You just can’t beat late goal for real drama
One undeniable factor that contributes to making football an attractive sport to watch is its unpredictability — and nothing can be more unpredictable than a late goal deep in added time that can turn a match on its head.
Such goals inevitably spark extreme emotions of joy and despair amongst players, managers and fans alike.
We had two examples of this in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
At Villa Park, a 95th-minute winner gave Aston Villa a precious three points in a tense battle against fellow relegation candidates Watford.
It was Ezri Konsa’s shot that sealed it, but because of a deflection the goal was credited to Tyrone Ings. The fans weren’t bothered who had scored — they were just thankful they had been rescued in literally the last minute.
There was even more drama at Goodison Park where Everton had totally outplayed Newcastle United for the entire match.
In added time, the Toffees were seemingly cruising to a comfortable 2-0 victory, which in fact could have been a lot more. But the game isn’t over until the plump lady sings, or in this case, a littleknown French defender.
In the 93rd-minute, following a corner, Newcastle substitute Floriane Lejeune scored with an acrobatic overhead kick.
It was a great goal, but not received with huge enthusiasm as it was regarded as merely a consolation.
But in the next minute as the very last seconds ticked away, Newcastle attacked once more and after a frantic goalmouth scramble they grabbed the equaliser, again through Lejeune.
Goodison Park fell silent, while pundits pondered the implausibility of a substitute centre-back scoring two goals at the very end of added time.
The television commentator observed that the finish to the match was “quite remarkable”, while Magpies captain Jamaal Lascelles put it another way: “It was one of the weirdest games I have ever played in.”
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti looked absolutely stunned that his team should throw away two points in such a manner.
There was little he could say apart from “I lost the final of the Champions League after being 3-0 up, so it can happen sometimes.”
Even Newcastle gaffer, Steve Bruce, who has seen it all over the years, was almost lost for words. After shaking hands with the Italian after the final whistle, Bruce admitted: “I didn’t apologise, I just shrugged my shoulders.”
Scoring very late goals is becoming a welcome habit for the Magpies.
Only the week before at Stamford Bridge, Newcastle broke Chelsea hearts with a 93rd-minute winner from Isaac Hayden. “We never give up,” Bruce said.
On Tuesday night, there was another dramatic late goal at Stamford Bridge, although Arsenal’s 87th-minute equaliser arguably doesn’t quite qualify as a “lastgasp” effort.
However, it was late enough to annoy Frank Lampard who summed up his season with “there should be 10 points more on the board.”
Of course, it’s not just the Premier League where you witness very late goals.
Two weeks ago in the Championship at the Madejski stadium, Reading and Nottingham Forest were involved in a bizarre finish after grinding their way to what looked like a goalless bore draw.
Many spectators had already left the stadium when in the 96th minute Forest netted what appeared to be a dramatic winner.
But Reading went straight down the other end and scored through an own goal for a 97thminute equaliser.
Such was the excitement, home fans and players celebrated as if they had won the title rather than grabbing a fortunate home point.
Incidentally, the two sides drew 1-1 again this week in the reverse fixture at the City Ground, both goals coming after 80 minutes.
Although Tuesday’s dramatic goals favoured teams in the lower realms of the Premier League, over the course of a season it is no coincidence that the late winners tend to come from teams at the top.
It reflects the pressure they can maintain all the way to the final whistle.
During the first two decades of the Premier League era it always seemed to be Manchester United scoring the late winners.
Managers and fans of opposing teams were convinced that referees, under pressure from Sir Alex Ferguson, gave United too much added time when they were at Old Trafford looking for a decisive goal.
Out of this came the celebrated expression “Fergie Time”.
This season, runaway leaders Liverpool have also been scoring a few late winners, so now we are hearing tongue-in-cheek references to “Kloppage Time”
During the Premier League era, without doubt the most important late goal came from Sergio Aguero.
His strike in the 94th minute at the Etihad to beat QPR on the final day of the 2011-12 season clinched the title for Manchester City, edging out United on goal difference.
It could not have been more dramatic. QPR were 2-1 up with five minutes to play.
From a corner, City’s Edin Dzeko headed a 92nd-minute equaliser, but City needed a winner. Two minutes later came Aguero’s magic.
On the same afternoon, at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, United boss Ferguson, who only minutes before thought his team had retained the title, appeared to be in total disbelief when the news came in from the Etihad.
Rubbing salt into the wound, the ecstatic City fans chanted “We won in Fergie Time.’’
In the remainder of the current season, as the promotion and relegation issues come down to the wire, some of those “last-gasp” goals inevitably will be even more crucial than ever.
They will also bring with them those familiar contrasting images of euphoria and misery, highlighting how much passion still remains in the game.