IT was cool as you like from Alex Hunt, as the York City midfielder won the match for the Minstermen in stoppage-time against Dagenham & Redbridge.
After Tyrese Sinclair had headed York in front in the first-half, an immediate response in the second-half from Josh Umerah drew the scores level at the LNER Community Stadium.
A sending off for Ollie Pearce meant that he would be unable to aid City’s hopes of finding a winner, before substitute, and debutant, Junior Luamba won the Minstermen a penalty in stoppage time.
With no Pearce or Sinclair on the pitch, Hunt took the responsibility for the spot kick, which was the first one that he has taken in professional football.
Hunt made no mistake, and even admitted that he was ‘pretty calm’ despite knowing the crucial weight of that strike from 12-yards out.
“I was pretty calm to be fair,” Hunt told the Press.
“Obviously Ollie wasn’t on the pitch and Ty would have fancied himself, but he wasn’t on the pitch.
“I went over straight away and grabbed it, and I don’t think there were any complaints from anyone else that I was going to take it.
“I was happy that I didn’t really get anyone trying to take it off of me, but I would have stayed strong and kept it for myself.
“In my youth team days I did [take penalties], not any professional games.
“You always have a designated penalty taker and you sort of leave them to it, you don’t want to cause arguments on the pitch.
“I don’t want to be the one that shy’s away from those big moments.
Alex Hunt wheels away to celebrate his late winner. (Image: Tom Poole) “I think that could turn out to be a big three points in our season, and if I can contribute by scoring from 12-yards, then so be it.”
Hunt reacted to York’s performance that would eventually be enough for three points, and believes that it was just a case of City struggling to take their chances against a resilient Dagenham backline.
The midfielder continued: “I thought that in the first-half they were really good, we shifted it about and created a lot of chances.
“In the second-half we created a lot of chances but they scored from a set-piece, and I’ve not seen it back so I don’t know the ins and outs of how it went in.
“I think that we created a lot of chances from what I can remember and we should have put the game to bed a little bit earlier.”
That three points will also give the York squad even more belief after the incredible season that they have produced, with Hunt praising the management team, including boss Adam Hinshelwood, for their backing in seeing out the result.
“It’s massive, only for us that is in that changing room and behind those four walls know what it takes to get three points.
“We’ve seen it today to get the last minute winner, Halifax, we scored two in stoppage-time.
“It’s just about being patient with us, we will get there and we will stick to our principles of play, then we will end up of winning games.
“I think that the manager and his staff try to keep the players as positive as they can, and I think it just shows the long way that we have come from last season.
“To be lacking belief and getting frustrated and down when we’re third in the league, it’s positive really.”
