Leyton Orient midfielder Jamie Donley entered FA Cup folklore with the outrageous shot that led to the League One side taking a shock lead in their fourth-round match with Man City.
Man City eventually turned the tie on its head in the second half, equalising when Rico Lewis’ shot deflected in off new signing Abdoukodir Khusanov before Kevin de Bruyne finished from close range 12 minutes from time.
But all that was a bit of an irrelevance. Nothing was more memorable than the home side’s goal.
Twenty-year-old Donley, a dual England and Northern Ireland youth international, hit a shot from fully 50 yards after spotting City keeper Stefan Ortega off his line, with the ball going in off the German as it came crashing down off the crossbar.
The effort drew instant recollections of Ronnie Radford’s famous effort for Hereford against Newcastle in 1972.
For a long time, it appeared the goal would have a similarly giant-killing effect as Pep Guardiola’s side teetered on the bring of their first FA Cup defeat by a lower league side since 2018.
However, the Leyton Orient fans’ ‘sacked in the morning’ chants were silenced as Man City levelled before Guardiola reverted to his heavy artillery, bringing on Phil Foden and De Bruyne to ensure his side escaped unscathed as they turn their attentions to Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.
