Goal Of The Season

With the season safely tucked up in bed, it's time to reflect upon, and highlight, the best and the worst bits of a largely miserable 9 months. Let's start on the highs! For what it's worth, these are the contenders for our goal of the season, in no particular order. Do you agree with my nominations? Will you concur with my choice of the overall goal of the season? Do you give a toss? Have your say, or don't as the mood takes you.

The contenders:

Parker won every other award so why not goal of the season? He doesn't score many, but when he does put one in the onion bag, it tends to be a bit tasty. Both Parker's goals this season are worthy contenders. Against Chelsea, he collected a throw, looked up and slammed the ball as hard as he could, the resulting shot screaming into the net to bring us back into contention against the eventual champions on their own dung heap. It was a hell of a goal, a real screamer. The second, against Wigan, saw Parker collect the ball, drive into space, and slam the ball from outside the box, with a lovely curve taking it away from Kirkland and into the corner of the net. If you like "'Ave a bit of that" style goals, these two will take some beating.

Mind you, Cole's goal against Tottenham is in the same bracket and the same league. The turn, the control, the power and the accuracy were all Drogba like. Fans up and down the country suddenly recognised that Cole might actually be an England striker after all. But then he linked up with Defoe for the Tottenham reply!

Mind you, that's not Carlton's only contender. This goal was a bit special. Faubert played one of the passes of the season, bending a perfectly weighted ball around a defender into the path of Cole, who had made a superb run. Cole maintained his composure, closed in on goal and buried the chance with aplomb. Hansen moaned about Hull's defending; I was purring about the run, the pass and the finish. Not wham, bam, thank you mam, but a classy goal.

Of course, Parker is not paid to score them but to make them, and he played his role superbly for the next contender, Zavon Hine's last minute winner against Villa. For sheer drama, goals don't come better than this one. With yet another two home points evaporating before our eyes, Parker burst into the box on the left hand side and pulled the ball back for Hines. True Hines was on the edge of the six yard box but he was closely marked. The speed of his feet was what impressed me. The ball was controlled, dragged back, switched from one foot to the other and guided into the net in one deliciously sweet act. The craft of the goal was not obvious at first glance but the more often I watched it back, the more I appreciated the skill and composure of Hines. Not bad for a kid given the situation.

Ilan also has a couple of contenders. "Two?" I hear you ask. Well the first is obvious, that thumping header from Faubert's cross against Everton. Somebody was dismissive about that goal on here over the weekend, but Ilan, on for the hopeless Mido, played the ball on the half way line and then set off like a greyhound out of the traps. Faubert's cross had power and was into the heart of the danger area and Ilan met the ball perfectly. Wham. The net bulged as if collecting a Lorimer shot! But what about Ilan's other contender? Well I loved the goal against Wigan because it was classically simple. Cole collected a pass on the left side of the box, pulled the ball back from close to the deadline and Ilan, running across the front of his marker, deflected the ball masterfully into the net. If Cole could score goals like this, he would be the real deal. We have needed a fox in the box for years; and Ilan has looked like that foul feeder. But does he give us enough in other areas of the pitch?

Then there is Diamanti. His goal against Bolton was futile but was tasty nevertheless. Coming in off the wrong flank (inevitably), he looked up and bent a delicious shot into the far, bottom corner. That one goal does not vindicate Zola's decision to play his wide men on the wrong flank all season, but this was a special effort nevertheless. Then there was THAT freekick against Birmingham on the stroke of half time. The timing couldn't have been better and nor could the freekick. Hart has looked very impressive all season but he didn't have a prayer of stopping this sublime effort, with Diamanti bending his shot over the wall and perfectly into the corner of the net. It was Beckham like.

Have I forgotten any worthy contenders? Noble's goal at Wolves perhaps? It was good but it wasn't that special when compared with Parker's and Cole's screamers was it? So, any other picks or which of these do you think was best. I'll reveal my choice tomorrow!