Ipswich Town: Azor Matusiwa on 1-0 win against Hull City

“I have to say that Mark Ashton told me that I had to score today,” the Dutchman smiled.

Ashton walked closer and explained: “I said that today was his day. Ceddy [Kipre] was my witness. Well done buddy!”

But does he say that before every game?

“No, today was the day,” Ashton replied.

Matusiwa added: “He hasn’t told me often! I’m happy that he told me. I’m very happy with the goal and happier with the win.”

It was a stunning goal, one worthy of winning any football match, let alone a scrappy, cagey clash between two promotion rivals.

Anis Mehmeti was robbed of the ball. Leif Davis picked it up on the edge of the area, turning it to Matusiwa, who had one thing in his mind as he readied himself from more than 20 yards out.

He launched it into the top right corner with all his might, leaving Tigers' goalkeeper Ivor Pandur with no chance.

“I asked for the ball from Leif,” Matusiwa recalled. “We spoke about it during the week and he told me, ‘don’t shoot, don’t shoot!’.

“I thought, ‘I have to shoot!’. I was so close to the goal. I thought I was going to look for gold and it was a good hit.

“You have some moments where you hit the ball and you know. I had the same feeling as soon as I hit the ball, as it left my foot, that maybe it was going to be a goal.”

This, for Matusiwa, was a big moment on a personal level. More than anything, he wanted to pay the club back for all their support since he first arrived in England last summer.

“I felt the love from the start,” he explained. “I’ve felt the love from supporters, from my team-mates, from the staff.

“I felt so welcome, so warm. Of course, you want to pay it back. You can pay it back by playing good games, but also by scoring.

“Maybe it’s better to score in this type of game, where it’s really hard to score and it’s a winner.

“I think it’s a big moment for me and I’m happy that I could give the club something back.”

The celebration was all over the place, but Matusiwa made sure that the important part stood down as the ‘chaos’ died down.

“I have a celebration for my wife and for my kid, but everyone was running in for me,” he chuckled. “I wanted to make some space!

“Everyone was running and pushing me, so it was a chaotic moment, but it’s not like I’m scoring every day. I don’t have a really good celebration, just an easy, basic celebration, that’s it.”

So, can we expect more goals like this from Matusiwa?

“No, don’t expect more!” the 27-year-old laughed.

“I’ll take my chance if I think I can do it, I’ll do it. But it’s not my job.

“I’m there in front of the defence, for the clean sheets. We’ve had many this season, we could have more, but another one today.

“A clean sheet, a goal and a win is a perfect evening.”

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