Obscure, surprise Ireland goals that you went nuts over!!!

After Kevin Doyle's winner against the Kazaks last month, I have to admit I made a semi-fool of myself in celebrating. Many expletives, lots of hollering etc... It was so unexpected I suppose and for a moment I parked my cynicism about life in general and just went nuts....

I have to admit though and I know it's obscure (hence the thread title) but one of the biggest kicks I got as an Ireland fan was when Tony Cascarino scored his second goal (the header) in Lithuania in Sept 97! Don't ask me why I picked that goal but there you go....

Robbie Keane v Germany - World Cup in Korea & Japan

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Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Robbie Keane v Germany - World Cup in Korea & Japan

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That's a given! We're talking Steve Staunton versus Malta '99 obscure here :shock:

Ray Houghton v Italy has to be up there, as well as Ray Houghton v England. Ray Houghton v Austria never had the same appeal.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Ray Houghton v Italy has to be up there, as well as Ray Houghton v England. Ray Houghton v Austria never had the same appeal.

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But Ray Houghton versus Belgium - now you're talkin'!!!

What a poxy game that was! (the Malta game I mean!)

I remember taking the Macedonia 3-2 defeat very personally and therefore probably (actually - definitely) overreacting when normal service was resumed with a 1-0 victory a couple years later... Quinn scored.

Conversely, I remember watching the USA94 game vs Italy with a host of friends and extended family and while we were all going mental after Houghtons goal, my cousin was sitting down arms folded. We asked him after why he wasn't celebrating and he said he refused to cos he thought it was a flukey goal... Fair enough you Puritan!

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Originally Posted by SkStu

What a poxy game that was!

I remember taking the Macedonia 3-2 defeat very personally and therefore probably (actually - definitely) overreacting when normal service was resumed with a 1-0 victory a couple years later... Quinn scored.

Conversely, I remember watching the USA94 game vs Italy with a host of friends and extended family and while we were all going mental after Houghtons goal, my cousin was sitting down arms folded. We asked him after why he wasn't celebrating and he said he refused to cos he thought it was a flukey goal... Fair enough you Puritan!

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Yeah I remember that '99 game vs Macedonia at Lansdowne, hard fought one but recall Steven Carr in one of his first games having a stormer - didn't put a foot wrong that night - world class for next 18 months IMO

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Originally Posted by SkStu

What a poxy game that was! (the Malta game I mean!)

I remember taking the Macedonia 3-2 defeat very personally and therefore probably (actually - definitely) overreacting when normal service was resumed with a 1-0 victory a couple years later... Quinn scored.

Conversely, I remember watching the USA94 game vs Italy with a host of friends and extended family and while we were all going mental after Houghtons goal, my cousin was sitting down arms folded. We asked him after why he wasn't celebrating and he said he refused to cos he thought it was a flukey goal... Fair enough you Puritan!

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Funnily enough I actually refused to celebrate Houghton's goal against Italy because I was convinced we'd just lose anyway. I was so cynical for such a young lad.

Christ Charlie, you must have been rather unimpressed the first time you had sex.

Kilbane's goal to tie it up against the Czechs, McShane's debut if I remember correctly. Duff set him up with a cross from his right foot I think.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Christ Charlie, you must have been rather unimpressed the first time you had sex.

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You've been reading my diary.

David Connolly's third against Liechtenstein in 1996 or 1997. I remember going beserk because an Irish player had actually scored a hat-trick.

Niall Quinn's equaliser against Denmark, 1993 (probably not that obscure).
Tommy Coyne's winner in the friendly against Holland in Tilburg, 1994.
That Gary Doherty-forced own goal in the last minute against Albania, 2003. Or the Ginger Pele's winner against Georgia in Tbilisi the same year.
Morrison's opener in Tel-Aviv, 2005. I had been very nervous about that game, knew it was make-or-break for the group.
Dunne's header in Sofia, 2009. As above.
Fahey, Yerevan, 2010. Sheer relief.

