Jason Koumas has had many moments to savour in the FA Cup with Tranmere.
He was involved in the Premier League giant killings at the start of the century, when John Aldridge’s Rovers slayed Sunderland, Everton and Southampton on their way to successive quarter-finals.
And although his second spell at Prenton Park has not been nearly as memorable as his first, Koumas’ strike at Oxford on Saturday was certainly one for the highlights package.
A drop of the shoulder, a familiar surge inside and an unstoppable shot unleashed from 25-yards earned Tranmere a draw and booked their in the third round draw.
And he admits there was only one thing on his mind when the ball fell to his feet.
“Scoring”, he said.
“That was going in. I was confident of hitting it. It was nice to see it go in.
“It could end up being a real big goal for the club, and I hope it is, because it would be nice to get a big tie in the next one, if we get through the replay.
“I was thinking about Match of the Day when it went in – the little lads can watch that.
“We played well for most of the game, probably switched off at the start of the second half, but it’s a good result, we’re in the hat and we look forward to the replay.
“Confidence is growing. We felt we could get through the tie and we’re happy to take them back to our place.
“A couple of months ago, we might have lost that game.
“But Micky Adams is putting his stamp on the team as the weeks go on. He’s been different class since he’s been here.”
Koumas is now dreaming of a cup run similar to those when he first joined the club.
Rovers have not reached the fourth round since 2003/04 when they made it to the last eight.
The midfielder is desperate for that to change, and will have a watchful eye on the draw tonight, where Tranmere are ball number 45.
“If we can get a real big one at home, or even away, it would be massive,” he continued.
“We haven’t had a real big tie for a few years at this place.
“We’ve given ourselves a chance by staying in the cup.”
Matthew Jones 