“I am delighted for him and I am delighted we got his contract signed before he did it! There are many more goals to come from Sonny Cox in red and white.”
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell piled praise on 19-year-old Sonny Cox after his double earned a 2-2 draw with Bolton – and then joked he was pleased to have already tied the forward to a new contract.
The promotion-chasing Trotters were in complete control of the first half at St James but led only 1-0 courtesy of Paris Maghoma’s strike. And that was costly as within 10 seconds of the restart Cox lashed a stunning dipping half-volley into the net to draw Exeter level.
Four minutes later he held off Ricardo Santos before drilling a superb left-footed shot into the net from 20 yards to turn the game on its head, to take his tally to the season to five. But while Bolton recovered to earn a point through Eoin Toal’s late header, there was no doubting the star of the show, in the week he signed a new two-year deal with the Grecians.
“The first goal gave us belief and hope in the game and it was a fantastic finish,” Caldwell said. “His composure, his quality – the keeper probably makes it easier for him, but he still has a lot to do to put it in the goal and it was fantastic.
“His second goal – you probably won’t see a better goal than that in League One all season in terms of a number nine playing against a very quick centre-half, knows he is coming down on him, but the way he shifted the ball from in to out to open up the angle and then the quality of the strike, the power, the precision – it was a sensational goal.
“I am delighted for him and I am delighted we got his contract signed before he did it! There are many more goals to come from Sonny Cox in red and white.
At the other end of the pitch, Caldwell was equally as effusive in his praise for defender Will Aimson. The 30-year-old has started the season brilliantly but a dip in form which coincided with the 13-game winless run saw the armband taken off the centre-back, who was also taken out of the team.
Having been recalled in place of Cheick Diabate last week – a decision that drew some boos from the Grecians fans – and again pre-match on Saturday, Aimson showed again that at his best, he is a top defender for this level, including a vital goal-saving challenge in the first half when his former club were well on top.
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