Striker on target in dramatic win...
Striker Tom Bradshaw hailed his side’s belief and character after Walsall scored two late goals to snatch a “special” comeback win over Colchester.An Alex Gilbey header on the stroke of half-time looked to have given the relegation-threatened U’s a surprise success.
But the Saddlers equalised on 89 minutes, when Bradshaw rifled in his 18th goal of the season from a Matt Preston flick on.
And then, incredibly, super-sub Preston hammered home a dramatic 94th-minute winner - sparking jubilant scenes from players, coaching staff and fans alike.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game like that!” admitted Bradshaw afterwards.
“Gillingham earlier in the season was great but to come from nowhere and nick two goals late on was absolutely brilliant to be a part of.
“It just shows the character we’ve got in the squad.
“It was a frustrating game and they made it difficult for us after they got the goal. It was a terrible time for us to concede and they made it difficult by dropping in, which allowed them to break.
“But we always had belief that we could nick a goal and once we got the first one, we chucked everything at it to get the second goal.
“To get wins like that is crucial at this stage of the season. To be going into the 89th-minute 1-0 down and to be able to turn that around in four or five minutes is something special.”
Bradshaw has now linked up with Chris Coleman’s Wales squad for this week’s international friendlies against Northern Ireland and Ukraine.
The 23-year-old, who is hoping to earn his first senior cap, wants to enjoy the experience.
“It’s an exciting time for everyone involved in Welsh football,” he said.
“With the euros just around the corner, every player who has got half a chance of getting on that plane is doing everything they can – myself included.
“I’ll just go away with the squad, take everything I can on board, try to learn and just enjoy my time with the lads and enjoy the experience.”