Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

**tetsujin1979** · 06/07/2020, 8:15 AM

Whelan and Hoolahan

**NeverFeltBetter** · 06/07/2020, 9:12 AM

Whelan
Hoolohan

**osarusan** · 06/07/2020, 9:37 AM

Whelan and Lawrence

**Eirambler** · 06/07/2020, 10:20 AM

Whelan and Wes.

**passinginterest** · 06/07/2020, 10:54 AM

Glenn Whelan and Wessi for me

**geysir** · 06/07/2020, 11:19 AM

Whelan and Hoolahan

**Real ale Madrid** · 06/07/2020, 12:25 PM

Whelan and Hoolahan

**DeLorean** · 06/07/2020, 1:02 PM

Whelan/Hoolahan also.

**DeLorean** · 06/07/2020, 1:04 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Maybe geysir's point is valid too in that he was maybe more fortunate than fluky - fortunate because he was aiming top drop it right onto the goalkeeper and (by extension) into the net, and just happened to achieve it this time when it probably should have been cleared. But it wasn't fluky if he was trying for it?

I'd agree on the Portugal one. The NI one was a fluke for me, it's not the type of corner that should have caused so much difficulty for the defence/goalkeeper.

**SkStu** · 06/07/2020, 3:25 PM

Whelan/Wessi

**pineapple stu** · 06/07/2020, 4:37 PM

Not much competition here it seems! Currently 9-0 and 8-1 in favour of Whelan and Hoolahan respectively.

Those two ties are still open until the morning, but let's see if the next set of knock-out ties are any closer. First up, two qualification-securing goals from J Mc - Jason McAteer v Holland, 2001 against James McClean v Wales, 2017

**pineapple stu** · 06/07/2020, 4:37 PM

**pineapple stu** · 06/07/2020, 4:39 PM

And in the second tie of the evening, it's another qualification-securing goal up against a player who never made it to a major finals... It's Alan McLoughlin v Northern Ireland, 1993 against Liam Brady v France, 1977

Time is 1:30; time-stamped link is here.

**pineapple stu** · 06/07/2020, 4:40 PM

**geysir** · 06/07/2020, 4:56 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

I'd agree on the Portugal one. The NI one was a fluke for me, it's not the type of corner that should have caused so much difficulty for the defence/goalkeeper.

It was poor defending by NI, but not a fluke if Staunton meant it, there was space in front of Quinn and Staunton aimed for that spot.
Staunton was a top class footballer and place kicks were one of his specialties.
He did these type of corner kicks, that was his thing when at Villa where he scored a few of them. The cross can go in directly or just need a flick. Here's a high profile close shave in the 1994 League Cup Final v Man U where he tried 2 in a row, the first was met by nemesis Roy Keane, the second corner kick was a beauty. It's just that EPL defences for the most part were wise to it.

For us he scored two and another as an assist from a short corner - flicked on by Quinn.

**DeLorean** · 06/07/2020, 5:09 PM

I'm not questioning his dead ball ability. The second corner there is similar to how I remember the Portugal goal, a really difficult ball to deal with. The first is more like the goal against NI, which any half organised defence should clear, as Keane did comfortably. Whether that can technically be construed as good fortune or not, I suppose it doesn't really matter, but I'd give him more credit for his delivery that resulted in the goal against Portugal.