Leyton Orient forward Paul Smyth says “anger” inspired his long distance screamer in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Rochdale at Brisbane Road.
Picking the ball up 30 yards from goal, the 24-year-old pirouetted his way past one opponent and evaded another before arrowing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
It was Smyth’s first senior goal for Orient and his first since scoring for former club Accrington Stanley in a 2-1 win at Oxford United last April.
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“Finally,” joked the former Linfield forward who joined Orient last summer.
“I think I was just angry because I couldn’t get on the ball and every touch I was taking, I was losing it and I was just getting frustrated.
“I just thought ‘do you know what, when the ball comes to me, I’m just going to hit one and see what happens’. Thankfully it went into the top corner."
On Twitter, Sky Sports posted a clip of Smyth's stunning strike with three simple words: Take a bow.
Asked if he has scored a better goal in his cross channel career, Smyth laughed: “No, that’s the best! It gave us a platform to push on and win.”
Saturday’s headline-grabbing outing against Rochdale was also the first time Smyth has played more than 70 minutes for Orient since January.
With The O’s, who lie 18th in League Two, leading 2-1, the three times capped Northern Ireland winger was substituted in the 75th minute.
“I had a little bit of cramp,” he said. “It was the first time I’d played 75 minutes in a long time and I’m just glad I’m able to get minutes and build a platform for myself.
“I’m just setting little goals here and there to play more minutes and keep fit and get myself up to scratch.”
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