Rory Loy on his reserve game goal
United striker Rory Loy started his first game since his Boxing Day injury at Deepdale on Wednesday afternoon when he played the full 90 minutes in a very competitive reserve game against Barnsley.
A good performance was made even better when he notched the second half equaliser in a 1-1 draw and he gave us his reaction to the game and his goal on his return to Brunton Park.
“I’ve been working hard all year. It’s been really tough for me, to be honest, so it was great to finally start again,” he said.
“The good thing was that it felt like my touch had come back. I retained possession most of the time, but I was a bit slow off the mark on a few occasions. I’m a lot sharper on my turn usually but it will probably take two or three games before that comes back completely.”
“There weren’t any really strong tackles but it was a competitive game and everyone took it seriously,” he explained. “They had a very good team out and, in terms of being hesitant, I didn’t feel that at all. I need to build up a bit of fitness but I’m definitely getting there.”
And on the goal, he said: “That felt good. I had a half chance in the first half and if my touch had been slightly better I might have got a shot away. During the second half, Liam Noble put some good passes through to me and Jon-Paul McGovern did the same. Eventually it went right for me. The keeper made a good save from the first one and then I was able to finish the second chance off.”
“I think I can take a lot of confidence from the way things are going,” he told us. “To play 90 minutes of football is massive for me at this stage. The goal was a bonus but getting that pitch time was the important thing. It’s now a case of making sure I keep working hard and then it will be up to the manager to decide when he thinks I’ll be fit enough to bring me back into it.”
United Player subscribers can see a video interview with Rory Loy where he talks about his goal against Barnsley now. Click HERE to access the video. Follow the same link for more information on United Player, and to subscribe.