The goal of the year poll was a for gone conclusion within the first day. After over 100 votes the winner with 81% was…
1st - BILLY JONES VS WIGAN ( 20 / 12 / 2003 ) - 81%
Billy Jones’ first career goal was simply awesome. The 16 year old was filling in for injuries in the midfield, and just 5 games into his career. It was against Wigan Athletic and in the 9th minute we were 1-0 down to a McCulloch goal. One minute later, Ashton won a corner and from the right Lunt chipped it to just outside the area where Billy Jones stood. Billy took a couple of steps back before hitting the ball on the half turn… the ball flew at goal and bang… in off the crossbar and into the left corner. A equaliser less than a minute later. Woo.
Dubbed as the best goal at Gresty Road ever by the fans, Dario also thought it was good but was surprised it went in…
"It's one I have seen on TV somewhere and we've been practising it, but Billy has gone absolutely no-where near to finding the target. We'd almost eliminated it but Billy has a tremendous strike and I told him to just hit the target.
"Billy will remember that and so will our supporters for as long as they live."
We did end up losing after going 2-1 ahead. We lost 2-3.
2nd - NEIL SORVEL VS BARNSLEY ( 21 / 04 / 2003 ) - 5%
Neil Sorvel only ever scores good goals, to help his distinctly average qualities. His 3rd of the 2002/2003 season was, according to you, the 2nd best of 2003. Being 1-0 down at Barnsley in one of the last games of the season, it was a all or nothing game as we went for 2nd place automatic promotion. Again it was a minute after the Barnsley opener, on the 34th minute. A scramble around the Barnsley box eventually saw Kenny Lunt tee it up for Sorvel. Sorvel, who was dead centre of the goal, smashed it low to see the ball curl into the bottom left corner.
We eventually won 2-1 with a further goal from Rob Hulse.
3rd - KENNY LUNT VS IPSWICH TOWN ( 16 / 08 / 2003 ) - 4%
Kenny Lunt scored the only goal of the game against Ipswich in the first win of the 2003-2004 season. At Gresty Road the sides were at deadlock with Clayton Ince on the top of his game and poor finish from the Alex strikers. On the hour, though, was the moment of truth. Ben Rix was brought down 25 yards out roughly 4 yards to the left of the penalty spot. Ipswich built a four man wall but Kenny Lunt took one stride before curling the ball up and over the Tractor Boys wall and into the left corner, with the keeper shell shocked.
4th - KENNY LUNT VS PRESTON NORTH END ( 20 / 10 / 2003 ) - 3%
5th - KENNY LUNT(1st) VS BRENTFORD ( 08 / 02 / 2003 ) - 3%
6th - STEVE JONES (1st) VS COLCHESTER UNITED ( 11 / 01 / 2003 ) -2%
7th - STEVE JONES (1st) VS SUNDERLAND ( 16 / 08 / 2003 ) - 2%