Sky Bet Goal of the Month: Ezgjan Alioski, Gino van Kessel and Alan McCormack pick up August awards
Friday 15 September 2017 13:13, UK
Leeds winger Ezgjan Alioski is the Sky Bet Championship Goal of the Month winner for August, receiving 63 per cent of the public vote.
Alioski knew exactly what to do when the ball ran loose outside the Nottingham Forest box. Two quick touches were followed by a rasping shot which nestled in the bottom corner.
Lead Sky Bet EFL Goal of the Month judge and Sky Sports Pundit, Don Goodman, said: "What I love about this goal is not only the finish but the fantastic crunching tackle turned assist by Kalvin Phillips, which Leeds fans would have loved almost as much as the goal.
"After that, Alioski's low, powerful drive into the bottom corner was just too good for the 'keeper who saw it early enough but was powerless to do anything to stop it, such was its accuracy. It capped a magnificent man-of-the-match performance from the Macedonian."
Alioski said: "I am delighted to receive the award for goal of the month, especially as this was my first month in English football.
"However, we are a team at Leeds United and scoring the goal would not be possible without the hard work and dedication from my team-mates. I hope to score many more goals for Leeds, but this goal and this award is very special."
Alioski beat off competition from Aston Villa's Andre Green and Nottingham Forest's Andreas Bouchalakis.
Oxford United winger Gino van Kessel is the Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month winner for August, receiving 48 per cent of the public vote.
It was the dazzling speed of mind and foot which made van Kessel's debut goal special. He nipped outside one defender then inside another before sweeping home.
Goodman said: "What a debut goal this is, there couldn't possibly be a better way to endear yourself to a new set of supporters.
"The initial pass was behind van Kessel, but he persevered, and with two magnificent touches with the outside of the boot, he'd manipulated a shooting opportunity and applied the finish that his skill had deserved."
Van Kessel said: "It was my first match after one week [at the club] so the others didn't know me very well at that moment. I expected the ball five or 10 metres in front of me so I can run on and have a one vs one against the goalie, but the ball was a little bit behind me so I missed it on the first touch, but I was fast enough to get it back again but there were two defenders from Portsmouth around me.
"I got a touch with the outside of my boot to the inside of the box and it was an easy finish."
Van Kessel beat off competition from Blackpool's Sean Longstaff and Scunthorpe United's Conor Townsend.
Luton Town midfielder Alan McCormack is the Sky Bet League Two Goal of the Month winner for August, receiving 45 per cent of the public vote.
Standing 35 yards out at a corner, McCormack strode forward to a dropping ball and let fly with an unstoppable dipping volley over the crowd of players in front of him.
Goodman said: "McCormack has got off to a flying start at Luton Town, picking up a string of man of the match awards, and scoring this outrageous goal at the start of August.
"He'll be hoping life in Sky Bet League Two remains as smooth sailing for the rest of the season as he aims to push Luton towards promotion."
McCormack said: "I remember we were going through a corner routine, but it was actually a corner routine went wrong.
"The lad who was taking it was meant to do something else and the ball came to me completely free at the edge of the box and I remember the ball coming to me.
"My first thought was don't try and hit it as hard as you can, just try and get a good connection and just remember looking at it and seeing it going through all of the bodies and into the back of the net. It was a nice feeling on the debut, especially with the win that went with it."
McCormack beat off competition from Lincoln City's Billy Knott and Newport County's Frank Nouble.
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