We've seen a lot of mad things in football but we're struggling to place last night's FAI Cup first round tie between Athlone Town and Waterford FC in the pantheon. We just don't have anything to compare it to.
It's not often a football match that is 1-0 at halftime finishes 4-4 before being decided by penalties with both managers sent to the stands.
It's even less often that a 4-4 draw features a 124th minute equaliser taken from behind the halfway line with the last kick of the game.
But that's what Athlone's Glen McAuley - who was making his debut for the Town last night - managed to achieve.
OH MY GOD! 🤯
Absolutely incredible goal by Glen McAuley to score his hat trick and equalise for Athlone Town, the game goes to penalties! 😱@AthloneTownAFC 4-4 @WaterfordFCie
Sign up 📺 | https://t.co/vfkMjbvRwA#LOITV | #LOI pic.twitter.com/p4lSjUewI6— SSE Airtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) July 23, 2021
It was the former Liverpool man's third goal of the night and we can't remember a hat-trick completed in a more glorious way.
GLEN MCAULEY SCORES FROM THE HALF WAY LINE TO LEVEL IT WITH THE LAST KICK OF THE GAME!!!
ATH 4-4 WAT#ATAFC pic.twitter.com/YGvrDIuGKr— Athlone Town AFC (@AthloneTownAFC) July 23, 2021
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?!?!
— Athlone Town AFC (@AthloneTownAFC) July 23, 2021
While McAuley's goal will take its place amongst recent LOI Puskas contenders and be remembered for all time, the history books will record that Waterford won the penalties. The Waterford Twitter account summarised events beautifully.
Ok let's try sum that one up...
Anthony Wordsworth gave the Blues the lead before half time before Shane Griffin doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half. Wordsworth was sent off on 68 mins before Glen McAuley scored from the spot to half the deficit.— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) July 23, 2021
Extratime created little until stoppage time when George Forrest looked to have won the game but for McAuley to score from the restart to force penalties.
— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) July 23, 2021
Shane Griffin and Cameron Evans scored for the Blues while Garry Comerford and Stephen Meaney did similar for Athlone. Tunmise Sobowale put the Blues 3-2 up in the shootout before Paul Martin saved from Jack Reynolds.
— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) July 23, 2021
Oh...and both manager were sent off 🤷♂️
— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) July 23, 2021
✅120 Minutes
✅14 Goals
✅8 Penalties Scored
✅4 Red Cards
✅2 Penalties Saved
✅ Into The Second Round
#GreatestLeagueInTheWorld #FAICup pic.twitter.com/b0VTV8L64C— Waterford FC (@WaterfordFCie) July 23, 2021
Speaking to Irish Football Fan TV after the match, man of the match McAuley tried to take the positives from the result.
Athlone 4-4 Waterford (Waterford win 4-2 on penalties)
📽 Scorer of that famous goal from inside his own half straight from tip-off with the last kick of the game for @AthloneTownAFC, Glen McAuley spoke to @Gerryb96.
Watch the interview in full here:https://t.co/risbUoNiME pic.twitter.com/OIAQSw92RH— Irish Football Fan TV (@irishfantv) July 23, 2021
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