As a goalkeeper, you are constantly put under the microscope, and any small mistake is instantly dissected.
Saves and keeping your team in games are part and parcel of the role. Scoring goals, not so much.
To score one as a shot stopper is remarkable in itself, but to score two in the same season? That’s the stuff of legend. But that’s exactly what Mathew Stanton has done.
Keeping net for Baglan Dragons, Stanton began his scoring run at Llantwit Major in the middle of August.
“It was a big day for us, especially with Llantwit having won the Cymru South in the past few years. We started well, and we were playing really well. We were 3-1 up in the second half and had a free kick around our own 18-yard box.
“I’m pretty good with my distribution, and I’ve seen that their keeper is miles off his line, more or less between his two centre-halves. I came running out my box and shouted to our right-back, out the way I’m going to hit it.
“I told the referee I was taking it quick, and I hit it, albeit it’s picked up a bit of wind, but it’s bounced and gone in. Fully intentional it was for sure.”
If the day couldn’t have been crazy enough, on the same day as he scored against the Windmill Lane side, fellow JD Cymru South keeper Scott Coughlan scored for Llanelli.
“After I scored there was about ten minutes left, and there were two youngsters behind the goal who shouted, you’re not the only keeper to score today, and I thought surely not?!
“I came off, went on social media, and saw Scott scored; it was mental. I messaged him after that game and then had a chat to him after we played Llanelli, but it’s quite funny.”
Back to our protagonist, and Stanton would have been well within his right to dine out on that solo goal for the rest of his career, achieving a feat not even greats like Manuel Neuer or Edwin van der Sar have done.
But fast forward to last week, and the Dragons keeper was up to his old tricks once more, this time against Ammanford.
“We’ve had a free kick just inside our half in front of their dugout, and we’re chasing the game being 2-1 down.
“I’ve gone to try and split the line between their defence and the keeper, and our centre-back Lewis Holmes is really good in the air.
“So, the plan was to aim for Lewis and for then others to play off of him. I’ve sent it into an area, their defence haven’t dealt with it, and it bounces and hits the back of the net.
“I remember running back to my goal thinking, I’ve done it again! I don’t know how. A goalkeeper should never score in his career realistically, and I’ve scored two in four months!”
The late goal salvaged a point for Baglan, and Stanton’s goalscoring exploits is merely a small detail in the bigger fairytale that the club are living in.
The club have achieved back-to-back promotions, and in two years, have gone from the amateur leagues to the Cymru South.
Sitting eighth in the second tier, the Baglan boys are simply keen to keep riding the wave they are on.
“Carl [Clement] set our store out at the start of the season, and our aim was to stay up. Anything else on top of that would be a bonus.
“If we had finished fourth from bottom and goal difference kept us up, to me and to everyone else that would have been an achievement. But teams have been taken aback a bit by how together we are as a club, and we’re proving that we can compete.
“We drew away to Carmarthen Town, we lost in the last minute to Llanelli, but we are competing against the bigger sides. We are a bit of surprise package this year, but that was always going to be our aim.”
The mood and good vibes around the Evan Bevans Playing Fields certainly look set to continue.
As far as Stanton’s goalscoring record is concerned, the keeper is confident there will be more to come and is even hoping to score more than some of his strikers.
“The aim is to get more goals now, once you’ve started you can’t stop! I’ve had a bit of banter with Jordan Evans. His goals last year dragged us up and he scored in the playoff final. This year, he’s only got one, and his goalkeeper has got two! Is he able to catch me up?
“If I score again, it’s great, but if I don’t, then it’s been a good couple of months.”
