Connolly: We Never Give Up

Brighton & Hove Albion under-23 striker Aaron Connolly applauded his team-mates for grinding out another point in the Premier League 2 Division 1, after the Irishman scored in stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Monday night.

The Seagulls continued their unbeaten start to the league season with a share of the spoils at Holmes Park, and Connolly commented on the team’s desire to keep probing until the final whistle.

He said, “We struggled towards the start of the second half, but it showed the character of the team to score late and get a draw away from home. We’ve ground out results on a number of occasions.

“We’ve got a good group and always show character in every game. If we go one, two or even three down, we still believe that we can get back into the game.

“If we score just one goal, it puts us on the front foot and helps us get back into it. Simon [Rusk] sets us up well and we go out believing that we can win every game.

“This momentum gives the team confidence - getting wins, draws and getting points on the board. We’re currently fifth in the league and hopefully we can keep the run going.”

Connolly put in another hard-working display against the Foxes and was rewarded for his relentless efforts, but the 18-year-old insists his focus is on supporting the team before achieving individual success.

“That’s been my game since I was young - I just love running after the ball and doing a shift for the team. If the goals come, then that’s a bonus, but my first priority is working hard for the team.

“Every striker wants chances to come their way - thankfully the ball dropped for me inside the box and I managed to put it away for us.

“I don’t really think about goals, because if you think about it too much, you’re then putting pressure on yourself to find the back of the net.

“I’ve scored six goals and we’ve earned some good points off the back of that. That’s the most important thing, scoring goals to help the team.”