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Matty Hewitt

Darren Bent recalls THAT beach ball goal against Liverpool

Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent said the notorious beach ball goal is what he gets asked about the most by fans.

The Black Cats scored the only goal of the game when Bent's shot deflected in off a beach ball, which a Reds fan had thrown on to the pitch.

The win propelled Steve Bruce's side up to seventh in the league table - eve though the goal shouldn't have counted.

Speaking to the ITV Football podcast Bent said: "The beach ball goal is all anyone wants to talk to me about. I get asked some of the most stunning questions.

"Did you aim for it? Do you know who put it there? Things like that and I just think come on.

"That's the one goal that people always go - 'that beach ball goal was crazy, how did that even happen?'

"I don't know.

"A little boy threw the ball on and I think the Liverpool players - who were in the box at the time, were looking round thinking what's happened here?

"I think because it hadn't happened before the referee didn't have a clue what to do. Absolutely no clue. He even came up to me at half time and asked Darren did that come off the beach ball.

"I went I think so I don't know. His face just panicked because the goal shouldn't have stood. It finished 1-0."

You can listen to the full podcast here.

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