All Whites forward Ben Waine has scored his first League One goal for Plymouth Argyle, helping take them to the top of the table and a step closer to earning automatic promotion to the English Championship.
Waine, making his first appearance after treatment for an ankle injury, came off the bench in the 56th minute with Argyle trailing 1-0 at Morecambe.
After teammate Danny Mayor equalised, Waine pounced with three minutes to go to turn the match in his side’s favour.
And his mum and dad were there to watch.
Waine’s parents and extended family were at the ground to see the goal, and were among the 1,000-strong away support to celebrate what became a 3-1 win.
‘I’m just buzzing’
“Mum and Dad flew over from New Zealand; they’ve been here for a couple days now,” Waine told Argyle TV.
“They literally landed on the day of Wembley. (Morecambe) was their first league game. I had my auntie, uncle and cousins from Newcastle here, and grandma back in the hotel room watching. It just made the day a lot more special.
“It’s been hard for them to keep up with games, but believe me, they’ve been up at 3am in New Zealand watching all of them.
“(The goal had) felt like a long time coming, but it’s a really good time to score, isn’t it? I’m just buzzing.”
Waine was one of three subs who scored.
Manager Steven Schumacher told Plymouth Live: “That’s what you have got a squad for. It’s what I get paid to do, to pick teams. I have got a game plan to try and win that type of match, but I know that I have also got a bench that can come on and make an impact.
“They understand that everything is for a reason and if they are called upon to come on the pitch they need to try and make an impact and they have done it again.
“All three subs scored, so I’m really pleased for all of them, and we are going to need that again in the next seven (games).”
Watch Ben Waine’s goal
‘It’s sometimes hard to keep the faith’
Waine said the key to Plymouth’s win was patience.
“Quite often as a striker, you’re told to be patient and wait because you will get the opportunities, especially late on in a game like that.
“It’s sometimes hard to keep that faith that it will come.
“For strikers, it’s pretty simple; the impact is a goal or an assist. Workrate is a pretty big given in this kind of environment, but I think the biggest thing is there’s no real sulkers in the team.
“It would be easy, if someone’s had a good game and they’ve been put on the bench, to get their head down and be a bit annoyed at the gaffer, but it never seems to be like that.”
READ MORE: Argyle eager to get All Whites striker Ben Waine fit for key matches over Easter >>>>
Waine joined Argyle from Wellington Phoenix after scoring 17 A-League goals in 73 matches for the club.
Argyle now two points clear at the top of the League One table and are at home to mid-table Lincoln City on Easter Monday.
The two top teams get automatic promotion to the English Championship.
READ MORE: League One table >>>>
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