Pelly wins Goal of the Month for Crewe stunner

Luton midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu was won the Sky Bet League Two Goal of the Month for April, after receiving 61 per cent of the public vote for his brilliant strike in the 3-1 win over Crewe at Kenilworth Road.
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu lets fly to win the Goal of the Month awardPelly-Ruddock Mpanzu lets fly to win the Goal of the Month award
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu lets fly to win the Goal of the Month award

Lead Sky Bet EFL Goal of the Month judge and Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman said: “We’ve seen goals like this all season, when the ball drops out from a corner, but I don’t think we’ve seen a cleaner strike to drive the ball back into the top corner.

“The perfect touch set up the strike and Mpanzu’s shot was in from the moment it left his boot.”

On the strike itself, Mpanzu, who hadn’t netted for almost a year prior to his stunner, said: “It was a great strike. We've scored a lot of goals this season, especially Danny Hylton and James Collins, so it was great to get on the scoresheet, and first goal of the season, wasn’t too bad.

“The ball came out of the box after a corner from Sheeze (Alan Sheehan), so I just said 'compose myself and have a good strike.'

“The touch needed to be right, it was a banger and I’m just happy I executed it well.

“Three points was the main thing but to win this award is a great achievement for me.”

On how the stop-start season went for Mpanzu, who made 36 appearances in total, spending the middle part of the campaign out of the side, before bursting back on to the scene after Luke Berry’s unfortunate injury against Colchester, he continued: “Our main aim was to get out of this league and thankfully we’ve done that.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu celebrates Town's promotionPelly-Ruddock Mpanzu celebrates Town's promotion
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu celebrates Town's promotion

“There’s high and lows in football and I started off well and then lost my place in the team.

“Thankfully I got back in it and no disrespect to Luke because he got injured and I got my chance.

“Hopefully I’ll see him back in the side in League One, but a great achievement for us and hopefully we can push on in League One and see what we can do.”

Mpanzu, who signed for the Hatters back in December 2013 from West Ham United, is the longest serving player at the club, having made 154 appearances, scoring nine goals.

Things have altered drastically for the better since he arrived, and he hopes that continues with a new ground at Power Court too, adding: “The changes in the training ground, we’ve got much better facilities over here.

"The players have got better, we’ve got promoted out of League Two, the staff have got better, everything around the club has got better.

“Hopefully we can get a new stadium in the coming years, hopefully planning goes through and that will be good for the town and the club.”

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