TROY PARROTT SAYS it was a “special feeling” to score a half-hour hat-trick as Excelsior Rotterdam fight for Eredivisie survival. The Republic of Ireland striker helped Excelsior to a 7-1 win over ADO Den Haag yesterday as they reached the final of the relegation play-offs. “This is my first time scoring three goals, it’s a special feeling,” Parrott told afterwards.
“We came here to do what we had to do, to win the game, and I thought we won it in really good fashion.” The 22-year-old Dubliner, on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur, was on target in the third, 27th and 30th minutes at Stadion Woudestein, bringing his tally to 13 goals and four assists for the season. The first two goals were deft, chipped finishes while he rounded off the hat-trick off from the penalty spot.
“I think there were two passes leading up to the [first] goal that maybe could have been offside,” Patrott recalled. “I knew the first one wasn’t but the second one, I wasn’t too sure because I couldn’t see what was behind me. You have to just play until the whistle goes, good for us that it was onside and it got us off to a good start.
“After the first one, I thought maybe the keeper will think that I will do this again. He dropped early again [for the second], it was a nice goal. “If anyone scores two goals and we get a penalty, I think it’s only right that this person takes the penalty.
It was good.” The game was halted shortly after the third goal due to firewo.
