the same apprehension cricketers endure when they get into the nervous 90s and that century is a couple of meaty blows away?
James Collins' milestone reaching penalty last Monday in the 2-0 win over Yeovil Town suggested firmly otherwise.
Speaking before the Newport County game just over a week before Christmas, Collins told the official match day programme of his memories of his first strike, his recollections of reaching the 50 goal mark and he also shed some light on his favourites of the impressive tally to date.
Since then, his opener against the Exiles and the cooly converted landmark penalty have seen him reach the 100 goal mark - and with 13 strikes to his name in all competitions so far this term it would be fair to say the former Shrewsbury Town man has hit the ground running since joining the Reds this summer.
Ask any county batsman worth his salt and they can remember something about each of their hundreds. Goal scorers are no different, and James’s recall of some of the milestones below.
First goal
It was October 31, 2009 and Darlington, whom I’d just joined on loan, were away to Hereford. A lad called Moses Barnett, who was also on loan there from Everton, crossed it and I steered it home with my left foot. We lost 2-1 though.
50th goal
That was when I had a year in Scotland with Hibs. We were away to St Johnstone and I got played in by Liam Craig over their defence. The keeper parried the shot but it had enough power to get in and we won 2-1.
Hat-tricks
minute. I was at Swindon and we were playing Portsmouth on New Year’s Day. We won 4-0 and I got them all, everything I hit that day flew in. It was a surreal experience!thI once scored four goals in a game – and I only came on in the 60
My other hat-trick was that same season when Swindon won 4-3 at Stoke in the League Cup. I’ve got a few goals in cup games against big teams in my career.
Favourite
My all-time favourite is probably scoring with a header at the Emirates in a League Cup tie for Shrewsbury in front of more than 50,000 people.
JAMES’S SEASON BY SEASON GOALS
Darlington 2 2009-10
Shrewsbury 13 2010-11
Shrewsbury 16 2011-12
Swindon Town 18 2012-13
Hibernian 6 2013-14
Shrewsbury 17 2014-15
Shrewsbury & Northampton 15 2015-16
Crawley Town 13 2016-17
