AFTER Dublin-born goalkeeper Barry Roche scored a dramatic last-gasp equaliser for Morecombe against Portmouth on Tuesday, we compiled a list of five other Irish goalkeepers who have also managed to get themselves on the scoresheet.
Pat Jennings
He didn’t mean it, but Co. Down man Pat Jennings is still responsible for one of the most memorable Charity Shield moments ever.
In the 1967 match, the Spurs keeper punted his goal kick up-field, before a fortunate bounce in front of Manchester United keeper Alex Stepney saw the ball loop over Jennings’ opposite number into the net.
The goal helped Spurs to a 3-3 draw, with the trophy being shared in those more cordial times.
Capped 119 times for Northern Ireland, Jennings played over 800 league games for Spurs, Arsenal and Watford.
Alan Mannus
Alan Mannus (Picture: Getty)Toronto-born Alan Mannus also kept goal for Northern Ireland, and his October 2003 goal is similar to that of his predecessor in the national side.
With his club Linfield down to 10 men after just eight minutes, things were looking bleak for the Blues.
However just three minutes later, Mannus launched a goal kick up-field that bounced twice before sailing over the head of despairing Omagh Town keeper Gavin Cullen.
Linfield went on to win 2-0 that day and clinched the title that season by just three points.
Mannus later played for Shamrock Rovers, and kept a clean sheet in the final of the 2014 Scottish Cup to help current club St Johnstone to the trophy.
Pat Dunne
Pat Dunne won a quintuple with Shamrock Rovers (Picture: Getty)Long before Barry Roche’s heroics, fellow Dubliner Pat Dunne was finding the net in the 1970s.
Dunne was a quintuple (yes, quintuple) winner with Shamrock Rovers in 1963-64, First Division winner with Manchester United in 1964-65 and keeper of the year with Plymouth Argyle in 1967-68, however that no doubt pales in comparison to his scoring exploits.
During his second spell with Rovers (1970-78), Dunne was the Hoops penalty taker and managed to score twice, including a goal against Cork Hibs in December 1972.
Capped five times for Ireland, Dunne passed away in October 2015.
Alan Fettis
Pat Jennings’ fellow Co. Down native Alan Fettis also had an eye for goal.
With injury keeping him out of the sticks for Hull City in the 1994-95 season, he played outfield in training to keep himself fit.
As the injuries at the club mounted up, manager Terry Dolan put Fettis on the bench.
With an injury to their striker in a game against table-topping Oxford in December 1994, Fettis was introduced and duly scored Hull’s third in a 3-1 victory.
The current Manchester United goalkeeping coach told his club’s website: “The ball came across and I actually mis-hit it. I was aiming for the other corner but it looked good.”
In the final game of the season away to Blackpool, Fettis was again given a run-out — and scored a last-minute winner for the Tigers in a 2-1 victory.
“The ball just fell to me in the box and I remember thinking: ‘Really?’ I hit it as hard as I could and it went in,” explained the modest Fettis.
Seamus ‘Jim’ McDonagh
Seamus McDonagh, left, is now part of Ireland's coaching set-up (Picture: Inpho.ie)Rotherham-born Ireland international Seamus McDonagh was already a goalkeeping legend at Bolton.
As an ever-present for the Trotters in the 1977-78 season as the club won the Second Division, McDonagh set a club record of conceding just 33 goals in the 42 league games.
His second spell at the club was less successful with the club being relegated at the end of the 1982-83 season, however McDonagh made his mark on the scoring charts that year.
With Bolton leading at home to Burnley 2-0 in January 1983, McDonagh thought he’d try his luck with opposite number Billy O’Rourke off his line.
Aided by a strong wind and having almost caught O’Rourke out a couple of times in the game, McDonagh lashed the ball forward and it bounced once before drifting over the Burnley keeper to the delight of the fans in Burnden Park's Lever end.
Now Ireland’s goalkeeping coach, in his playing days McDonagh helped the Boys in Green to a famous 3-2 World Cup qualifying win over a France team featuring Michel Platini in October 1981.
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