One of my favourite footballing memories is the 1987 FA Cup final. Coventry played Tottenham in what was expected to be a cakewalk for Spurs, especially after Clive Allen scored inside two minutes.  Coventry equalised, only to fall behind again just before half-time. Then, midway through the second half, came the moment which is still imprinted on my brain.

Keith Houchen, who had become something of a Coventry cult hero in the run to the final received the ball 25 yards out, brought it down well, found Dave Bennett wide on the right and wheeled away to make a run into the penalty area.  Bennett’s cross is inch-perfect and Houchen is horizontal as he heads home one of the most memorable FA Cup goals of all time.

That unforgettable moment spawned a generation of young footballers who sought to emulate Houchen’s wonderful goal in their backyards, school playgrounds and sportsfields.  Apart from a bicycle kick, there can surely be no more satisfying and spectacular way of scoring than with a diving header.

Growing up, Louis Fenton would no doubt have visualised his professional debut, but he couldn’t possibly have imagined the spine-tingling moment he conjured to make his dreams come true on Saturday night.

The Tawa teenager wasn’t even close to being born when Houchen scored in the ’87 Cup Final, but a quarter-century on from it, Fenton’s own remarkable debut goal will have another generation of youngsters flinging themselves headlong across any available patch of grass to imitate him.

Almost as impressive as the climax to the goal was the build-up to it. When Manny Muscat robs Alessandro Del Piero of the ball on halfway, Fenton is on the other side of the field, also on halfway.  As Muscat sets off with the ball, there aren’t too many options for him, but Fenton suddenly appears on a gut-busting run to the near post, leaving Brett Emerton in his wake.  The perfectly timed dive to connect with Muscat’s pinpoint cross and complete an absolutely superb goal is just the icing on the cake.

Right from the first whistle, the young Academy graduate looked totally at home among far more seasoned professionals. He constantly wanted – even demanded – the ball, ran at opponents, made his tackles, challenged in the air and combined with Tony Lochhead to good effect up and down the left flank. Even without scoring he’d have won praise for his performance. The goal – which turned out to be his last touch of the night – simply put an emphatic exclamation point on an inspiring debut.

If Fenton’s first Phoenix game was eye-catching, Muscat’s 96th appearance in yellow and black was absolutely outstanding.  He provided assists for both goals but was also the player most often called upon to shackle Del Piero in midfield. As the game wore on, it became obvious the Italian would tire before Muscat did and while Del Piero’s class was frequently evident, it was to be an unhappy debut for him. Muscat has craved a return to midfield after a season at fullback and he relished the attacking and defensive responsibilities that came with his reinstatement to the screening role.

New Belgian striker Stein Huysegems had a very good goalscoring debut.  Alex Smith buzzed around in midfield. Leo Bertos slotted seamlessly into right-back.  Andrew Durante and Ben Sigmund were solid as ever in central defence.  In fact, there wasn’t a bad Phoenix player on Saturday night.

Let’s not get too carried away; this was the first match of a 27-game regular season.  But as launching pads go, it was the sort of start to give Wellington fans optimism rather than doubt, expectation more than hope.

It also gave them a new young star to embrace and revere. Louis Fenton – Tawa’s finest – delivered what many are calling the most impressive Phoenix debut ever.