The ball comes to Phil Robinson on the edge of the penalty area. The Old Hamptonians goalkeeper is miles out of his goal. Phil doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t look for options. From the moment the ball arrives, there’s only one thing on his mind.
He strikes it cleanly. The goalkeeper scrambles back, but he’s got no chance. The ball sails over him and drops into the net.
1-0 to Dorkinians. The goal that would open the floodgates in what became a 7-0 win, the biggest of their season.
"I think as soon as the ball came to me I was only ever shooting," Phil says. "I was just trying to get a clean connection and hoping for the best really. With the keeper so far out of his goal I knew that if I hit it cleanly he would struggle to get back in time."
That calculation happens in maybe half a second. See the keeper off his line, recognize the opportunity, execute. Phil did all three.
The sweet revenge
This wasn’t just any match. This was the Amateur Football Combination Premier Division. Dorkinians hosting Old Hamptonians at home. A replay of a fixture they’d lost 5-0 away earlier in the season.
Phil’s goal gave his team the platform they needed. That early strike settled nerves, announced intent, and set the tone for what would become their most dominant performance of the season. From 1-0 to 7-0, a complete reversal of that earlier result.
The goal was recorded on Veo, giving Phil something he doesn’t take for granted.
"There’s something very special about being able to brag to your friends and family about a goal with video evidence that it actually happened," Phil says. "So I’ll say having this goal captured on Veo was a real treat."
Every footballer has that moment they describe to mates later. The incredible strike from distance, the perfectly timed chip over the keeper, the solo run that beat three defenders. The problem is nobody quite believes you. The details sound too good. The execution too clean. People nod along while quietly wondering if you’re exaggerating.
Phil has proof.
The shock nomination
A few weeks after the match, Phil learned his goal had been submitted for this year’s People’s Puskas, which spotlights the best goals scored away from the biggest arenas.
"I’ll be honest it’s a bit of a shock," Phil says. "I knew it was a great goal but my teammates didn’t even vote it as our goal of the season. I think they should give the Veo another watch and it’ll definitely feel sweet if I were fortunate enough to win the award."
His teammates didn’t vote it goal of the season. That’s the kind of detail that makes this whole thing better. Phil knows what he’s scored. The footage doesn’t lie. But there’s something quietly funny about your own team not rating it as highly as the wider football world might.
"I’ll admit to watching it back every now and then," Phil says. "And of course it’s always useful for putting an end to the age-old debate about who the club’s top goalscorer really is. The footage speaks for itself."
Why it matters
Phil watches the goal occasionally. Not obsessively, but often enough to remember what he’s capable of when everything clicks.
The keeper off his line. The clean connection. The ball sailing over him and dropping perfectly into the net. All captured from an angle that shows exactly how it happened.
"A Veo camera has been as useful as a new signing for my club," Phil says. "Allowing us to review our games and learn from our mistakes, whilst also capturing moments that would otherwise fade from memory far too quickly."
That last part is what separates this from just scoring a nice goal and moving on. Moments fade. Details blur. Eventually, even the best strikes become stories you can’t quite remember properly.
Phil’s goal won’t fade. The footage exists. The buildup, the strike, the celebration, the context of what became a 7-0 demolition. It’s all there.
The goal that opened the floodgates
Dorkinians had lost 5-0 to Old Hamptonians earlier in the season. That’s the kind of result that sticks with you. The kind of scoreline that creates doubt when you face the same opponent again.
Phil’s goal erased that doubt immediately. 1-0 up early, scored with confidence and execution that announced this wasn’t going to be a repeat of the first fixture.
His team went on to win 7-0. The biggest win of their season. A complete reversal of that earlier result. And it started with Phil spotting the keeper off his line and backing himself to execute.
Can you beat that?
