Search icon

Football

11th Dec 2016

Gary Lineker leads praise for Darren Randolph, who may have pulled off the save of the season

Out of the top drawer

Darragh Murphy

A lot can be learned about a man by the way he comes back from adversity.

Sure, Darren Randolph was solely to blame for Liverpool’s equaliser on Sunday afternoon after a first half that saw neither goalkeeper cover themselves in glory.

The West Ham stopper dropped a clanger to allow Divock Origi to tap home into an empty net and it looked to have lit a fire under the Reds as they pressed relentlessly for a winner at Anfield.

Wave after wave of Liverpool attack crashed against the Hammers defence but the most stunning attempt to snatch all three points came with a sumptuous curler from 30 yards via the right boot of captain Jordan Henderson.

Thanks to those fuddy-duddy spoilsports over at the Premier League, we’re not allowed to show you the heroic stop in action but this pretty much gives you everything you need to know about the athleticism shown by the Irish number one as he took to the air and clawed the dropping ball from under the crossbar.

It inspired the London side to continue their resolute defending of a vital away point, which they secured by holding firm.

Sunday wasn’t the perfect performance from Randolph but he outdid himself as he made amends and proved that he’s not the type of goalkeeper that will wilt under pressure.

https://twitter.com/CriticalKolo/status/808008119842439168

https://twitter.com/gillesoffthenet/status/808008304001687552

https://twitter.com/mconnolly1991/status/808008178306842625

https://twitter.com/mudit2_p/status/808008489897492480

Diarmuid Connolly makes his long overdue GAA Hour debut and talks to Colm Parkinson about everything from the black card to his rivalry with Lee Keegan and how he honed the ability to kick accurately with either foot.

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10