SHAY McCartan made an early claim for goal of the season with a stunning strike from inside his own half.

The former Bantams attacker got off the mark in some style for Portadown in the Northern Irish Premiership yesterday.

McCartan’s special finish two minutes from time clinched a 2-1 comeback win over the defending league champions.

 

 

The 30-year-old gained possession 10 yards inside his own half, spotted Larne keeper Rohan Ferguson off his line, and let fly with an ambitious lob.

Ferguson spotted the danger too late as he frantically back-tracked and the ball sailed over him and into the net.

McCartan joined City from Accrington for £200,000 in the summer of 2017.

He played just 50 games in three seasons – with 24 of those appearances from the bench – and scored eight goals.

McCartan spent the 2018/2019 season on loan at Lincoln who won promotion from League Two as champions at the same time his parent club were dropping the other way.

He regained his place in the City side and scored four goals in 22 outings in the shortened season that followed.

McCartan admitted he had been initially reluctant to return to Valley Parade because of the "negative vibe" at the club under Edin Rahic's control.

McCartan was among 10 players released in 2020 when football was shut down during Covid.

His City highlight was a stunning last-gasp free-kick equaliser at Swindon in January 2020 that embarrassed Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison live on air.

Morrison, who was covering the game in the studio, laughed at the way McCartan lined up to take the kick.

"He's placed the ball like Ronaldo does. I don't think he's going to take it as well as he does. He might make me eat my words."

And McCartan did just that by curling the ball in the top corner, leaving Morrison admitting: "It was like Ronaldo!

"Who needs Ronaldo when you've got Shay McCartan!"

Now it seems McCartan has conjured up a strike to rival that.