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Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Robbie Keane v Germany - World Cup in Korea & Japan

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This, Houghton in Stuttgart and Jason v.Holland.

More the delirium they induced than their, erm, obscurity...

Doherty v Georgia. Any Gary Doherty goal really.

Gary Mackay for Scotland vs Bulgaria. Nothing will ever beat that and I mean nothing and I know it's not an Irish goal.

Really enjoyed this screamer (01:13) from substitute Matt Holland to pull us back to 1-1 in Lisbon against Portugal back in 2000:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6kdB10riLk#t=01m13s

Robbie's late winner away to Cyprus in 2009 came as quite a relief after the infamous 2006 experience in Nicosia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8VuJEcDhTM

Mark Kennedy V Yugoslavia because I, along with the rest of the country, was screaming for him to be substituted. and then he did that....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTERrBF2gRs

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

Mark Kennedy V Yugoslavia because I, along with the rest of the country, was screaming for him to be substituted. and then he did that....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTERrBF2gRs

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That Kennedy goal was defo the BIGGEST SURPRISE of my time watching Ireland simply because Kennedy's languid style never had much end product but he nailed it that balmy late summer's evening at Lansdowne!

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Funnily enough I actually refused to celebrate Houghton's goal against Italy because I was convinced we'd just lose anyway. I was so cynical for such a young lad.

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http://i.imgur.com/KtP4k.jpg

Brady's goal against France in 1977, one of those evenings when there was a rocking atmosphere - then everyone went nuts. There was nothing on when he picked up the ball, he waltzed/stumbled through a herd of defenders racing out to lay the offside trap, then falling over themselves in panic when faced with Brady running straight through them, somehow he retained control and to everyones amazement he found himself in an acre of space one on one with the goalie. He neatly buried the ball into the net, to a wall of sound.

You want obscure?

I remember fixing my bike listening to Phil Greene commentating on Frank the Plank's last minute back-heeled winner in Malta in the early 80s. I think I did a quick run of joy around the garden.

I too embarrassed myself a bit after Doyle's goal last month.

There's a lot to be said for gammy goals that suspend suicidal thoughts.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

You want obscure?

I remember fixing my bike listening to Phil Greene commentating on Frank the Plank's last minute back-heeled winner in Malta in the early 80s. I think I did a quick run of joy around the garden.
I too embarrassed myself a bit after Doyle's goal last month.

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That would have been '83 would it Stutts? Ah sure most of us were running about the garden in the throughs of youth then;)

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Originally Posted by geysir

There's a lot to be said for gammy goals that suspend suicidal thoughts.

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That is eerily and frightenly true geysir!!!

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Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Robbie Keane v Germany - World Cup in Korea & Japan

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I'd love to know how exactly that qualifies as obscure :)

Not obscure but it had the surprise factor.

Obscure? The celebrations of Robbie's winner against the Czech's in Feb 2000 (I think). We'd been 2-0 down from early on, pegged them back to 2-2. Babb came on as a sub, and in the last minute of the game, tried an overhead that rattled the crossbar from 10 yards, and we got an incorrect corner. We were still laughing as Robbie got the winner. South Terrace was fun that night.

I didn't know whether to cheer or laugh when this happened, ended up doing something in the middle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LwBU...ature=fvwberel

Matt Hollands 85th minute winner in a friendly against Romania in 2004. Was the night Roy Keane made his comeback from international exile and was fitting that the general feeling of euphoria in Landsdowne that night was rewarded with a late winner.

I went mental but in a different way unfortunately when Abbas Suan (The one Arab in the Israel team) scored an injury time equaliser away to Israel in 2005. We sat back and tried to hold on against a very average Israeli side that were there for the taking, had we shown any ambition at all. Infuriating.

Good thread Grafter. Robbie Keane's penalty :redface: aswell as his subsequent header vs Georgia in 2009. Went bananas with relief.

