'To be honest...' : Portsmouth hero's frank admission over priceless goal which puts Blues on brink of Championship safety
The defender’s crucial goal against Leicester City puts Blues on the brink of staying in the Championship
Pompey’s unlikely hero toasted his crucial matchwinner and admitted: I don’t even know how I scored!
Ibane Bowat, on as a 17th-minute substitute for the injured Terry Devlin, contributed the decisive moment of the game as John Mousinho’s men defeated relegation rivals Leicester City 1-0.
Adrian Segecic’s 63rd-minute right-wing corner was finished off by the former Fulham man at the far post, deflecting in off his thigh, having gone for it with his head.
By his own admission, the defender is unsure over which part of his body netted the all-important goal, having not yet seen a replay of the special moment.
Regardless, Bowat’s intervention earned the Blues a third straight win, positioning them seven points above the Championship relegation zone with three matches remaining.
‘I’m not too sure, but a goal’s a goal’
He told The News: ‘It came at me fast, I haven’t watched it back yet, to be honest. I don’t know whether it came off my hand, my thigh or my head!
‘I’m not too sure, but a goal’s a goal, I’m just pleased I was able to score. I knew I hadn’t hit it cleanly, so to be able to see it just trickle in was an immense feeling.
‘I couldn’t tell you, it happened so fast, the adrenaline and whatnot. I think it was around my high thigh area, I will have to watch it back. I’m just happy to have scored and I hope I can help out the team a bit more.
‘It’s a crucial one, especially at this stage of the season. We’ve had some pressure to win games and these last three wins have been huge for us.
‘We don’t want to get too high and we know we have a task at hand, these next three games are huge, we aren’t going to get complacent and think that it’s all done. We still have a task in hand.
‘And I am ready to be there and get on the pitch when called upon, like days like today.’
With Oxford losing 1-0 at Derby and Leicester now unable to finish above the Blues, Mousinho’s side are tantalisingly close to securing a third successive season in the Championship.
The Fratton Park clash against the Foxes was a dreadful match, but it was Pompey who claimed the priceless victory to fire them further away from relegation danger.
Although Bowat is not yet ready to talk about safety, with a trip to Premier League-bound Coventry on Tuesday (7.45pm) looming.
‘It was not a great performance, a bit scrappy’
He added: ‘It was not a great performance, a bit scrappy, but it’s the hard work and resilience of the team that got it through. Us working so hard on and off the ball to keep a third clean sheet in a row.
‘We deserved it. Leicester had a couple of opportunities and so did we, but, at that stage, it’s all about that resilience.
‘I don’t want to jinx anything, I’m just taking it game by game. We have these next three huge matches, so it’s about what’s next, which is Coventry away.’