National Forum

Greatest Goals

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What have been the best goals scored in both codes. For me personally I would say Owen Mulligans against the Dubs and Joe Cannings vs Kilkenny.

ceatharlach.abu (Carlow) - Posts: 24 - 30/05/2020 17:05:31    2279534

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David Clifford v Galway minors in 2016.

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Jimmy Barry Murphy v Galway in 1983. Unreal!
Slow the slowmo down to 1/4 speed to see Jimmy redirect the ball.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 5955 - 30/05/2020 18:23:34    2279539

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The jacks will go for keavney v armagh, kerry lads for sheehy v Dublin and the royals will argue v dubs in 91.

lilypad (Kildare) - Posts: 1357 - 30/05/2020 22:52:26    2279562

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John Fenton v limerick in 1987.
Barney rock for Dublin v Galway in 1983 was excellent in terms of technique and quick thinking.
Jack o shea v Kerry in 1981, super team goal from the full back line right through to the superb finish which summed up the Kerry team of that era.
Mulligan v Dublin was good but defending was pathetic if you looked at it closely.

superdub (Dublin) - Posts: 369 - 31/05/2020 12:17:07    2279578

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Replying To superdub:  "John Fenton v limerick in 1987.
Barney rock for Dublin v Galway in 1983 was excellent in terms of technique and quick thinking.
Jack o shea v Kerry in 1981, super team goal from the full back line right through to the superb finish which summed up the Kerry team of that era.
Mulligan v Dublin was good but defending was pathetic if you looked at it closely."
Jack O'Shea vs Kerry in 1981? I suppose the element of surprise would have helped him there.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 875 - 31/05/2020 14:08:03    2279586

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Liam Hayes goal for Meath against Dublin in 88 league final replay. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e5EOsvm0ru8).

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 768 - 31/05/2020 14:54:32    2279589

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Ciaran McCabe Down vs Derry 1994 https://youtu.be/6GvTBsA_TaA

Declan Meehan Galway vs Kerry 2000
https://youtu.be/gztboz0pYno

97Cavans (Cavan) - Posts: 108 - 31/05/2020 15:27:19    2279594

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Shane o Donnells goal against Galway in the 2018 replay and Con O Callaghans goal against Mayo in the 2017 final are 2 that stand out to me. There's an argument for over carrying in both goals but the technique in both goals is top class.

Dec82 (Clare) - Posts: 231 - 31/05/2020 17:09:25    2279602

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Joe Kavanagh v Meath in 99.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13145 - 31/05/2020 18:08:00    2279605

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Not necessarily the best goal but in a kilkenny tipperary semi final in 2012 shefflin gave a handpass to reid the 1st goal of the game, it was as good an assist as you'll see

wexico15 (Wexford) - Posts: 2602 - 01/06/2020 00:56:43    2279626

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Seamus Callanan v Wexford 2019 semi final and also Shane Dowling v Kilkenny 2019 semi final.

2 goals of unbelievable skill. Watching some of these football goals that have been posted and it's disappointing. Watch a bit of hurling for yourself lads.

Dec82 (Clare) - Posts: 231 - 01/06/2020 00:58:47    2279627

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Replying To superdub:  "John Fenton v limerick in 1987.
Barney rock for Dublin v Galway in 1983 was excellent in terms of technique and quick thinking.
Jack o shea v Kerry in 1981, super team goal from the full back line right through to the superb finish which summed up the Kerry team of that era.
Mulligan v Dublin was good but defending was pathetic if you looked at it closely."
It all depends on your bias, doesn't it though? Was the forward skilful, or were our backs pathetic? I remember reading a report, years ago, in the Cork examiner, about some Cork v Tyrone youth or schools match. The Tyrone team had been behind but scored 3 goals in the second half and eventually won. The Tyrone papers, naturally enough, led with the "3 great goals" headline; the Cork paper by contrast led with the "terrible defensive lapses" angle.
If you had the benefit of looking at it more widely - not really shown in TV replays - the defending was far from pathetic - the Dublin defenders were also trying to deal with Canavan who was doing a support run, mostly off camera. Anticipating the inevitable pass to Canavan, the Dublin defenders were caught between two decisions, and, too late, realised, to their surprise, that Canavan wasn't getting a pass and that Mulligan was going to do it all himself. In recent times, I've seen Stevie O'Neill and Lee Brennan selling outrageous dummies to (respectively) Kildare and Dublin defenders. Such dummies were usually spoken about in terms of simple admiration for the skill of the person selling the shimmy / dummy.
A great goal also has to set in the context of the game. A stunning score when a team is under pressure is in my view more praiseworthy than one when a team is already comfortable. Dublin were a goal up in that match, and would have won but for that score.
A great goal should also be struck with conviction. A scuffed, of fisted, or even a carefully placed side-footed goal, for me, never has the same appeal as a good old thunderbolt, the net shaking. Mulligan delivered on that front too.
Pathetic defending is when the attacker runs clean through, as with Murchan's goal v Kerry. Beautiful finish, and superb pace, but note one thing - all Murchan had to do was run - no dummies or approach-play skill required, as the Kerry defenders weren't even near enough for Murchan to need to throw them off with a dummy.
The fact that Mulligan needed to dummy his way past defenders shows that the defending was far from "pathetic"; the fact that it was a proper team goal too (McGuigan block on A Brogan to S O'Neill to the already-marked Mulligan; and then the off-camera decoy run from Canavan); the fact that he finished it with conviction (when the safer option would have been to try for a point or laid it off earlier); the fact that this was a major game with his team losing; the fact that he had been playing badly generally before then (he was in fact about to be subbed) and his confidence wouldn't have been at its highest; all mean it's a cracking goal for me; but sure everyone has their own opinions.


