Jason McCarthy has revealed his happiness at scoring his first goal for Saints Under-21s with a volley in Monday’s 2-0 win over Norwich at St Mary’s.
The skipper made matters more comfortable for his side when fellow centre-back Will Wood nodded Harry Reed’s free-kick into McCarthy’s path, allowing him to guide a looping volley into a gaping net.
“I’m delighted,” the defender told the club’s official YouTube channel. “I’d like to say it’s something I’ve been practicing, but it isn’t! I just found myself in the right position at the right time, I guess. Luckily, the ball fell to me and I managed to put it away.
“I remember thinking at the time that the ball Reedo put into the box was going out of play. It was a ball that caused problems and Woody did well against Sébastien Bassong and managed to outmuscle him and get him off the ball. Luckily, I was there to put it away.”
The significance of Southampton’s victory was raised by the manner in which McCarthy and Wood dealt with experienced striker Gary Hooper, while the hosts’ frontline ensured a defence including Cameroon international Sébastien Bassong endured a difficult evening.
McCarthy continued: “It’s great for us as an U21 team and you get chances like that on the games on Mondays sometimes against teams that don’t have players involved in their first teams, so they can play in the U21s. It’s great for us to play against people with experience like Gary Hooper and Bassong.
“I thought me and Woody did well tonight against an experienced player like Gary Hooper. I’m delighted with that and it only bodes well for the future.
“I was with the first team instead of the last game against Everton. The boys I heard put in a good performance, and it was a young team.
“I’m delighted to get the win tonight at St Mary’s and I thought it was a great turnout from the fans. It was great to get the 2-0 win and the three points.”
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