Nerves did kick in for Vikings captain
Just what is it like to kick a match-winning penalty in the last minute of arguably the biggest game in Vikings history?
On the outside Matt Lomas might have appeared ice cold as he slotted over the three points to seal his side’s nail-biting 29-27 over league leaders Sandown & Shanklin at Footes Lane, but on the inside the butterflies were fluttering like never before.
‘To say I was nervous is going to be an understatement, I was absolutely “bricking it” to be honest,’ said the St Jacques captain.
‘I told the lads “just don’t speak to me on this kick please”, because I was very nervous.
‘What a great feeling though – but it wasn’t just my kick that won us the game, it was everyone’s effort in the 80 minutes before that as well.
‘That was a great shift from the boys, in tough conditions as well, winning by such a narrow victory, it’s just brilliant. All the boys were absolutely buzzing with the result, it was a cracking win for us.
‘We beat [the side] top of the league at home, in front of a packed ground as well, it’s absolutely brilliant. You couldn’t get any better days than this.’
While the victory was an important step in their push for promotion, third-placed Vikings still have four big games to play in this league campaign if they are to achieve their ambition.
‘Obviously this was a target game and we’ve ticked that one off, so that’s brilliant,’ Lomas said.
‘We’re going to take every game as it comes, we’re going to treat every opposition as a must-win because it is really, if we want to get promoted for the next season.’
