Shamrock Rovers striker Paddy Moore scored on his debut when Ireland held Spain to a 1-1 draw at Barcelona's Montjuich Stadium in front of a 100,000 crowd on April 26, 1931. Senior International games were a rarity in those days - this was only Ireland's sixth game since the formation of the Football Association of Ireland six years previously.
Moore was on target in a breakaway attack on 35 minutes when he accepted a pass from Rovers team-mate and skipper John Joe Flood to neatly chip the ball over the head of advancing Spanish goalkeeper Zamora. But Spain were level three minutes later when Arocha headed home a centre from Piera.
Winning his second cap the following year, Moore was again on target in the 2-0 victory over Holland before a 30,000 crowd at the De Meer Stadium in Amsterdam on May 8, 1932. After Brideville's Joe O'Reilly had given Ireland the lead on 20 minutes, Moore made Irish victory certain with a second goal when a neat interchange between Derry City's Jimmy Kelly and St.James's Gate man Billy Kennedy enabled Moore to fire home a low shot from 25 yards.
Moore's third cap came in a memorable 4-4 World Cup qualifying game against Belgium at Dalymount Park on February 25, 1934. Having just moved to Scottish club Aberdeen, Moore was the hero of the 28,000 crowd when scoring all four Irish goals - a feat repeated 41 years later by Don Givens in the 4-0 victory over Turkey in a European Championship qualifier in October 1975, also at Dalymount.
After Belgium had taken an early two goal lead through Capelle and Stanley Van den Eynde, Moore reduced the deficit on 27 minutes when firing home a cross from winger Kelly.
Substitute Francois Van den Eynde then made it 3-1 for Belgium two minutes after the interval. But Ireland again fought back with Moore on target twice in the space of eight minutes when shooting past keeper Van de Wijer after defence splitting passes from Kennedy and Kelly.
Belgium went in front again with a second goal from Francois Van den Eynde on 63 minutes. That spurred Moore to even greater efforts when he headed home a cross from Dolphin's Joe Kendrick on 75 minutes to leave the final score 4-4.
Two months later on April 8, 1934 at the De Meer Stadium in Amsterdam Ireland went down 5-2 to Holland in another World Cup qualifying tie, but again Moore was on target - his seventh goal in four internationals.
With the game poised at 1-1 at the interval, the no-nonsense Moore put the visitors ahead when he shouldered 'keeper Van Male and the ball into the net. Those type of challenges were perfectly legal in those days. Moore won just five more caps for his country - against Hungary (twice), Germany (twice) and Holland.
He was never to score another international goal, but his early exploits guaranteed him a permanent place of honour in Irish football history.
|