SAM HITS THE SPOT
Penalty king Cosgrove is hoping to maintain scoring exploits in Europe
Good things clearly come in threes for Sam Cosgrove. He hopes to fire Aberdeen to the third round of Europa League qualifying by scoring his third goal in three games next week against Chikhura Sachkhere.
The 22-year-old scored from the penalty spot for the second consecutive week in Aberdeen’s 1-1 draw against the Georgians on Thursday.
Aberdeen weren’t at their best in Tbilisi but their hopes of setting up a tie with Rijeka remain alive. After his penalties against RoPS Rovaniemi and Chikhura, Cosgrove is aiming to continue his hot streak next week.
‘I said after the two games against RoPS I could have been sitting here with double that tally,’ he said.
‘The game in Georgia, we weren’t as creative as we were in Finland and the chances were few and far between. It was just a case of putting the penalty away because the away goal can be vital in a tie like this.
‘I want to score more goals next week. I want to keep up my goal-a-game ratio or make my ratio even better than that — that is certainly my aim.’
McInnes has brought in Curtis Main and James Wilson on permanent deals as he looks to provide competition for Cosgrove but it is last season’s top scorer who has started their first three games of the season.
He bagged 21 goals in all competitions last season in what was his breakout campaign at Pittodrie after arriving from Carlisle United.
‘Fortunately, the gaffer has started me in every game this season and I am desperate to repay the confidence he has shown in me from last season,’ continued Cosgrove. ‘The goals are one thing but I want to improve my performances as well.
‘For example, I don’t think my performance in Finland was up to scratch. It wasn’t the sort of level I know I can get to, so I challenged myself to put in a better performance in Georgia and I thought I did that. When you put the work in, you get the rewards and I got that goal against Chikhura.
‘I think there is a lot more to come. I don’t think it was a bad result. We did go out with the aim to win the game. Going 1-0 down wasn’t ideal.
‘I thought we were the better side and we just had that lapse of ten or 15 minutes where they unfortunately got their goal. I think for the rest of the time we controlled it and we deservedly got our goal and a draw.’
Although Thursday’s match was played in front of a crowd of around 1,000 people in the 54,000-seater Boris Paichadze Arena, it was relatively intimidating for Cosgrove as he stood up for the spot-kick.
That he had to stand around while the referee heeded advice from his assistant on whether there had been a handball made it tougher for the player. The Georgian crowd made their presence known with whistles and horns, but the Englishman held his nerve.
And Cosgrove added: ‘It was a stonewaller. I was standing beside the defender and it hit him on the hand. With the new rules, it was definitely a penalty. I knew it was a penalty. There were a few boys asking the question and he (the ref) took a while to give it. He did speak with his assistant for a bit but, between them, they made the right decision in the end.
‘I didn’t really feel the pressure. It has been a common occurrence with me taking the penalties. I am getting used to it and I enjoy the responsibility of taking them. It is always a bit of a lottery taking a penalty but I always feel confident. I am probably 80 to 90-per-cent confident I will score.
‘Both keepers have gone the right way, but I have scored both and that is the main thing. As long as we keep getting penalties and I keep putting them away, everybody will be happy.
‘As soon as a penalty is given, I tend to blank out everything around me. I get in the zone, I pick my spot and everything else I just ignore. I didn’t really hear their wolf whistles and shouting — this type of thing doesn’t affect me at all.’