David Connolly's equaliser vs Turkey (friendly)at Lansdowne under Kerr. Was just such a screamer and was totally unexpected.

Keane v Holland 2004.

Long vs Russia 2010.

Doherty vs Georgia as mentioned above.

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Originally Posted by Scooby Doo

Good thread Grafter. Robbie Keane's penalty :redface: aswell as his subsequent header vs Georgia in 2009. Went bananas with relief.

David Connolly's equaliser vs Turkey (friendly)at Lansdowne under Kerr. Was just such a screamer and was totally unexpected.

Keane v Holland 2004.


Long vs Russia 2010.

Doherty vs Georgia as mentioned above.

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I love that David Connolly Turkey goal reference, properly obscurely fantastic :o

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Originally Posted by Scooby Doo

Keane v Holland 2004.

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This has to be mine. In Kilkenny for the comedy weekend, hadn't had a drink for a few days and the beers went straight to my head. Realised I was a bit stewed when the goal went in and I exploded off my stool in the middle of a busy dinner hour and screamed at (Edwin Vd Zar on) the TV "WAAAAAAAAAAAAH Gwan, Pick it out you F***ing C***!!!". I love the Dutch, I'd nothing against VdZ (he hadn't signed for ManU yet) and it was an end of season friendly??

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

This has to be mine. In Kilkenny for the comedy weekend, hadn't had a drink for a few days and the beers went straight to my head. Realised I was a bit stewed when the goal went in and I exploded off my stool in the middle of a busy dinner hour and screamed at (Edwin Vd Zar on) the TV "WAAAAAAAAAAAAH Gwan, Pick it out you F***ing C***!!!". I love the Dutch, I'd nothing against VdZ (he hadn't signed for ManU yet) and it was an end of season friendly??

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Yeah, we had four friendlies in about 11 days. That game, Jamaica and Nigeria in The Valley, and....some game at home.

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Originally Posted by Scooby Doo

Good thread Grafter. Robbie Keane's penalty :redface: aswell as his subsequent header vs Georgia in 2009. Went bananas with relief.

David Connolly's equaliser vs Turkey (friendly)at Lansdowne under Kerr. Was just such a screamer and was totally unexpected.

Keane v Holland 2004.

Long vs Russia 2010.

Doherty vs Georgia as mentioned above.

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That Connolly goal was great.
He had a stormer that night and it led to him getting picked V Switzerland in which he, and the rest of the team, had a bit of a stinker

Both Doherty goals in 2004 campaign. Foolishly they made me believe we might qualify after disastrous start. I remember people looking at me strangely in the pub such was the strength of my celebration after Georgia winner. I also celebrated vociferously after Cox's late goal in Liege. It was just after our weirdly comfortable win in Macedonia and I remember feeling that the good times were back.

Always go demented after crucial Ireland goals. With the exception of Doyle winner against the Kazakhs. Not sure why, that whole game felt odd.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

You want obscure?

I remember fixing my bike listening to Phil Greene commentating on Frank the Plank's last minute back-heeled winner in Malta in the early 80s. I think I did a quick run of joy around the garden.

I too embarrassed myself a bit after Doyle's goal last month.

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I remember that goal against Malta - meant we were almost through from what I can remember. Listened to it on the radio (terrible RTE reception) on a Welsh beach!

Obscure - how about Rush dancing through the West Ham defense and scoring a few weeks before we went to America!! Bet few know what I'm on about!

And the West Ham guy next to me muttering that he never does that for us .. drowned out the singing of F the Pope for 5 mins anyway.

Great thread. Some good nominations too.

Going to add Gary Breen (or was it an own goal?) in the home game against Switzerland for myself - McCarthy's last game in charge. Purely cos it's the only time I was in the away end in Lansdowne Road. Makes it extra fun. :)

I didn't know you were Swiss, Stu.

There ya go!

Went to the match with a friend who was Irish/Swiss. Game was sold out (remember those days?), but she was able to sort away tickets.