Crawley Town keeper makes Zidane comparison after THAT touch against MK Dons
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Will Wright’s goal line clearance, Ronan Darcy’s celebration and Liam Kelly’s strike are just a few – but one seemed to take social media by storm. In the 23rd minute, Liam Kelly’s unusual backpass looked to have Corey Addai in trouble. But the former Arsenal youth keeper pulled of a wonderful touch before skipping past an sliding MK Dons attacker and then nearly setting up a chance for Adam Campbell.
It was a wonderful but of skill and tremendous composure.
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Hide AdBut for the keeper himself, he thought it was nothing special and took it all in his stride. Speaking before the second of the League Two play-off semi-final, the 26-year-old said: “I didn't even realise it was that special. I was just playing. The ball was in the air and I just thought I have got to get this ball on my right side so I have more time on the ball because that’s away from the press, then I can make a decision whether to play out, which is our style of play, or if I need to play a longer pass. That was my thought process at the time. Obviously I have pulled it out of the sky like Zidane.
“When the striker started pressing me and sprinted in, I realised he was going to slide in and that made my decision easier. I didn’t think about it, there was space behind so I took a touch. I know it looked risky but I took the safer option.”
And after the game Addai was surprised by the reaction. “My phone was exploding. Like I said, I was just playing, I didn’t realise it was so special. Playing with my feet is a strong part of my game. It just happened and now I look like Zidane.”
Manager Scott Lindsey said he was fine with what happened and says when you play like Crawley do, you have to take ‘the rough with the smooth’.
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Hide Ad"We were absolutely fine with it, we actually coached that action,” he said. “It was only the execution of Liam Kelly’s pass that was slightly wrong. We call it the hook, we play one side of the pitch to the other and maybe we should have gone short to Dion [Conroy]. But I am fine with it and we are confident Corey can handle that.
“I was hoping the camera was on me because I was laughing when Corey brought it out of the sky. As soon as he stepped over the first press I was fine with it and in actual fact he nearly out Adam Campbell through.
“We play with a lot of risk but with that risk can come a lot of reward. I know there are moments when the opposition can turn the ball over in moments like that, MK Dons here in August is an example of that but sometimes you have to take the rough with the smooth when you play like that, but we are never going to change. Sometimes we have to play with those moments where people have got their hearts in their mouths but I am fine with it.”