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Michael Owen / David Kelly


Benwell Lad

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I wonder if Michael Owen's goal against Birmingham will be remembered in the same legendary way as David Kelly's strike against Portsmouth in KK's first stint as manager. In both cases they seemed to find something extra to score the goal, Owen somehow managing to beat the defenders to what should have been their ball.

 

The feel good factor in town after that draw was similar to the the feeling after Kelly's winner. We can of course only speculate on what may have happened if those goals had not been scored at the respective times in the club's history, but the lift everyone ( fans, players and management ) got from Owen's equaliser has to be largely responsible for the performances which have followed.

We can debate the importance of each strike but I think we are equally indebted to both those strikers who found something extra in our dire times of need.

 

I for one think Michael Owen paid back a huge chunk of his massive fee and salary that night, and look forward to him continuing to do so in the next few years.

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I thought at the time KK would get the skillfull payers playing again, just took a little longer then i hoped for.  I think we'll be ok now, confidence is back and you can see it running through the team.

 

I think we'll be a different team next season.

 

Players look happier which is always a massive plus.

 

 

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Personally I don't think the 2 goals are comparable to that level. Michael Owen's goal relieved a lot of pressure, but David Kelly's goal saved us from almost certain relegation and probable financial ruin.

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Personally I don't think the 2 goals are comparable to that level. Michael Owen's goal relieved a lot of pressure, but David Kelly's goal saved us from almost certain relegation and probable financial ruin.

 

Sure it's debatable, but I think Owen's goal was absolutely huge. Defeat at Birmingham would have left us in a seriously bad position and I'm not sure the next two results would have followed without that lift. That being the case we would be right in the mire now.

It's all conjecture though.

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I don't even think the Birmingham game will be remembered tbh. I doubt anyone looks back to the Sheffield United away game last season too often like.

 

The truth is, if we end up 12th - nine points off, in years down the line, no one will even consider the five/six week relegation drama that was.

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Personally I don't think the 2 goals are comparable to that level. Michael Owen's goal relieved a lot of pressure, but David Kelly's goal saved us from almost certain relegation and probable financial ruin.

 

Sure it's debatable, but I think Owen's goal was absolutely huge. Defeat at Birmingham would have left us in a seriously bad position and I'm not sure the next two results would have followed without that lift. That being the case we would be right in the mire now.

It's all conjecture though.

 

Aye, it probably doesn't seem as big now, because of what's happened since and the number of matches left before the end of the season, and I don't think it was as big as Kelly's but it was very important. I can't remember a half time as long as that one at St. Andrews. Everyone knew the potential consequences of a defeat - I wouldn't have wanted to go into the Fulham match on the back of a loss, then playing Spurs away, with the likes of the mackems and Birmingham picking up points at the same time... pressure would have mounted, the media would be cranking it up and the whole situation could have got very sticky. When Owen missed the first chance we all looked at eachother and were thinking exactly the same thing - "that was THE chance". As its turned out we've kicked on since that goal, and Bolton look dead and buried. But who knows what effect it could have had on Bolton's mentality if we'd lost our last 3 matches? They could well have got the bit between their teeth and fancied the fight. It's all hypothetical and I would still probably have backed us to stay up (just, mind), but Owen's goal has gone a long way to stopping that nightmare situation from developing. 

 

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I don't even think the Birmingham game will be remembered tbh. I doubt anyone looks back to the Sheffield United away game last season too often like.

 

The truth is, if we end up 12th - nine points off, in years down the line, no one will even consider the five/six week relegation drama that was.

 

Yeah I hope it is quickly forgotten, as we return to the level we got used to and regular European football.

I just can't help feeling that Owens goal was an absolutely massive for us, but there again I had become convinced, at one stage, that we WERE going down.

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I don't even think the Birmingham game will be remembered tbh. I doubt anyone looks back to the Sheffield United away game last season too often like.

 

The truth is, if we end up 12th - nine points off, in years down the line, no one will even consider the five/six week relegation drama that was.

 

Yeah I hope it is quickly forgotten, as we return to the level we got used to and regular European football.

I just can't help feeling that Owens goal was an absolutely massive for us, but there again I had become convinced, at one stage, that we WERE going down.

 

No doubting it was a massive goal, but having been through both situations for me it doesn't really compare. Kelly's goal was literally just about the last throw of the dice, there were no home games against fellow strugglers to give us another shot.

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Personally I don't think the 2 goals are comparable to that level. Michael Owen's goal relieved a lot of pressure, but David Kelly's goal saved us from almost certain relegation and probable financial ruin.

 

Sure it's debatable, but I think Owen's goal was absolutely huge. Defeat at Birmingham would have left us in a seriously bad position and I'm not sure the next two results would have followed without that lift. That being the case we would be right in the mire now.

It's all conjecture though.

 

Aye, it probably doesn't seem as big now, because of what's happened since and the number of matches left before the end of the season, and I don't think it was as big as Kelly's but it was very important. I can't remember a half time as long as that one at St. Andrews. Everyone knew the potential consequences of a defeat - I wouldn't have wanted to go into the Fulham match on the back of a loss, then playing Spurs away, with the likes of the mackems and Birmingham picking up points at the same time... pressure would have mounted, the media would be cranking it up and the whole situation could have got very sticky. When Owen missed the first chance we all looked at eachother and were thinking exactly the same thing - "that was THE chance". As its turned out we've kicked on since that goal, and Bolton look dead and buried. But who knows what effect it could have had on Bolton's mentality if we'd lost our last 3 matches? They could well have got the bit between their teeth and fancied the fight. It's all hypothetical and I would still probably have backed us to stay up (just, mind), but Owen's goal has gone a long way to stopping that nightmare situation from developing. 

 

 

Thanks. I think you have put very eloquently what I was trying to say about THAT goal.

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I agree with the general sentiments, Owen's goal and the general play in that 2nd half has been the catalyst for our upturn in fortunes.

 

I remember at halftime thinking "we're going down" I was sure of it. But the turn around in the 2nd half was amazing and Owen's ability to sense a chance saved our bacon.

 

I have been hugely critical of Owen since he came to the club, but to prove I'm as fickle as the next guy, got to give it up for the guy, he's been fantastic lately.

 

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Owens goal could have been a turning point this season, but Kellys' helped save the club from the indignity of going into the 3rd tier of english football for the 1st time ever. It possibly even helped saved the club from folding, such were our troubles at the time.

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Seems most think Kelly's goal was more pivotal in the club's future (survival ?) and that's probably right.

 

The similarities however were both players digging deep to find something extra to score the goals and I still think had Owen not got to that ball and we'd been beaten that night, we'd have been talking different stuff on this board right now.

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