Wilmot wins Championship Goal of the Month

Stoke City defender Ben Wilmot is the Sky Bet Championship Goal of the Month winner for January, receiving 40 per cent of the public vote.

Receiving the ball in midfield, Wilmot took a couple of seconds to pace forward and then his hammerhead of a shot took the same amount of time to travel 35 yards and bulge the net.

Wilmot said: "It's an honour to win the Sky Bet Championship Goal of the Month award and I'm grateful to the people who voted for me. I don't think I'll ever score a better goal - it's just a shame that as a team we didn't get anything out of the game itself."

Lead Sky Bet EFL Goal of the Month judge and Sky Sports Pundit Don Goodman said: "This month's standard was so high, it really was going to take all the winning!

"So what a way for Wilmott to score his first goal for the club! Goals like this don't come along too often, and it's no wonder that it has captured the voting public's imagination.

"The Stoke defender unleashed an absolute rocket which was still rising when it sailed past Daniel Iversen and into the Preston goal, a truer strike he may never hit again!"

Wilmot beat off competition from Queens Park Rangers' Chris Willock and Bristol City's Antoine Semenyo.

Bolton Wanderers striker Dion Charles is the Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month winner for January, receiving 56 per cent of the public vote.

With a minute left, Charles knew something special was needed to break the deadlock. The smoothest of swivels and hits into the far corner gave him a memorable first Bolton goal.

Charles said: "I'm delighted to have won the award and thanks to all the fans who voted my goal as the winner.

"It was a special goal for lots of reasons. It was one of my best and also a big one for the fans and the team