London, Jan 6 : It was a wind-assisted wonder fluke goal. American Tim Howard, the goalkeeper for Everton, could not have dreamt such a goal in his life, nor the thousands of spectators and the rival team players assembled at Goodison Park.
In a strong wind, the Everton No.1 connected sweetly with the ball as it was rolled back towards him with the score at 0-0 in the home match with Bolton Wanderers, reports Daily Mail.
In a strong wind, the Everton No.1 connected sweetly with the ball as it was rolled back towards him with the score at 0-0 in the home match with Bolton Wanderers, reports Daily Mail.
But he looked on in bemusement as the 92-yard clearance is allowed to hit the ground by the opposition team and takes an enormous bounce.
It then loops handily over rival goalkeeper Adam Bogdan as he desperately stretches to reach it, before nestling into the back of the goal.
Tim Howard was a household name in the UK after eight years in the Premier League, but now he has joined an exclusive club containing only four members.
The 32-year-old U.S. international notched up a wind-assisted fluke goal last night - after making a clearance from inside his own penalty area.
It was the American's 1st professional goal in his 250th appearance in England, but he refused to celebrate.
He told Sky Sports: 'For the back four and the goalkeepers at both ends, there was an awful wind swirling. You could see everybody was mistiming balls.
'Defenders were missing clearances that normally they would put up the field.
'I let [Bogdan] know that I was feeling for him. It's not a nice place to be. I've been there before, a long, long time ago, and that was why I didn't celebrate.'
Howard becomes the second American goalkeeper to score in the English Premier League.
Compatriot Brad Friedel, 40, who now plays for Tottenham Hotspur, scored for Blackburn Rovers against Charlton Athletic in February, 2004.
The two other goalkeepers to score are Denmark's Peter Schmeichel and England's Paul Robinson - who has managed the feat twice.
Howard becomes the second American goalkeeper to score in the English Premier League.
Compatriot Brad Friedel, 40, who now plays for Tottenham Hotspur, scored for Blackburn Rovers against Charlton Athletic in February, 2004.
The two other goalkeepers to score are Denmark's Peter Schmeichel and England's Paul Robinson - who has managed the feat twice.
But they've all got some catching up to go with the world's most prolific goalkeeper, Paraguayan Jose Luis Chilavert, who managed an impressive 52 goals for club and country during his career.Bolton went on to win the match 2-1.
