West Ham loanee Powell delighted to get off the mark in senior football

Joe Powell is mobbed by his team-mates after opening the scoring at Stevenage. Picture: Kirsty Edmonds

In for his fourth start since signing for Northampton on loan from West Ham United last month, the 20-year-old took full advantage of his opportunity when the ball arrived at his feet 19 minutes into the contest.

Well picked out by Sam Hoskins, Powell steadied himself before firing through the body of Stevenage stopper Paul Farman and into the bottom corner, sending Cobblers on their way to three points at the Lamex.

“It was a great feeling,” he said afterwards. “I was speaking to my brother before the game and he was telling me to get shots off. I was in a good position to hit it and luckily the ball went in!

“Sam and I caught eye contact. As I was running down the side and I screamed for the ball. I mentioned to him afterwards that I’d have been livid if he had chosen to shoot!

“Fortunately he gave it to me and we scored. The fact it wasn’t on my strong foot made me think to just get something on it and keep it hard and low and luckily the shot went through the goalkeeper and into the net.”

The goal initially stemmed from Stevenage’s unwise decision to pass out from the back as Town pressed high and won possession back before working the ball over to Powell on the right.

“You see it as a chance,” he added. “To have the courage to play football out from the back is brilliant but being the opposition you see that and you think you can win the ball back high up the pitch.

“Some of the players at this level aren’t the best with the ball at their feet so you look at them and think we can nick it and get at them and get shots off early.”

Powell lasted 71 minutes before being replaced by eventual match-winner Andy Williams, who grabbed all three points with a stoppage-time strike.

“It’s a physical league and you go into every game knowing you have to graft as much as possible,” Powell admitted.

“I felt a bit of fatigue. I still have a lot in the tank but I think the manager made the right decision to put on fresh legs and see the game out and luckily we came out with all three points.”