GOAL WOULD BE SPUR-FECT
Hayes’ new glory bid
PAUL HAYES saves his best goals for the FA Cup – and the veteran Newport striker is hoping to add another to the collection against Tottenham at Rodney Lane tomorrow.
A year ago he scored twice for Wycombe at White Hart Lane in a 4-3 fourth-round defeat. Now he wants to erase the memories of Son Heung-Min’s 97th-minute winner. “I don’t think they will remember me,” said Hayes, who has scored 17 FA Cup goals in 39 appearances for six different clubs.
“We hoped we were going to get a replay out of it last year, but the referee played nine minutes of over-time and they won it at the death. We were gutted.
“The FA Cup has been good to me and the volley at White Hart Lane last season was the second-best goal of my career.
Lucky
“The best was for Shrewsbury against Chelsea in the third round in 2005.”
Hayes, 34, whose elder brother Martin was a Division One and League Cup winner with Arsenal, also scored for Scunthorpe against Manchester City in 2010.
“I’ve done well in the FA Cup and scored against three Premier League clubs. I’ve been very lucky to play against some great players,” he said.
“You cherish games like these because you never know when it is going to be the last one. I thought the game at White Hart Lane last year was going to be my last chance against a Premier League side. “Now, I’ve another chance against Spurs and if I’m picked I’m going to enjoy it.
“The key thing for the Newport players is not to think too much about the game and just go out and enjoy the experience.
“The magic of the FA Cup means anything can happen in a one-off game. Let’s hope it can be us this year.
“We are at home, we’ve got a big crowd behind us and we are in good form at the moment. So why not.”