JOE Sportstube: Five fantastic own-goals

From Aston Villa's Peter Enkelman to Mervue United's Mike Elwood, here are five hilarious own-goals.

By Conor Hogan

Aston Villa's Richard Dunne and Liverpool's Jamie Carragher are both enormously prolific defenders, but unfortunately for them their goals tend to come at the wrong end. For instance, Carragher scored the seventh own goal of his career this weekend against Blackburn, while Dunne found the wrong net for the eighth time in Aston Villa’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland.

In honour of those two international centre-halves, JOE has compiled some of the funniest own-goals to ever see the light of day. We laughed, we cried, we may have felt a little pee run down our legs.

Goran Rubil (Hadjuk Split v Lokomotiva) 2010

This would probably be the finest strike of Rubil’s career, if only it had been at the right end. It is puzzling to know just how the Croatian was feeling after the ball had crossed the line. Incredibly embarrassed we imagine, but also somewhat proud of himself.

After all, it’s not every day that a strike from the edge of the box goes sweetly into the top corner. Hadjuk eventually lost the match 2-1, and Rubil left the club at the end of the season to join F.C. Asteras Tripolis in Greece.

Chris Brass (Bury v Darlington) 2006

Tests carried out by world renowned scientists have determined that Chris Brass’s own goal for Bury against Darlington is funny. The defender’s attempt at an overhead clearance couldn’t have possibly backfired any more royally, with the ball rebounding off his face and into his own net. To add to the ignominy, the ball actually broke his nose. Bury did however win the game 3-2.

Peter Enkelman (Aston Villa v Birmingham) 2002

Technically this might actually be an Olaf Mellberg own goal, though it possibly should have been disallowed as goals cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.

The referee deemed that Villa's Enkleman touched the ball, however, and we are glad he did, as this particular clip has provided us with years of viewing pleasure and Enkleman with years of shameful shame. Ever since this incident, whenever a goalkeeper makes a terrible mistake it is commonly referred to as an 'Enkleman’ (by us anyway).

Mike Elwood (Mervue United v Waterford United) 2010

Elwood’s OG was probably even more misfortunate than Brass, as he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Here Kenny Farrell’s attempted clearance smacked off the head of Elwood and looped all the way into the net, with the game finishing 3-0 to Waterford.

This goal, from an Airtricity League First Division match became something of an internet meme during the summer and already has nearly 900,000 views.

Gary Neville (England v Croatia) 2006

The goal that practically ended Paul Robinson’s England career was frankly a little bit unlucky. The ball hit a divot as the then Tottenham keeper tried to kick it, and bounced over his foot and into the goal.

Even if it wasn’t exactly his fault, it doesn’t make the incident any less hilarious, and remains proof positive that God hates Paul Robinson.