Random Great Goals: Darren Ambrose’s 35-Yard Stonker Sends Man Utd Packing, 2011 (Video)

Chris Wright

17th, April 2015

By Chris Wright

For a central midfielder, Darren Ambrose has done a decent trade over the years, though his most virile period of goal-spurtery definitely fell during his Crystal Palace days.

Having scored an impressive 20 goals in his debut season, Ambrose went on to amass a total of 39 goals in 126 games for Palace.

His most incredible goal, however, came just shy of his century; on his 99th appearance for the Eagles: a League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford in November, 2011.

Palace, then of the Championship, came into the tie as lowly underdogs in woeful form. A heady mix of bad ju-ju. In fact, Dougie Freedman’s side hadn’t mustered so much as a goal to speak of in their five games prior.

Then KABOOM! Palace’s flaccid drought came to an end in spectacular style when, following a truly terrible first-half of football, Ambrose opened the scoring for Palace in the 65th minute with an absolute stonker from 35 yards…

United equalised almost immediately via a Fernando Macheda spot-kick, before Ambrose cemented his ‘Man of the Match’ performance by laying on a free-kick assist for Glen Murray to head home an unlikely winner in extra time to spirit Palace into the last four of the League Cup for the first time in a decade.

Indeed, Ambrose’s Herculean strike was voted Palace’s Goal of the Year for 2011/12 – with the whole poll presumably being ruled a non-contest as soon as the ball thwacked against the back of United’s net.

A selection of other Random Great Goals on Pies…

Patrick M’Boma (Gamba Osaka) Destroys Defence With Interpretive Dance
Roberto Cabanas (New York Cosmos) Scores With Aerial Acrobatics
Thierry Henry (Arsenal) Is Grace Personified
Keisuke Honda (Japan) Manipulates The Laws Of Physics
Rory Delap (Southampton) Scores An Overhead Kick!
Eduardo (Arsenal) Is One Deft Son Of A Gun

Mark Hughes (Man Utd) Lobs The Grob
Davie Cooper (Rangers) Paints His Old Firm Masterpiece
Taison (Metalist) Strays Into Van Basten Territory
Giovani Dos Santos (Mexico) Finishes With Devastating Finesse
Ronaldo Obliterates His Peers During Unicef Charity Match

Giuseppe Mascara (Catania) Belts One In From Downtown
Geraldão (Cruzeiro) Clangs An Elastic Freekick Into The Top Corner
Andres Vasquez (Goteborg) And His 25-Yard Rabona Of Doom!