extratimemachine minute-by-minute memorable matches.

With live football gone into hibernation, extratime.ie has recently been bringing you ‘as-live’ minute-by-minute updates from a number of classic matches from seasons gone by. We will continue to bring you further games in the weeks (or dare we say it months) to come. 

This Friday night - 3 April - Simon O'Gorman is heading to Cork and back to 1983 for an epic encounter between Cobh Ramblers and Sligo Rovers. Kick off will be at 7.45pm. Follow the game here:

https://www.extratime.ie/matches/detail/40614/1/

You can check out the matches so far that we have sent the extratimemachine back below:

The first game in Tallaght Stadium (2009)

Earlier this month, on the 11^th anniversary of the inaugural game in Tallaght, Macdara Ferris re-watched the action from a very emotional game for Shamrock Rovers fans – the very first game in their new stadium as the Hoops beat Sligo Rovers 2-1. 

Gary Twigg had the honour of scoring the very first goal in the new stadium and really didn’t stop scoring for the next four seasons helping the Hoops to two new titles during that time. 

Gary Twigg has the ball in the back of the net for the third time but only one of those still counts. Dessie Baker set Twigg up this time around but referee Alan Kelly spots an infringment - I think it was a push by Baker - and it remains 1-0. The two strikers are linking up well. Most Rovers fans weren't too happy with Michael O'Neill bringing Baker back and nobody had ever heard of Gary Twigg before he joined from Brechin City.

Shelbourne save their Premier Division status (1984)

It was an outlier fixture that had fallen outside of the official 1983/84 season schedule as Shelbourne travelled to Terryland Park to take on Galway United. With all the other league matches completed, the result didn’t matter to Galway but the Reds though were facing the drop as they sat in the very first relegation zone in League of Ireland history. 

It was a must win game for Shels but they found themselves 2-0 down at half time. Safe to say it was a memorable second half for Shelbourne. Simon O’Gorman strapped himself into the extratimemachine for this one and this is how he saw the winner:

Paul Mullen has done it! He puts Shels 3-2  ahead, soaring above the home defence to head home McDermott’s beautifully flighted free. There aren’t a whole lot of Shels fans in Terryland tonight but the ones that are are going absolutlely mental. With just six minutes of the season left to play they have snatched the lead that might just keep them in the Premier Division next season.

The day in Giants Stadium (1994)

Ray Houghton’s goal, Paul McGrath’s performance and the 1.5m Irish fans it seemed that squeezed into Giants Stadium – this game has gone down in history. Dave Donnelly braved the New York heat to bring you the action from one of the all-time great wins for the Boys in Green.

I've just taken a call on my giant oversized mobile telephone, as smartphones haven't been invented yet, it informs me that the RTÉ panel have taken an unusually bullish approach to their predictions. John Giles and Frank Stapleton both predict a draw, while Joe Kinnear goes for a 1-0 win with Ireland having "total control in midfield." John has his doubts about Roberto Baggio too...

Game, set and match as Bohs beat Rovers 6-4 in Santry (2001)

It is a scoreline that adorns a red and black flag in Dalymount Park to this day and that really is no surprise as it is a match that provided the springboard to an incredible league title for Bohemians.

Bohs had gone 23 years without winning the league and they came into the game in Morton Stadium a dozen points behind table toppers Shelbourne (albeit with three games in hand). But they trailed the Hoops 4-1 at half time and all the talk was Roddy Collins’ days as manager of the Gypsies were numbered.

What happened next went down in history.

Macdara Ferris followed the match for us and before he got back in the extratimemachine after the incredible 6-4  win for the Gypsies he also got the views of then Rovers manager Damien Richardson:

Richardson didn't hold back on Dave Smith's performance at right back. Reckon it might be the last time Ricco will pick him in a Rovers side.

"Three or four of our players went on holidays. Our right-back allowed Mark Rutherford so much space he had time to have a cup of tea and our centre-backs showed their softness again.

"The last half hour was the worst I've ever experienced as a manager," said Damien Richardson. To see so many players throw in the towel was a humbling, humiliating, experience for me.”