Not My Goal, Says U’s Connolly

Judging by his reaction and the team’s pie-up in front of the home fans after Colchester United’s second goal against Barnsley on Saturday, you’d be right to assume that Arsenal loanee Matthew Connolly had netted a first U’s strike.

But in yesterday’s EADT, the 19-year-old defender denied that he had been able to make a clean contact with Jonnie Jackson’s corner in the 48th minute, citing instead a deflection after his minimal flick en route to goal.

When asked if he had hit the ball over the line last, Connolly replied: “It wasn’t me. I’d like to have claimed it but it was not my goal; it was an own goal.”

Although now accredited to Connolly, TV replays show Barnsley’s Rob Kozluk to have accidentally helped the ball in for that goal, which didn’t prove decisive as the Tykes levelled five with minutes remaining.