1. Ellen White (Notts County vs Arsenal, 2015)
When things go wrong... or do they? Laura Bassett’s run-up appears to end in confusion between Notts County players – that is, until Alex Greenwood lays off for Ellen White to strike home on the spin against her former club. Take that!
2. Yosuke Ishibitsu (Kyoto Sanga vs Yokohama, 2014)
An indirect free-kick in the area is one of the rarer, and thus strangely exciting things about football – think Alan Shearer twice almost breaking West Brom and Georgia players for Newcastle and England respectively. So when Kyoto Sanga were presented with one at Yokohama, their well-executed effort was a particularly fine sight. After the Yokohama goalkeeper watched three players run over the ball, he saw nothing of Yosuke Ishibitsu’s thunderbolt after a fourth man had applied the slightest of touches.
3. Ernie Hunt (Coventry vs Everton, 1970)
A classic, reminiscent of days playing headers and volleys in the park when you let the stragglers score. Willie Carr’s ‘Donkey Kick’ is delightfully retro, but was fresh enough to set up a stonking volley for Coventry team-mate Ernie Hunt to fire home. It was so clever, in fact, that it was banned at the end of the season.
4. Artem Koncevoj (MTZ-Ripo vs Smorgon, 2008)
A goal to put tears in the eyes of Messrs Carr and Hunt (that, or something for them to merely point wasn't as good as in the olden days). MTZ-Ripo attacker Artem Koncevoj makes fine use of a team-mate's overhead flick in this 2008 Belarusian cup match-up, duly whacking a dipping volley over defender and goalkeeper into the top corner. The goal was allowed, and Koncevoj ensured he became immortalised on YouTube.
5. David Nugent (Preston vs Burnley, 2006)
Ignore the mobile phone-style camera footage for a moment. Lancashire derbies are generally known for being more grit than glitz, but Preston managed to inject some style into this 2006 tussle against Preston with this technically ace effort. Now-Scunthorpe manager Graham Alexander flicks the ball up for himself to chip over Burnley's backline and David Nugent’s shoulder, from which the one-time England striker plants a David Platt vs Belgium-style volley past Brian Jensen.
6. Javier Zanetti (Argentina vs England, 1998)
Argentina and England's 1998 World Cup quarter-final is better-known for Michael Owen's solo goal, David Beckham's petulance and yet more penalty shootout heartache for England – but in most other circumstances, a goal like this from Javier Zanetti would get more attention. It came in annoying circumstances for the Three Lions, who'd led 2-1 after a bonkers openng 16 minutes, but conceded this in first-half stoppage time in a game that finished 2-2. Watch as the crafty Argentine creeps past a preoccupied England wall before rifling past David Seaman on the grandest stage of all.
7. Benedikt Koep (Rot-Weiss Essen vs Wattenscheid, 2013)
Six RW Essen players stand over the free-kick, 19 yards out. They're trailing 2-1. Four of them go for the ball at once. What are you doing, you daft lot? But before Wattenscheid players can even muster a chuckle, striker Benedikt Koep is whipping a left-footed beauty into the top corner. Oh.
8. Ronaldinho (Barcelona vs Werder Bremen, 2006)
The noughties master of all things cheeky could have multiple free-kicks on this list – including another two like this one. But his first, a Champions League effort against Werder Bremen, is an all-time classic. This isn't a bad way to render a mass of opposition outfielders and goalkeeper useless.
9. Micky Mellon (Blackpool vs Bradford, 1995)
Mellon's net-ripping finish here is what should get the real plaudits, but the clever shift right while his Blackpool makes a decoy run makes this goal especially satisfying. We're betting the current Shrewsbury boss doesn't let his charges forget this one.
10. John-Joe O’Toole (Northampton vs Luton, 2015)
A well-worked training ground routine has often been known to leave opposition players with their pants pulled down. For this one, Alfie Potter – once of Havant and Waterlooville, scoring-at-Liverpool fame – peels away from the penalty-box melee before laying a perfect pass for John-Joe O’Toole to sidefoot home while Luton defenders work out what on earth just happened.
... well, at least you tried lads
Words: Elliott Walsh and Joe Brewin
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