Paterson takes goal award

His goal, in the 51^st minute of the game gave us the lead on the night and a 2-0 lead aggregate lead and from that moment on I think we all knew we were going to Wembley.

He hit his shot from 32-yards and gave Reading's American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann no chance as it flew in to his right hand corner. It looked a goal of the month and season contender but little did we know there were still two wonderful goals to come before the season ended in glorious celebration at Wembley.

One of those goals gave Paterson a fight in both the final monthly award and then the seasonal one. But Pato has come out on top with 37.2% of the vote, almost 6% more than the 31.4% won by Wade Elliott for his promotion winning goal against Sheffield United in the final.

Wade has won the Goal of the Season in each of the previous two seasons. Two years ago it was his strike at RK Sunderland and last year he clinched it with the winner in the home game against Charlton. This time he settles for second place.

We've had some goals of real quality this season. Looking at the fourteen options in the vote there were four from Robbie Blake, at home to Reading and Spurs along with away goals at QPR and Preston. Any one of them would have been a worthy winner.

And yet none of them got a look in as far as the top three were concerned. Although some way behind the leading two there was also a very clear third place, Joey Gudjonsson's wonder striker against Preston back in September in our second home league win of the season.

It's been a superb season, one with plenty of goals and some top goals. Amongst them all Pato's is a worthy winner.

The Clarets Mad Winners

Player of the Season

2001/02: Arthur Gnohere
2002/03: Graham Branch
2003/04: Robbie Blake
2004/05: Gary Cahill
2005/06: Ade Akinbiyi
2006/07: Eric Djemba-Djemba
2007/08: Wade Elliott
2008/09: Robbie Blake

Goal of the Season

2001/02: Arthur Gnohere 2^nd v Preston (a)
2002/03: Dean West v Stoke (a)
2003/04: Robbie Blake v Gillingham (h)/Lee Roche v Crystal Palace (h)
2004/05: Micah Hyde v Blackburn (a)
2005/06: Ade Akinbiyi 2^nd v Luton (a)
2006/07: Wade Elliott v RK Sunderland (a)
2007/08: Wade Elliott v Charlton (h)
2008/09: Martin Paterson v Reading (a)