Hoyte admits own goal relief

Debutant defender grateful to saviour Sanli

Last updated: 1st September 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hoyte admits own goal relief

Hoyte: Saved by Sanli

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Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte admitted his relief after Tuncay Sanli spared his blushes against Stoke on Saturday.

Hoyte's first Premier League start for Middlesbrough looked destined to end in despair after he gave the 10-man visitors a 71st-minute equaliser by turning a Liam Lawrence cross into his own net.

But Sanli let Hoyte off the hook by netting five minutes from time to secure Boro's second win of the season.

"We got out of jail with the late winner," Hoyte told the Evening Gazette.

"When it went in some of the lads were patting me on the back because they were happy my own goal didn't cost the points and of course, personally, I was relieved too.

Memorable

"No-one likes to score an own goal, especially not on your first league start for a new club.

"For a while there it looked like it wasn't going to be a game I'd want to remember but we got the points and that was the most important thing."

The former Arsenal full-back believes the victory will stand Boro in good stead as they aim to build on their 100% start at home.

"I was just glad the team got the three points," added Hoyte. "It was important that we won even though we didn't play as well as we know we could.

"It was a test for us and we have come through it well. Other teams will come at us like that and we have to be able to play against it and I think we showed that we can."