Question and Answer: Platform for your sporting queries

Q. In a football match when a team wins 1-0 the goal is referred to as the "winning goal". In a 2-1 victory the second goal for the victors is called the winning goal. In a 3-0 win, which is the winning goal?

A. The expression "winning goal" can only be correctly used when the scores are separated by one goal. Where the margin of victory is two or more goals then one would have to talk of "winning goals" in the plural.

J Hughes, Hartlepool

A. If the winning goal is defined as the most important goal, then this would be the third goal according to the legendary Alan Philpott of Kent. He stressed the critical nature of the next goal at 2-0: 2-1 and it was anybody's game, while it took an awful lot to come back from 3-0 down.

F Labs, Cambridge

A. In a 3-0 victory there is no winning goal. This only occurs when there is a margin of one goal. You could say that all three goals were winning goals.

Tim March, Cheltenham

A. It is the the middle goal, for that is the one which requires the opposition to get more than one goal in order to draw.

Tim Mickleburgh, Grimsby

ANSWERS PLEASE

Q. When Don Bradman started his last Test, the fifth against England at the Oval in 1948, he needed just four runs to attain a career Test average of 100. He made a duck in his only innings in that match. Was there any clamour for Bradman to continue playing against India in Australia in 1948-49? He would have then needed to score 5 in his next innings to achieve an average of three figures.

David G Morris, Glasgow

Q. I read recently that Steve Bull, of Wolves, has scored more than 300 goals against some 70 different clubs in his career. What is his exact record and has any other player approached this feat while playing exclusively for one club?

Tony Oram, Chippenham

If you know an answer to this, or have a sporting question of your own, write to Question and Answer, Sports Desk, Independent on Sunday, 1 Canada Square London E14 5DL. Fax: 0171-293 2894.