10 Important Last Minute Goals That Should Never Have Happened
Last minute goals are the best. But how did these 10 happen?
Whether it's to rescue a point or to get the win, a last minute goal for your team is one of the best feelings in football. And despite there being ninety minutes of blood, sweat, and tears to every match, there have been a surprising number of games that were dramatically decided by the very last kick.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was immortalised by the Champions League final of 1999. David Gray ended 114 years of misery for Hibernian fans in 2016 in the Scottish Cup final. Watford's breakaway against Leicester in the play-offs that ended with Troy Deeney smashing it into the net is a classic. And who'll ever forget Martin Tyler's commentary of Sergio Aguero's league winner in 2012?
We all have those last-minute goals that brought unforgettable joy, and those that broke our hearts in a way only football can. But not all last minute goals are created equally. Some are consolations or to stretch an already insurmountable lead, and they're barely interesting. In stark contrast, those scored in extremely controversial circumstances are a breed apart. Particularly when they're incredibly important.
A few of those iffy are the result of questionable officiating, but the weird and the wonderful make the cut too, from players who were lucky to be on the pitch, to those who were only at the club because of strange circumstances.
10. Steve Bruce - Manchester United 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday (10 April 1993)
In the reverse fixture during the inaugural Premier League season, Sheffield Wednesday had already been on the end of a crazy Manchester United comeback. Taking a 3-0 lead on Boxing Day 1992 with less than 30 minutes remaining, three points looked to be in the bag for The Owls. But then a Brian McClair double was followed by an equaliser by Eric Cantona as United rescued a draw out of nowhere.
Back at Old Trafford, and searching for their first English title in 26 years, United found themselves a goal down courtesy of John Sheridan's second-half penalty. But then Steve Bruce equalised in the 86th minute with a looping header, and as United looked for a winner, the game went deep into injury time. Very deep.
With 97 minutes on the clock, Bruce headed in after a Gary Pallister cross was deflected in the air. Instantly, Alex Ferguson and Brian Kidd celebrating on the pitch became an iconic image as the title went to Old Trafford for the first time since 1967.
Often credited as the original "Fergie Time" goal, no-one quite knows where the referee got the injury-time from, but United used it to springboard themselves to the title. Nearest challengers Aston Villa would slump late, as The Red Devils topped the first ever Premier League by ten points in the end.