By Asia Samachar | Britain|
Malvind Singh Benning thrilled his team and supporters when Port Vale defeated Mansfield 3-0 for the League Two playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (May 28).
The left wing-back played an excellent game and capped it with a stunning goal just five minutes before the end of the match, ensuring Port Vale winning the trophy of the day and moving up to League One next season.
The 27-year-old footballer also made history as the first Sikh to score at Wembley in full professional competition.
“Best day of my life!!!! Scoring at Wembley and getting promoted with @OfficialPVFC what dreams are made of!,” Mal tweeted after the game.
In an earlier interview, he told Football Daily: “The main thing for me is being from an Indian – Sikh origin, a lot of kids can hopefully look up to that.” He added that he could wait to represent British South Asian players at Wembley as his side take on Mansfield in the League Two play-off final.
The Premier League is the highest division of professional football in England, followed by The Championship, League One and League Two.
In last year’s FA Vase Cup final at Wembley, Amar Purewal scored in last year’s FA Vase Cup final at Wembley, a competition for England’s high level semi-professional teams. The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English national league system.
After the game, Benning who scored for Port Vale, helped his team seal promotion to Sky Bet League One as they beat Mansfield 3-0.
Mal told Sky Sports Football: “The main thing is we got the win. I’m happy to get the third goal and kill the game off. I talked earlier this week about Asians in football and I don’t care it’s me, it’s not about me, but it’s a massive step today.
“I saw it go into the back of the net and I just thought ‘I’ve scored at Wembley’. The gaffer has come back and we’ve rallied around him and he’s rallied around us.”
The long-serving full-back left Mansfield Town Football Club after almost six years, during which he has earned a reputation as a fans’ favourite for his dedicated performances. Mal left the club having amassed 251 appearances in all competitions – the 18th highest of any player in the Stags’ history, reported MansfieldTown.Net.
RELATED STORY:
Amazing Purewal moment at Wembley finals (Asia Samachar, 4 May 2021)
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