Mulligan showed good skill

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 796 - 01/06/2020 10:52:53    2279638

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I thought Richie Hogan's goal in the 2011 All Ireland against Tipp was brilliant. Off a hand pass from Eddie Brennan he never touched the ball with his hand and put it in the top right corner of the net. It was Eddie's last great play with Kilkenny. When you take into account the significance of that All Ireland after both teams splitting the 2 previous finals, and the fact the game was very much in the balance, Richie's coolness was unbelievable.

gatha (Kilkenny) - Posts: 183 - 01/06/2020 12:30:39    2279643

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Replying To essmac:  "It all depends on your bias, doesn't it though? Was the forward skilful, or were our backs pathetic? I remember reading a report, years ago, in the Cork examiner, about some Cork v Tyrone youth or schools match. The Tyrone team had been behind but scored 3 goals in the second half and eventually won. The Tyrone papers, naturally enough, led with the "3 great goals" headline; the Cork paper by contrast led with the "terrible defensive lapses" angle.
If you had the benefit of looking at it more widely - not really shown in TV replays - the defending was far from pathetic - the Dublin defenders were also trying to deal with Canavan who was doing a support run, mostly off camera. Anticipating the inevitable pass to Canavan, the Dublin defenders were caught between two decisions, and, too late, realised, to their surprise, that Canavan wasn't getting a pass and that Mulligan was going to do it all himself. In recent times, I've seen Stevie O'Neill and Lee Brennan selling outrageous dummies to (respectively) Kildare and Dublin defenders. Such dummies were usually spoken about in terms of simple admiration for the skill of the person selling the shimmy / dummy.
A great goal also has to set in the context of the game. A stunning score when a team is under pressure is in my view more praiseworthy than one when a team is already comfortable. Dublin were a goal up in that match, and would have won but for that score.
A great goal should also be struck with conviction. A scuffed, of fisted, or even a carefully placed side-footed goal, for me, never has the same appeal as a good old thunderbolt, the net shaking. Mulligan delivered on that front too.
Pathetic defending is when the attacker runs clean through, as with Murchan's goal v Kerry. Beautiful finish, and superb pace, but note one thing - all Murchan had to do was run - no dummies or approach-play skill required, as the Kerry defenders weren't even near enough for Murchan to need to throw them off with a dummy.
The fact that Mulligan needed to dummy his way past defenders shows that the defending was far from "pathetic"; the fact that it was a proper team goal too (McGuigan block on A Brogan to S O'Neill to the already-marked Mulligan; and then the off-camera decoy run from Canavan); the fact that he finished it with conviction (when the safer option would have been to try for a point or laid it off earlier); the fact that this was a major game with his team losing; the fact that he had been playing badly generally before then (he was in fact about to be subbed) and his confidence wouldn't have been at its highest; all mean it's a cracking goal for me; but sure everyone has their own opinions.


Mulligan showed good skill"
Lovely analysis Essmac.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 5955 - 01/06/2020 13:16:10    2279645

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Lovely analysis Essmac."
Well, I don't really know about the best goal, but the most enjoyable ever was Darby's wonder in 1982.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 31 - 01/06/2020 14:52:19    2279651

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James Glancys volleyed last minute goal for Leitrim v Donegal in a 2007 qualifier brought the game to extra time in which Donegal scraped through, don't think it's on YouTube but it was a magnificent goal.

green.and.gold (Leitrim) - Posts: 400 - 01/06/2020 16:33:05    2279661

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Martin Flanagan scored a great solo goal v Laois in 2000

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/wonder-goal-released-shackles-of-doubt-1.286914

Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 883 - 01/06/2020 21:48:38    2279685

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Not nesscessarily the most skillful but Con's goal in the much awaited '17 Semi-Final killed the game so early on. Straight away it led to a sense, with Tyrone's system, they were on the back foot and by about 10 minutes into the match it was game over.

Mulligan's goal as well becuase don't forgot Tyrone were behind and it also turned the game and also you could sense it in the stadium.

So for me 'great' goals are goals that at that moment people there watching knew it had done something to alter the course of that game and / or that season.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1583 - 02/06/2020 09:27:53    2279699

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Replying To green.and.gold:  "James Glancys volleyed last minute goal for Leitrim v Donegal in a 2007 qualifier brought the game to extra time in which Donegal scraped through, don't think it's on YouTube but it was a magnificent goal."
I was at that game and was nearly out the gate leaving when he scored that volley! It was unbelievable!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 7075 - 02/06/2020 10:28:31    2279705

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Replying To witnof:  "Not nesscessarily the most skillful but Con's goal in the much awaited '17 Semi-Final killed the game so early on. Straight away it led to a sense, with Tyrone's system, they were on the back foot and by about 10 minutes into the match it was game over.

Mulligan's goal as well becuase don't forgot Tyrone were behind and it also turned the game and also you could sense it in the stadium.

So for me 'great' goals are goals that at that moment people there watching knew it had done something to alter the course of that game and / or that season."
Would Star Donaghys goal against Donegal Count as a great goal so?

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 11732 - 02/06/2020 10:37:44    2279707

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