El Loco

(The Best Goal Noel Cantwell Never Scored)

Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell
Bundled the goalkeeper into the net.
The Spanish were mad, but the Irish supporters
Thought that the challenge was honestly met.
The ref gave a free, but the mild Spanish keeper
Now perceived Noel as a physical threat,
And in the great scheme of this World Cup encounter,
The Irish ensured that the stage had been set.

An hour on the clock and John Giles got bowled over,
And Cantwell and Hurley trooped into the box.
The poor Spanish goalie stood nervously waiting,
Fidgeting, yelling and pulling his socks.
O’Neill swung the free in, too close to the goal-line,
But Noel and bold Charley were quick off their blocks.
They charged at the keeper, both roaring like demons,
And Iribar tensed for the imminent knocks.

But nobody made any physical contact,
The laws of the game were quite strictly obeyed.
The goalie expected a hard Irish shoulder,
And seemed to be more than a smidgen afraid.
When the ball reached him, he turned round and threw it
Right into his net, with his teammates dismayed.
And 42,000 all roared their approval
For Noel “El Loco,” the prince of his trade.