Graham Burke makes mark for the League of Ireland

Graham Burke has made his name with some spectacular strikes for Shamrock Rovers but few goals can have given him as much joy as the routine tap-in with which he equalised for Ireland against the USA on Saturday, making him the first home-based player to score for his country since the late Ray Treacy in 1978.

Darragh Lenihan’s shot at the Aviva was never going anywhere other than into the back of the net but, equally, Burke was never going to spurn the opportunity to claim his first goal for his country.

“If you look at the replay it’s my goal,” he says. “The ball comes to you two yards from goal, you’ve got to get a touch on it, that’s the thinking behind it – to tap it in the back of the net. As Darragh hit it, I’m thinking ‘where’s it going to land, is he going to hit the target, is he not?’ Lucky enough he hit the target but it was coming directly at my feet, so I just got the final touch.