Welford Victoria striker Shaun Morton celebrated netting his fiftieth goal of the season last week, sliding in a cross at the far post to complete his half-century (and a hat-trick, for good measure) in a 6-0 victory.
Known as “The Haaland of the Midlands” by literally nobody, Shaun’s goals have helped fire the village team, located on the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border, to mid-table in Division Three of the Northants Combination League. This may not sound like an impressive achievement, but for a team that finished bottom last year without a single point and only sixteen goals to its name, this represents a massive turnaround. The club may be over 125 years old, but this particular team is still only in its second season together and while Shaun’s goals have undoubtedly been important, a transition like this doesn’t come from one player alone; a striker can’t score if he gets no service.
Commenting on Shaun’s achievement, player-manager George Jeffery, who took over at the start of the season and has overseen the team’s progress, was full of praise for the impact that Shaun has had on the team. “He may look a bit like Jamie Vardy, be super-quick and score lots of goals but that’s where the similarity ends. He supports Newcastle United so fancies himself as an Alan Shearer-type striker but none of us has the heart to tell him he’s not that good in the air”.
However, George was quick to complete a Lampardian transition. “Seriously though, he always gives 100% and demands the same from others, so he’s been a great influence on his team-mates and an absolute joy to manage.”
Far from looking forward to a summer break, Shaun is now in practice for the cricket season with Welford Cricket Club. Whether he scores as many runs as goals, though, remains to be seen.
The video below shows the exact moment goal number 50 went in…
