"It was a pass." Eric Cantona said that.

In the 2009 Ken Loach film 'Looking For Eric', the Frenchman revealed his favourite goal ever was a pass in a match at Old Trafford against Sunderland! Funny, that. As lots of Evertonians favourite goal of all time is a pass, too: Paul Bracewell in a match at Goodison Park... against Sunderland!

Admit it, you can see it now: the arch of Brace's back, the right footed volley, the ball dropping over full back Nick Pickering and Tricky Trev's first touch. Magic. The fact it was a goal scored on the way to a title triumph has helped its legend, of course. But such a moment is what football fans live for and such moments live long in the collective memory.

The home fixture versus Sunderland on April 6 1985 will always be a favourite of ours - a crushing 4-1 victory in a crucial period of the season, with two great Andy Gray goals, the aforementioned belter from Steven and Sharpy's scuffed fourth! Add John Motson's unforgettable commentary, a bathed-in-blue-sky Goodison and that iconic 84/85 kit and you've got all you need for folklore that will live forever.

The rub? It wasn't folklore. It was real. From the moment Peter Reid nutmegs the defender and cuts inside to deliver a shotgun cross to a bullet of a diving head from the talismanic Gray, a memorable Goodison moment started to inch its way into Everton legend. All together now: "Reid's cross... Gray!... What a fantastic goal!"

Enjoy the final home game of the season, but please remember: it's come close once or twice this season (the first game, Grealish's late winner v Palace, Ndiaye's goal against the shite before VAR, 3-1 up v City), but this new ground is just a couple of Brace's pass moments away from turning us into contenders. See you in August...

Words | Alan O’ Hare
Image | Thomas Regan