HOW JIMMY MADE HISTORY!
Goal No. 1 – Scored in the 9th minute of the
second half
A bone-crunching tackle by Paddy
Roberts to win the ball at the edge of the Reds penalty area led to a sweeping
seven-man move up the inside-left channel and across the edge of the box at the
Shopping Centre end of Dalymount Park, leaving 19-year old Jimmy O’Connor (above)
to score with his right foot from an acute angle.
Goal
No. 2 – Scored 1 minute 25 seconds afterwards
The above time between goals includes the 23 seconds that it took
to kick-off after the first goal was scored. After the initial exchanges, a
move down the right, in front of the Main Stand, resulted in a left-foot cross
by Mick Conroy. Jimmy left his marker and delicately chipped the keeper for No.
2.
Goal
No. 3 – Scored 48 seconds later
Yet more drama was to unfold. Although, it took 30 seconds to
kick-off after the second goal, it didn’t take Jimmy long to create soccer
history – 18 seconds in fact! Brendan Place intercepted a poor pass from the
kick-off and stroked it to his left to Gerry Garvan. He moved it at pace down
the left flank, rounded the full-back and put in a superb cross for Jimmy to
head in No. 3, a fitting climax to a wonderful feat.
Extract from an article by Paul
Byrne in the Shelbourne match programme dated 12 November 1999.
