Best Saints goal you have ever seen live?

[Willo of Whiteley]

Kevin Phillips 2-0 v Liverpool 2003

Chris Baird v Cardiff 2005 (maybe)

[SNSUN]

One that sticks out was Wayne Thomas vs Ipswich.

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/video/classic-match-thomas-scores-st-marys-stunner

[spyinthesky]

Best non goal I remember was a Kevin Keegan mid air rocket at The Dell, which was ruled out for offside against David Armstrong who was nowhere near active play.
The goal would have stood in todays game.
Also remember a great goal by Mick Channon at the old Manor Road ground v Oxford Utd (evening game?)

[John Boy Saint]

10 hours ago, SNSUN said:

One that sticks out was Wayne Thomas vs Ipswich.

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/video/classic-match-thomas-scores-st-marys-stunner

Aside from that great goal, the one thing I remember from that game was (might have been Wayne Thomas too) an off target shot, hit with some venom, hit an Ipswich player square in the face to an audible wince from the crowd, poor chap was out cold before he hit the floor, thankfully the ref spotted the way he flopped onto the pitch like his skeleton had been removed, and stopped the game before he had finished collapsing.   

[westmidlandsaint]

Le Tissier's double against Newcastle. Although most like the first I actually preferred the second the control on the thigh and the volley. Could have chosen a few Le Tiss ones TBF,

Kevin Davies v Everton solo effort as well. 

[Colinjb]

Stuart Armstrong v Coventry in the cup sticks in the mind for some reason. 

But, Shea at the weekend. A privilege to be there and see it with my own eyes.

[hypochondriac]

Le Tiss goals but if we are talking more recent, then the game when our RB scored against Arsenal (can't remember his name) scored an absolute banger and I had a cracking view as it bent into the net. That Walcott goal when he skinned the defender (Luton I think) was a delight too for different reasons

Edited 8 hours ago by hypochondriac

[Badger]

Not a ‘best’ goal (and doesn’t compare with Channon’s team goal, or MLT v Newcastle) but certainly in the next band and as good as some others mentioned.

Paul Gilchrist v West Brom in the 1976 Cup Replay, after about 60 seconds, he volleyed the ball over his head for a great start. It was definitely a “how did he do that ?” moment. There didn’t seem anything on as the ball came to him, goal over his shoulder, and surrounded by defenders. 

I did find footage of it a while ago and posted it on here. I think the goal has been overlooked partly due to the lack of footage, but also the fact Gilchrist’s name immediately conjures memory of his goal in the SF, and his performance v WBA was eclipsed by a Channon hat trick. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Badger

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Paul Gilchrist: not the luckiest player to wear a Saints shirt.

DATE OF BIRTH

5 JAN 1951

DARTFORD 

TOTAL APPEARANCES

120_{13 SUB}

YEARS PLAYED

1971 — 1977

GOALS

22

“Overawed”, he confesses, as a teenager at his local club, Second Division Charlton, Paul Gilchrist was much out on loan, even dropping into the Southern League at Yeovil, before he found a niche at Fourth Division Doncaster. 

But then First Division Southampton snapped him up for £30,000. When Paul revealed, on the ride from the station to The Dell, that he was a centre-forward, the taxi-driver gave him “no chance” of displacing Ron Davies. 

But this was March 1972 and Davies had scored only four goals all season. True, the arrival of Gilchrist appeared to galvanise Ron, who scored another seven in April. Even so, he finished behind Mick Channon in the scoring charts for the third consecutive season. Indeed, Ron’s dominant role had become one of “putting Channon in”. Gilchrist’s subtlety of touch equipped him well for this part. 

This attribute also meant that he was comfortable, playing deeper, as he most productively demonstrated in his fourth full season of 1975-76. In the FA Cup Fifth Round v West Brom, he came in for Peter Osgood, who had been playing behind Channon and Bobby Stokes.

Having scored a spectacular goal when the tie went to a Dell replay, he became a midfielder upon Osgood’s return, replacing Nick Holmes in the Sixth Round and then Fisher, all the way to Wembley, contributing another goal in the semi-final. He had played a one-two with Osgood, 25 yards out, and when “no one challenged”, he “decided to have a shot.” 

The break-up of the Cup-Final team, the next season, came quickly. Paul was among those dropped after the opening-day defeat at home to Carlisle. He would make only two more appearances for the Saints, both of them – in the League and League Cup – back at The Valley, before he made a couple of unwise career-choices. First, he opted for a one-year contract on loan to Alahfi in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Both on and off the pitch, this proved a “disaster”. 

He returned after three months and soon moved to Third Division Portsmouth – an even bigger mistake, he reckons. He remained in the lower divisions with Swindon, where being signed over the manager’s head by Danny Williams the Director of Football he was never really accepted by the manager, Bob Smith despite scoring six goals in ten games. 

This lead him to Hereford where he was ever-present in their 1979-80 run-in, scoring in their last-day win that was not enough to spare them having to seek re-election. They were voted back, but Paul had played his last game in competitive football. During a pre-season friendly behind closed doors against Wolves, he suffered a snapped cruciate ligament in a less-than-friendly tackle. It rankles to this day that not one Wolves player came to see how he was after game. 

From playing before 100,000 at Wembley, four years earlier, he had ended his career in a game that nobody saw – 

although it took a year of unsuccessful treatment before it was decided that he was finished before he was 30. There was talk of Southampton arranging a testimonial for him with a present Saints side taking on the FA Cup team which would have been raised a nice sum to retire on, but Lawrie McMenemy ruled that there was no dates available in a busy schedule and so it was Paul had to make do with a “pitiful” £750 payment from the PFA. With bills to pay, he and a partner opened a fitness centre, catering for businesses in Swindon. The first of its type, it was widely copied – so much so that Paul sold up after seven years and moved near to Tunbridge Wells. although he worked for BMW in Redhill, where he was an after-sales/service adviser. He then worked for Caterham Cars for a few years but has now retired and found the time to have a full knee replacement.

[jamesfp1]

 

[RedArmy]

Honourable mention to Mane’s hat trick goal against Villa too. Not for the strike but for the moment. 

One of those great afternoons in the sunshine, Villa all over the place and a record which may never be beaten. 
 

It really was an amazing time to be a Saints fan back then. 

[markr27]

Always partial to SRL's free kick against Tranmere in L1. Flew in like a rocket.

Edited 2 hours ago by markr27

[Roo1976]

On 22/03/2026 at 12:23, Lighthouse said:

  Just copying my own post from the match thread.

 

Glad to see the MK goal getting remembered by other people. It often slips under the radar because it was away in League 1 but it really was a cracker. Tiss vs Blackburn - esq in awareness and precision.

 

ah those pre VAR results....they would have probably looked over that and thought handball..........................

[Roo1976]

2 hours ago, RedArmy said:

Honourable mention to Mane’s hat trick goal against Villa too. Not for the strike but for the moment. 

One of those great afternoons in the sunshine, Villa all over the place and a record which may never be beaten. 
 

It really was an amazing time to be a Saints fan back then. 

and again your probably right about it not being beaten just because the spontaneity of the moments and how long it takes for VAR to say yes its a goal..............

[Lighthouse]

2 hours ago, RedArmy said:

Honourable mention to Mane’s hat trick goal against Villa too. Not for the strike but for the moment. 

One of those great afternoons in the sunshine, Villa all over the place and a record which may never be beaten. 
 

It really was an amazing time to be a Saints fan back then. 

Wasn't even the best goal in that game TBH.