“OF ALL THE people to score, it’s the goalkeeper Barry Roche.”
There were wild scenes at the Globe Arena in Morecambe last night as Barry Roche, a former Ireland underage international, scored his first career goal in the most dramatic circumstances.
The Dublin-born goalkeeper was the hero in the League Two clash against Portsmouth on Tuesday evening as he headed home a 94th minute equaliser to spark jubilant celebrations.
Roche, who played twice for Ireland U17s, ventured forward as his side desperately searched for a late equaliser. He arrived in the Portsmouth box unmarked and powered home a header past his opposition number.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the game, Roche admitted he even closed his eyes as he headed the ball but couldn’t begin to describe the feeling of scoring a last-gasp leveler.
The 33-year-old’s goal halted Morecambe’s three-game losing run as they moved up to 14th in the standings.
Roche’s goal halted Morecambe’s three-game losing streak and sees them move up to 14th in League Two.
He now joins the list of goalkeepers to score a goal in a competitive game, which includes Peter Schmeichel, Jose Chilavert and Rogerio Ceni.
If the video footage wasn’t dramatic enough, listen to BBC’s Radio Lancashire’s Derek Quinn describing the moment.
(If audio player fails to load, listen here)
