‘MY PHONE HAS BEEN ON FIRE SINCE MIDWEEK GOAL BLITZ!’
HIRAM Boateng will always have a special memento of Mansfield Town’s incredible 9-2 home win against shell-shocked Harrogate Town in midweek – the matchball.
The 28-year-old midfielder led the way with a hat-trick – his first goals of the season no less – as the second-placed Stags ran riot with a club record-equalling league win that caused shockwaves throughout the EFL.
Incredibly, the visiting Sulphurites had been top of the League Two form table before they turned up at the One Call Stadium and were pulverised.
“My dad said I need to get a glass case for the matchball,” Boateng told The FLP. “I’m sure he will sort it, but I’m not sure if it will go in my house or his. It’s a memory of the game, a very special moment.”
Having found minutes hard to come by in the league this term – Tuesday night’s match was his first League Two start since mid-September – Boateng was keen to make up for lost time and grab his opportunity against Harrogate.
“I was really happy to help the team,” he said. “For me personally, it’s been a tough season, not getting as much playing time as I would like. The team has been flying, there are reasons for it, but it’s not easy waiting.
“You have to keep your head down and stay motivated. It’s about what you do behind the scenes. We have really good staff to help you when you’re not playing and you get the top-up you need.
“You can’t feel sorry for yourself, you have to keep doing what you are doing. You have to be prepared when the chance comes.”
His midweek treble certainly made waves.
“My phone has been on fire!” he laughed. “I’ve got loads of messages. People want to congratulate you – and it’s been brilliant to get those messages.
“I try to keep a level head when things go well and when they don’t. I don’t let things get to me and my focus now is on finishing the season strong.”
If Mansfield don’t go on to achieve promotion, then the 9-2 success won’t mean as much to Boateng and his colleagues.
Ambition
“That’s been the club’s aim and ambition since the day I joined,” said Boateng, who is in his second season with the Stags. “We have got our eyes set on that, but we have to take it one game at a time.
“We’ve only lost three games, but we are giving every team the same respect. We’re studying the opposition, but, ultimately, it’s down to us and how we do. I think we are as good as anyone in the league.”
