Goalkeepers are better known for their heroics between the sticks. Or their calamities. It is very much feast or famine if you are a professional shot stopper.
However, very occasionally, a goalkeeper may make the news thanks to them turning into an unlikely goalscorer.
And just occasionally, the goal is something special.
In this post, we are going to look at ten times the goalkeeper became the hero thanks to them scoring a goal.
Some are notable for how spectacular they are. Others because of their importance in that game.
So let’s begin our countdown of ten of the best goals scored by goalkeepers, including some of the most important too.
Torquay were trailing Hartlepool United in injury time of the National League playoff semi final.
The Monkey Hangers were set for a spot in the final, but Torquay’s goalkeeper Lucas Covolan had other ideas.
With the game almost expired, the ball went to the Torquay right and Covolan headed upfield and into the penalty box.
The ball was lofted into the box and a group of players, including the Hartepool keeper went for the ball. Covolan rose highest to send a skimming header past the keeper and into the net to take the game into extra time.
Covolan also saved two penalties in the shootout, but Torquay could not take advantage. Consequently, in the end Hartlepool went through 14-13 on penalties.
Fighting for a spot in the playoffs last season, Coventry City trailed by a single goal to Blackburn Rovers.
As time ticked away, the Sky Blues ‘keeper Ben Wilson came forward for a free kick.
The ball was lofted into the box and flicked at goal, the Blackburn keeper parried the ball, but it dropped to Wilson who smashed home the rebound to tie the game in injury time.
When the season ended, it turned out that this goal had put Coventry in the playoffs, at the expense of Blackburn Rovers.
Sometimes, you don’t have to wait until the end of the game for a goalkeeper to surprise you. It was barely ten seconds into the game between Stoke and Southampton when Begovic struck.
As you can see in the video, the game kicks off and the ball ends up with Begovic who, with the aid of a strong wind, cleared the ball. The wind caught hold of the ball blowing it hard downfield, where the ball bounced one, over the head of Saints keeper. Artur Boruc.
The Polish keeper watched as the ball flashed over him and into the net to hand Stoke an incredible early lead.
Another goal where wind played a key role was Paul Robinson’s strike against Watford for Tottenham.
The then England keeper went out wide left to take a defensive free-kick for Spurs and with the win at his back, he launched the ball down field.
England team-mate Ben Foster was in the opposite goal and he watched on as Danny Shittu, the Watford defender, allowed the ball to bounce. The wind got hold of it, blew it over Foster and into the net.
Early in his reign at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson watched on as a talented Russian team, Rotor Volgograd took a 2-0 lead against United at Old Trafford.
Paul Scholes pulled one back, but it was deep in injury time when United forced a corner and up came their Great Dane goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel.
From the cross Schmeichel rose superbly to power a header past his opposite number to bring United level.
Later that season Schmeichel almost scored another goal, when his scissor kick effort against Wimbledon was ruled out for him being offside.
That is the only goal I can remember being disallowed for a goalkeeper being in an offside position.
With Liverpool desperate to keep up their battle for a top four spot in the Premier League table, but the Reds were being held 1-1 by the Baggies.
The game entered the fifth minute of injury time as the Reds forced a corner and Alisson Becker, the Reds keeper came forward.
The ball was swung in and Becker made a move to the near post, glancing a superb header past the West Brom keeper and into the far corner of the net.
Liverpool did indeed make the top four.
Perhaps the most prolific goalkeeper in history, Rogerio Ceni was good enough to play for his national team 17 times.
But it was his skill as a dead ball expert with Sao Paolo that saw him into this list, scoring an incredible 103 goals in 870 games. As a goalkeeper.
Ceni made a name for himself as a goalscoring keeper, scoring 131 goals in 23 seasons for Sao Paulo many of them free kicks.
One of his best came against Flamengo in a 4-1 win, but he scored plenty of others too as this video shows.
In terms of importance, this is perhaps the biggest goal a goalkeeper has ever scored. And it is a goal that means Jimmy Glass is forever a legend at Carlisle United.
The Cumbrian side needed to beat Plymouth and hope that Scarborough did not win their final game to stand any chance of avoiding relegation to the National League.
A prospect which many felt would be the death knell for the club, who were already in financial trouble.
Plymouth scored early in the second half, but Carlisle managed to equaliser but in injury time, Carlisle still trailed.
They won a corner in the 5th minute of injury time and Jimmy Glass came up. The corner came in and a group of players went for the ball. The ball was headed at goal but blocked on the line, but the ball rebounded out to Glass who swept the ball home from close range.
Pandemonium followed as fans invaded the pitch. Carlisle hung on to win, Scarborough failed to win and Carlisle stayed up.
What I like about this goal is that you can only see it properly in the replay as it caught the cameraman out too.
Paraguayan keeper Jose Luis Chilavert, like Rogerio Ceni, was a deadball expert and scored many goals for club and country.
However, this free kick from the half-way line against River Plate was astonishing as he sent a long ball arching over the River Plate keeper and into the net.
The camerawork isn’t great on the first showing, but you can see the incredible goal better on the replay.
However, for me, and many others, the best goalkeeper goal ever is this strike from Oscarine Masuluka for Baroka FC in the South African Premier League.
In injury time against Orlando Pirates, Masuluka came forward for a corner, but as the ball was part cleared away, the chasing keeper watch it bounce up to head height.
He then launched into an astonishing overhead kick from the edge of the box which flew past the keeper and in.
It was an outstanding strike and deserved the full choreographed dance celebration that followed.
You probably won’t find too many backing a goalkeeper to be the top goalscorer in the Premier League at bet365 Sport. But as these videos show, sometimes they can find the back of the net!
And in spectacular fashion too!
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