Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

**SkStu** · 30/07/2020, 1:51 PM

Whelan. Shin.
McGeady. Spin.

McGeady for the win.

**geysir** · 30/07/2020, 5:35 PM

Once it's accepted that (in this instance) the shin is a valid strike instrument, then Ronnie shades it by a whisker.

Still feel a bit dirty though about having to relegate McGeady's to 2nd choice.

**pineapple stu** · 30/07/2020, 5:46 PM

Very tight with the evening still to come!

Also the biggest number of votes cast by a distance.

That side, I actually agree with almost everything brine posted. I'd change Keane in Holland and McAteer at home v Holland around on his list. The way we tugged and pulled at the Dutch for that Keane goal was like we'd never done before or since.

I'd still vote Whelan throughout though. There was never a second doubt what he wanted to do; he was teeing up the volley from the moment the throw was taken. And it was a really spectacular, unique goal, shin or no. Not to take away from McGeady, but Whelan's really was special.

I don't get a vote of course. Except in a tie-break. So it does mean McGeady has to win by a clear vote

**pineapple stu** · 30/07/2020, 6:48 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Even Grealish's screamer v Cyprus (was that ever entered into this competition?) was when I was a teenager.

In the 6-0 win in 1980? No video footage that I can see.

**pineapple stu** · 31/07/2020, 7:55 AM

Commentator's curse - no further voting overnight, so the result is in.

By a tight margin of 9-7, Ireland's greatest goal is...

Ronnie Whelan N v USSR, 1988

A cliché maybe, but a spectacular goal nonetheless, and a worthy winner after a month-long tournament.

Thanks to everyone for taking part; the reasons really made the thread come to life and there were some great memories in there.

But we'll leave it there so, as Bill would say. And we'll finish up with one last view of the goal the good posters of foot.ie have decided was our best ever...

**DeLorean** · 31/07/2020, 8:32 AM

Great work PStu, really brought the place to life.

**Fixer82** · 31/07/2020, 9:20 AM

Great work @pineapplestu
Really enjoyed that

**DeLorean** · 31/07/2020, 9:45 AM

Overall, would it be fair to say the quality of our best goals leaves a little to be desired? I think the final definitely contained the two most out of the ordinary, even if there's a pretty extreme conflict of opinion regarding the relevance of the shin aspect. I don't really agree with Brine regarding our 'team' goals, I just don't think the were of a high enough standard to oust the two the made the final. They were refreshingly good moves for an Irish side, but average enough in a wider context, Whelan and McGeady's weren't.

Without getting too forensic, how would we fare against the other 'home' nations?

Scotland: Without thinking too hard you imagine Archie Gemmill v Holland would win by a landslide (though we'd give Gary Mackay our impartial vote).

Wales: Nothing really comes to mind, a few Bale blockbusters maybe or Robson Kanu v Belgium, given its significance? Sam Vokes in the same game would be well up there on our list too.

England: Gazza v Scotland maybe? Or a couple to choose from the 1966 win, Bobby Charlton semi final, Geoff Hurst to seal it?

NI: Gerry Armstrong v Spain probably, Jimmy Quinn v us had McLoughlin not equalised!

I suppose the importance of the occasion will always weigh heavily, which is a testimony to how good McGeady's needed to be to get so far.

**pineapple stu** · 31/07/2020, 10:00 AM

I think the ones brine mentioned were decent goals which deserved to get further, and were maybe underappreciated.

But as team goals, were they exceptional? Probably not. Whereas the Whelan volley is exceptional I think (especially when you see how early he starts moving into position to get the volley)

I'd say there's plenty of decent goals which we'd either have forgotten or not seen for the other home nations.

Here's a comparable list for Wales - includes a Mark Hughes scissors kick v Spain which would have gone far here for example.

(Edit - actually, it's a list of goals by Welsh players, not necessarily international goals)

**Eminence Grise** · 31/07/2020, 10:23 AM

And with the dust settling on this, maybe we can all take a moment to acknowledge Pineapple Stu’s work over the last five weeks.

This has been one of the most enjoyable and addictive threads in a long time – not just the nostalgia and the joy of seeing long-forgotten players, or agonising over two equally classy goals, but the interactions and friendliness have been a reminder of why I joined here in the first place.

So: standing ovation for Pineapple Stu!

**DeLorean** · 31/07/2020, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Here's a comparable list for Wales - includes a Mark Hughes scissors kick v Spain which would have gone far here for example.

(Edit - actually, it's a list of goals by Welsh players, not necessarily international goals)

Now there's a thought

Class by Hughes, he could have a list of volleys all by himself.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 31/07/2020, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

England: Gazza v Scotland maybe? Or a couple to choose from the 1966 win, Bobby Charlton semi final, Geoff Hurst to seal it?

.

Michael Owen against Argentina maybe? Putting the solo nature of it and amazingly cool finish against a brilliant lob and volley from Gascoigne. When Owen scored that goal 10-year-old men was convinced England would win the WC.

**geysir** · 31/07/2020, 11:06 AM

That was an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

As I said in the beginning it was difficult to measure up the different values of a brilliant team move with a less brilliant finish versus the brilliant individual goal.
In the end the final was played out between the two best individual goals and that's just about right.

**seanfhear** · 31/07/2020, 4:48 PM

Cheers !

**Kingdom** · 03/08/2020, 6:13 PM

Ask me ballicks. It's a fupping disgrace that McGeady didn't win. for fupp sake.

thanks stu.

**Stuttgart88** · 04/08/2020, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Kingdom

Ask me ballicks. It's a fupping disgrace that McGeady didn't win. for fupp sake.

thanks stu.

I suspect Russian interference in the vote.

**pineapple stu** · 04/08/2020, 10:35 AM

Tony Galvin would have sorted that out surely?

**Eminence Grise** · 04/08/2020, 2:03 PM

Da, tovarishchi.

Sorry momentary slip there. Carry on, nothing to see here. No votes were rigged in the making of this thread.

**geysir** · 04/08/2020, 5:48 PM

ironic to desperately cry Russia, seeing as the only footballer on the entire list to have any credible connection with Russia is Spartak legend Eyden Makgidi.