Ben Wilson joins list of goalscoring keepers after dramatic Coventry equaliser

Apr 19, 2023 3 min read
Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson scored a late goal against Blackburn in the Championship (Martin Rickett/PA)
Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson scored a late goal against Blackburn in the Championship (Martin Rickett/PA)

Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson scored a controversial injury-time goal to steal a 1-1 draw at Blackburn and boost their Championship play-off chances.

Rovers looked to be strengthening their own top-six ambitions after they led through Sam Gallagher’s first-half goal at Ewood Park.

But in the fifth minute of time added on Wilson came forward for a corner and was in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball home, though there were loud appeals for handball that fell on deaf ears.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at other goalscoring keepers.

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel scored in a European game for Manchester United
Peter Schmeichel scored in a European game for Manchester United (John Giles/PA)

The Dane scored for Manchester United in 1995 from a set-piece in a UEFA Cup game with Russian side Rotor Volgograd, which preserved the club’s then 40-year unbeaten European home record. He later went on to become the first goalkeeper to score in the Premier League when he bagged for Aston Villa.

Jose Luis Chilavert

Jose Luis Chilavert was a goalscoring threat from between the sticks in an already dangerous Paraguay team
Jose Luis Chilavert was a goalscoring threat from between the sticks in an already dangerous Paraguay team (PA)

Paraguayan Chilavert was well known for his expertise at free-kicks and penalties, and memorably curled home a set-piece against Argentina in 1998. He also became the first keeper to score a hat-trick when he achieved the feat for Velez Sarsfield against Ferro Carril Oeste.

Jimmy Glass

Possibly the most dramatic ‘stopper strike’ ever occurred in May 1999 when, with Carlisle facing relegation from the Football League on the final day of the season and only seconds left on the clock, Glass – on loan from Swindon – went up for a corner and eventually smashed home to seal a 2-1 win over Plymouth – saving the Cumbrians’ league status in the process.

Mart Poom

Sunderland goalkeeper Mart Poom rises to head the equaliser in injury time to claim a draw for Sunderland at his old club Derby
Sunderland goalkeeper Mart Poom rises to head the equaliser in injury time to claim a draw for Sunderland at his old club Derby (PA)

In September 2003, Sunderland’s Mart Poom grabbed a dramatic equaliser against his old club Derby, heading in Sean Thornton’s corner deep in stoppage time.

Paul Robinson


The England goalkeeper, who had scored for Leeds earlier in his career, scored a memorable goal for Tottenham against Watford in 2007 when his free-kick from deep inside his own half went straight in after a wicked bounce deceived Hornets keeper Richard Wright.

Alisson Becker

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was a surprise hero for the Reds at the Hawthorns in May
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was a surprise hero for the Reds at the Hawthorns in May (Laurence Griffiths/PA)

Alisson Becker headed a stunning stoppage-time goal to clinch Liverpool a 2-1 win at West Brom in May 2021. The Brazilian dedicated the dramatic strike to his late father after becoming only the sixth keeper to score in the Premier League when he headed home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner in the fifth minute of added time.

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