logo
Live Conference League qualifiers updates: Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's in European action

Live Conference League qualifiers updates: Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's in European action

Irish Timesa day ago
Uefa Conference League third qualifying round, second leg:
Besiktas (Turkey) v St Patrick's Athletic; Besiktas Stadium, Istanbul, 7pm Irish time
Shamrock Rovers v Ballkani (Kosovo); Tallaght Stadium, 8pm (Streaming on LOITV)
0 minutes ago
We'll keep an eye on proceedings in Istanbul while also looking ahead to Shamrock Rovers' 8pm kick-off.
Going in to this evening's game Stephen Bradley's charges trail by a goal on aggregate after Sunday Adetunji found the net for Ballkani in the 56th minute last time out.
'Judging the health of Shamrock Rovers ahead of the key second leg of their Uefa Conference League against Kosovo's Ballkani depends on which way you look at the patient,'
Gavin Cummiskey
writes, previewing the clash.
Read his full diagnosis below:
[
Jack Byrne removed from Shamrock Rovers squad ahead of Conference League clash
Opens in new window
]
Besiktas 0 St Pat's 1
8 minutes ago
St Pat's have a sizeable task this evening, attempting to turn around a three-goal deficit from the first leg.
Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham punished Stephen Kenny's side last Thursday with a first-half hat-trick after Joao Mario's eighth-minute opener, Simon Power managing St Pat's solitary goal just after the break.
[
St Pat's outplayed by classy Besiktas in Conference League
Opens in new window
]
Carty's penalty has them off to the perfect start this evening.
Besiktas 0 St Pat's 1
12 minutes ago
The St Pat's game got under way at 7pm Irish time.
The game is being streamed on HT Spor's website if you fancy brushing up on your Turkish.
[
'They're bigger, stronger, faster': St Pat's looking to salvage pride in tough European away tie at Besiktas
Opens in new window
]
With three minutes on the clock Conor Carty has put St Pat's ahead from the penalty spot.
Besiktas 0 St Pat's 1
15 minutes ago
Hello and welcome along to The Irish Times blog for this evening's
Uefa Conference League
third qualifying round second-leg fixtures.
Two
League of Ireland
teams are in action. First up,
St Patrick's Athletic
are away to Turkish side Besiktas before
Shamrock Rovers
host Kosovo's Ballkani.
We'll have previews, team news and live updates from the games, followed by match reports and reaction after the final whistles.
Here's how St Pat's and Besiktas line out:
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:
Anang; Redmond (capt), Leavy, Carty, Baggley, Mulraney, Sjoberg, McLaughlin, Turner, Robinson, Kazeem.
Our Saints in Istanbul ❤️
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc)
BESIKTAS:
Mert (capt); Svensson, Paulista, Emirhan, Jurasek, Demir Ege, Orkun, Rafa Silva, Arroyo, Rashica, Abraham.
BEŞİKTAŞ XI 🦅
⬛⬜
— Beşiktaş JK (@Besiktas)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dane Murray celebrates contract with goal as Celtic smash Falkirk
Dane Murray celebrates contract with goal as Celtic smash Falkirk

