WORLDIE WINS TY A FIRST PRIZE
PLYMOUTH face AFC Wimbledon in the League Two play-off final tomorrow week, but there’s one trophy in the bag already.
Striker Tyler Harvey, 20, has landed the Goal of the Year prize in the National Game Awards, dished out by our sister paper, The NonLeague Paper.
He scored an incredible winner in an amazing finish to Bath City’s National League South match against Weston-super-Mare.
When Weston scored the opening goal in the 90th minute of an Easter Monday game, Bath were heading into the relegation zone.
The referee signalled four minutes of added time and, from the kick-off, Bath went forward, won a corner and Harvey’s header was tipped over by Kane Ingram. Great save, only Ingram isn’t a keeper, but a midfielder!
He was sent off and on-loan Harvey stepped up to level the scores from the spot.
Manager Gary Owers takes it up: “Weston took the kick-off again.We won the ball back but conceded possession, so I turned round to the dugout and thought ‘That’s it, we’ll take a point’.” But, within 17 seconds of the restart, the ball found its way to Harvey, a couple of yards inside his own half.
Pandemonium
He took one touch to cross halfway, looked up and pinged a beautiful right-footer that caught keeper Luke Purnell off his line to dramatically earn Bath their first win in nine matches.
It also set them off on a run of five wins from their last seven that ultimately saw them finish 14th, six points above the drop zone.
“I turned round in time to see the ball going over the keeper’s head,” said Owers, who worked with Harvey in his previous job in Argyle’s youth set-up and then the first team.
“I hadn’t seen what happened, but I knew there was only one player on that pitch capable of it. Pandemonium broke out and we’d turned it around, or Tyler had. He’s a great lad and a great talent.”
What became of the young man who saved their season? He headed back to Home Park after his loan and scored twice in a 5-0 win on the final day of the League Two campaign against Hartlepool to mark his 50th appearance for Argyle in style.
He said: “I really enjoyed my month at Bath. I’m glad I managed to get a few goals, including those two that proved very important.”