JOE’s Top Five Memorable Football Moments of 2010

JOE takes a short trip down memory lane with our Top Five Memorable Football Moments of 2010.

By William Nestor

When we think of memorable moments, it’s always the controversial ones that spring to mind. There’s been plenty of incident and drama to rock the Gaelic football legions back on their heels and roar for more.

Here are JOE’s Top Five Moments of 2010. Feel free to leave a comment below if your favourite hasn’t been included.

1. The 'goal' that broke Louth hearts

Louth made it to their first Leinster final in June and looked to be home and hosed for a famous victory against Meath at Croke Park until disaster struck. Anger and controversy erupted when, during the 74th minute of the match, a goal was awarded by the referee, Martin Sludden, after brief consultation with only one of the match umpires. Replays proved the ball was carried over the line by Joe Sheridan, yet Meath were crowned Leinster champions. The scenes after the match were some of the ugliest the GAA has ever seen and hopefully there will never be a repeat of such behaviour. Our hearts, however, go out to all Louth supporters who should be still celebrating as champions.

2. The most climactic finish of the year

Inside the fifth minute of injury time in the All-Ireland semi-final and Kildare trailed Down by two points. Up stepped Lilywhites substitute Daryl Flynn to take the final kick of the game from a free-kick on the 21-yard line and he went for the jugular. The slightest of touches from Kallum King may have been enough to prevent the shot ending up the net and with that, Down were into the final. What a finish...

3. Galvin caught gouging

Galvin can weave his magic on the field on a regular basis, provided he's not suspended of course. The controversial Kerry star has had his fair share of 'off-the-ball incidents' and this one was probably the most talked about of 2010. Against Cork in the National League, Galvin attempted the legendary fish-hook which eventually resulted in Eoin Cadogan losing a tooth. Ouch.

4. Meath hit the Dubs for five

Nobody could have scripted this. When Dublin meet Meath in the championship it's usually a battle to the death. The Leinster semi-final of 2010, however, saw the Royals blitz their bitter rivals. Five goals and a winning margin of 11 points gave Meath the ultimate bragging rights for a long time to come. Here's the fifth and final goal of the game, scored by substitute Brian Farrell.

5. Coulter's moment of brilliance

Every now and then we are treated to a score that we never forget. In the dramatic All-Ireland semi-final between Kildare and Down it was Benny Coulter's sublime point that captured our imagination. Reminiscent of players with the kind of quality such as Maurice Fitzgerald, Ciaran McDonald and Mickey Linden, Coulter's score could equal or better some of the best.