The 42

time4 hours ago

  • The 42

Dane Murray celebrates contract with goal as Celtic smash Falkirk

DANE MURRAY CELEBRATED his new contract with his first Celtic goal as the holders beat Falkirk 4-1 in the Premier Sports Cup. The 22-year-old defender headed home Celtic's third goal of the second-round clash at Parkhead. Murray, who has already overcome two separate cruciate ligament injuries in his career, earlier signed a new deal that keeps him at the club until 2028. Daizen Maeda and Alistair Johnston were also on target and Falkirk defender Liam Henderson put through his own net before Keelan Adams scored an impressive consolation goal for the Premiership newcomers. Advertisement Centre-back Murray was one of six players coming into the Celtic line-up alongside goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels and ex-Shamrock Rovers striker Johnny Kenny, who made a rare start for the Bhoys. The Hoops beat then Championship side Falkirk 5-2 on their way to winning last season's tournament and this was another open encounter with both sides creating chances in the first half. Kenny volleyed wide early on after James Forrest's lay-off and former Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain saved long-range strikes from Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney before scrambling to meet Henderson's wayward passback, which just went wide. Ross MacIver dragged a shot wide at the other end after a loose pass from Murray. The breakthrough came in the 26th minute after McGregor returned the ball into the box following a corner. Tierney ran on to meet the cross and nodded the ball down for Maeda to score with a diving header. There were further chances at each end before the break. Sinisalo saved brilliantly from Calvin Miller's 25-yard strike before denying Alfredo Agyeman and MacIver. Engels and Forrest missed close-range headers at the other end. Celtic were more dominant after the break and doubled their lead in the 54th minute after Falkirk lost possession from a throw-in. Johnston chased down Miller as the former Celtic player headed back towards his own goal and the right-back won the ball before curling into the far corner with his left foot. Murray got his big moment in the 61st minute when he headed home from an inswinging corner from Engels. Celtic went further ahead three minutes later as Yang Hyun-jun made an instant impact after coming on with home debutant Shin Yamada. The South Korean winger ran past two opponents after Celtic won the ball back deep in the Bairns half, and his low ball across the goalmouth was turned into his own net by Henderson. The noisy visiting fans got a chance to celebrate three minutes later when right-back Adams arrowed a shot into the top corner from 20 yards. That ended the flurry of goals as Celtic safely navigated their way into Saturday evening's quarter-final draw and avoided any injuries ahead of their Champions League play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty on Wednesday.

Shamrock Rovers hero was prepared to 'call it a day' as he faced injury woe
Shamrock Rovers hero was prepared to 'call it a day' as he faced injury woe

Irish Daily Mirror

time5 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Shamrock Rovers hero was prepared to 'call it a day' as he faced injury woe

Rory Gaffney has admitted that he had no choice but to take a pay-cut to land a new contract at Shamrock Rovers. The 35-year-old striker knew there was a chance that he would struggle to return to full fitness after ankle and achilles injuries restricted him to just eight Premier Division appearances last season. But he was desperate to secure at least one more year with the Tallaght Stadium side and have another crack at European football and league glory. Manager Stephen Bradley revealed after Gaffney's heroics in Thursday's Europa Conference League win over Ballkani that the Tuam native took a reduction in pay to stay on at Rovers. When it was put to Gaffney that such commitment was unusual in the modern game, he replied: 'I don't know, no other choice! 'It's just the nature of the beast, isn't it? You've been out for a year, you haven't played. You know, you can't expect to be on the same contract.' He admitted that not so long ago, he might have been forced out of the game with age and injury going against him. 'People have asked me in the past, oh, great to be able to play at 35, but if you look at the league 10 years ago, there's not many 35-year-olds that would be able to do it,' he said. 'I have two kids at home. Obviously, bills to pay and all that. Back in the day, there were lads in my situation who might be on, what, 36-week contracts. 'So it was a young man's game, wasn't it? And lads probably had to go off and get jobs. They probably wanted to keep playing, but the contracts weren't there. 'But off the back, I suppose, of the club's success last year with the money they earned, they were in a position to offer me something.' Gaffney missed out on last year's record-breaking league phase campaign because of his injury woes - and it wasn't easy watching his teammates play huge games against teams such as Rapid Vienna and Chelsea. Thanks to his heroics in Europe so far this year, he is just one tie away from the Conference League proper. 'It was just frustrating,' he said, of watching from the sidelines last year, 'but I suppose the lads were doing well. 'Johnny Kenny did well off the back of it, so, you know, it's great to see him do well. He's got a new contract (at Celtic). It's probably off the back of how well he's done last year. 'He's gone back to Celtic full of confidence, and kicked on.' He added: 'It was hard to watch at times, really, but obviously you're delighted for them. My full focus was just trying to get back fit and I was happy to call it a day if I couldn't get fit.' Meanwhile, Gaffney had to battle to get back to full fitness - and he delayed surgery on his ankle just in case he was needed for the Hoops' late, but ultimately unsuccessful, title bid. 'I had the surgery. I had an ongoing issue with the outside of my right ankle,' he explained. 'If the lads didn't get back into the league (title race), last year I would have had the surgery weeks before the season ended. 'But I thought I might be available for selection for the last two weeks, if there was an injury crisis that I put myself forward. 'It didn't happen, and I got the surgery on the Saturday morning after we played Waterford here on the Friday night (on the final day of the season). 'There was a tear in the tendon and then they just stitched it back together. 'Then it was probably eight weeks of, well, two weeks of nothing, and then just gym work, and then I got back jogging and then just kicked on from there.' Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . That was his second time last year to go under the knife. 'In August I had the Achilles surgery,' he said, 'but I had an ongoing issue with the right ankle. 'I didn't want to come back to pre-season and go, actually, this ankle's an issue, so I just said, I have to sort this now. Future proof in the body.' Gaffney managed to prove his fitness in an Under-20s game against Bohemians - and that was enough for manager Stephen Bradley. 'I was obviously training, but there's a big difference between training and matches,' he said. 'I did a couple of weeks training, and the manager said, I just need to see you play in a game. 'I played against the Bohs 20s, played a half, just ran around like a lunatic, trying to get the GPS stats up as much as possible, to show that I could run. 'I didn't touch the ball, but he said he'd seen enough.' These days it's a case of managing his load in training and making sure he is ready for match nights. 'I'd only train on a Monday. Then I'd get Tuesday and Wednesday off, train Thursday, match Friday, then Saturday and Sunday off,' he said. 'Monday is our heavy day, so I'd try to do the heavy session and then I'd kind of do my own thing on a Tuesday.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .

