A new season brings with it much optimism, but even Bradley Bubb can never have thought his speculative effort would end up in the back of the net.
Oxford City were playing the first game of their new campaign in National League South, the tier below the National League (what was the Conference), when Bubb spotted Chelmsford City's goalkeeper off his line at the beginning of the second half.
With fans at Marsh Lane still scoffing on their half-time pies, Bubb had a crack at goal straight from kick-off. Incredibly, the 27-year-old who was making his debut, saw it go in.
Oxford City captain Darren Pond revealed after the match that the move that had been planned in training.
"It was funny actually because Fozzy (Oxford City goalkeeping coach) said to me about shooting from the halfway line," he told the Oxford Mail.
"I told him I can’t kick it that far, so I had to tell Brad to do it and he couldn’t have hit it any better to be fair."
