Assist: Storm Christoph
It’s the depths of winter, the news is grim and the country is being battered by an Atlantic storm. Times are bleak, friends, but fear not, we have this: news of a goalkeeper scoring a goal… Because nothing – nothing – lightens the mood quite like watching a goalkeeper score a wind-assisted opener directly from their own goal kick*.
Step forward the hero of the hour, Tom King, of Newport County. With Tuesday night’s League Two game away at Cheltenham barely ten minutes old, the goalkeeper spotted the ball on the edge of the six-yard box and readied himself to pump a long kick downfield.
With a helping hand from Storm Christoph, the ball sailed deep into the Cheltenham half, bouncing on the edge of the D. As it did and we saw our first glimpse of King’s opposite number, Josh Griffiths, rooted to the edge of his own six-yard box, you saw what was coming. Despite a frantic attempt to claw the ball over his crossbar, the back-peddling Griffiths was unsuccessful, the ball clearing his head and landing in his goal.
King, in a Tim Howard-like gesture of respect to his fellow goalkeeper, chose not to celebrate his goal and calmly walked back to his goal line.
😦😦😦
Newport County goalkeeper Tom King scored directly from his own enormous goal kick this evening to help his side draw with Cheltenham Town! pic.twitter.com/lEOz4VSi2i
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) January 19, 2021
Newport’s lead lasted until deep into first-half stoppage time, when Cheltenham equalised through Matty Blair, the final goal of the night.
*Lots of things probably lighten the mood more than watching a goalkeeper score a wind-assisted opener directly from their own goal kick, but yeah, whatever.
