Brazil 1970, Argentina 1986, Dinton Casuals 2006

For no reason, I was thinking this afternoon about what constitutes a “great” goal. We all know one when we see one.

Maradona’s goal against England in the 1986 World Cup is, unfortunately, a great goal – or as Barry Davies put it at the time, “quite, quite magnificent”. Another masterpiece, also from the World Cup, is Brazil’s Carlos Alberto strike in against Italy in 1970.

What makes these goals great is that (a) they occur during games played at the highest level, and (b) they are, quite simply, created out of nothing.

With hindsight we look back at them and they make sense to us as one flowing, seamless movement. But when Maradona picked the ball up well into the English half on that Sunday afternoon 20 years ago (and presumably we all remember where we were when it happened), none of us had any inkling that 10 seconds later he would be celebrating a goal, with no other player on the pitch having touched the ball in the intervening period.

Think of two other great goals, both different in character but sharing with the first two that element of surprise: Van Basten’s famous goal against the Soviet Union in 1988 and Wayne Rooney’s strike against Newcastle last season.

Watching the former on YouTube, what’s significant is that John Motson notes the presence of the Dutch striker on the far side of the pitch a couple of seconds before his volley, but there’s no suggestion that he constitutes a goalscoring threat. The goal, when it comes, is the footballing equivalent of a rabbit plucked out of a hat. Exactly the same for Rooney’s punt.

What’s also interesting about the last two examples is that they’re volleys. Volleyed strikes are so impressive because when the ball is in the air it is - in every sense - at its most volatile. It requires great skill on a player’s part to master the ball and direct it goalwards.

Significantly, Dinton Casuals scored two goals today. One was a lethal drive by Andy Doyle. The other was a volley. It was also a goal that, by any yardstick, bears comparison with Rooney’s wonder-strike and Van Basten’s acutely angled masterblaster.

Unfortunately the cameras weren't there to record the event. But those of us who witnessed it will surely carry the flame of its memory in our hearts and in our souls until the day that we die.