DUTCH defenders and plenty of disappointed people in Wales now know what Newport County AFC learnt about Ollie Watkins’ finishing on a grim December afternoon in 2016.
The Exiles suffered a sixth successive loss under Graham Westley when they welcomed Exeter to Rodney Parade on New Year’s Eve.
Things looked bleak in what turned out to be the Great Escape season after the Grecians triumphed 4-1 to leave County bottom of the table and five points from safety.
Prospering from their horrendous form was Watkins, the now England striker whose stunning finish last night earned a 2-1 win against the Netherlands and a place in the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday.
Anything is possible if you believe ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mtDRffAFbT
— Exeter City FC (@OfficialECFC) July 10, 2024
In 2016/17 he was an up-and-coming forward at Exeter who would end up with 16 goals in 52 appearances, suffering Wembley heartache in a play-off defeat to Blackpool.
Watkins, who had a spell on loan at Weston-super-Mare, put County to the sword on a boggy Rodney Parade pitch when he struck three times.
DESPAIR: Newport County are dejected after Ollie Watkins clinched his hat-trick at the death for Exeter (Image: Huw Evans Agency)
First he pinged a long diagonal ball before getting on the end of a cross with a header, then he made it 2-0 from close to the penalty spot and at the death he earned his first match ball when Exeter broke from a corner and he beat Joe Day to the ball before slotting from just outside the area.
The following summer Watkins moved from Exeter to Brentford for just shy of £2million then in 2020 he was bought by Villa for an initial fee of £28million.
After three strikes for the Villans against Liverpool in 2020, he said: “I’ve scored hat-tricks before but it was against Newport away on a boggy pitch with about 2,000 people there.”
Watkins won his first England cap in 2021 and hit new heights on Wednesday evening.
A final note: County went on to have the last laugh against Watkins & Co - they won 1-0 at St James' Park thanks to Tom Owen-Evans' strike in what proved to be a vital success in the Great Escape.
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