Sligo Rovers win at Dalymount to book FAI Cup quarter-final spot
Sligo Rovers win at Dalymount to book FAI Cup quarter-final spot

Irish Times

time6 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Sligo Rovers win at Dalymount to book FAI Cup quarter-final spot

FAI Cup, third round: Bohemians 0 Sligo Rovers 1 (Elding 53) Sam Sargeant saved a penalty before Owen Elding scored another cracking goal at Dalymount Park to leave Bohemians looking back in anger at their FAI Cup exit. Sligo Rovers have enjoyed some big cup days and nights at the home of Irish football. The Bit O' Red lifted their first FAI Cup at Dalymount on a rain-sodden afternoon in 1983. Their more recent back-to-back wins in 2010 and 2011 came after narrow semi-final victories over Bohemians at the Phibsborough venue when current manager John Russell was a player. READ MORE And they put their league struggles behind them to delight their 400-strong fans to book a spot in thus year's quarter-finals. Beaten finalists twice in the last four years, Bohs' quest for another Blue Riband will now stretch to 18 years. Sporting their light blue Oasis kit, given the weekend that's in it, Bohemians were put on the back foot early on as Sligo started with plenty of purpose. And as they struggled to get into the game, Bohs survived a let off on 14 minutes. A mistake by skipper Keith Buckley gifted the ball to Jad Hakiki who skipped into the clear in Bohs' half. But a poor touch allowed James Talbot to get to the ball first to avert the danger. Having scarcely been in the game, Bohs then conjured the first real sight of goal a minute later. Dayle Rooney put opposite winger Connor Parsons away on the left. Though the Englishman cleverly cut past Conor Reynolds, his drive was saved by Sergeant at the goalkeeper's right-hand post. Bohemians' Dawson Devoy in action against Sligo Rovers' Sean Stewart. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Very much alive in the game now, Bohs troubled Sligo again minutes later from Rooney's corner, Douglas James-Taylor meeting the delivery to plant his header wide. Sligo midfielder Sebastian Quirk was likewise off target with a shot at the other end from Sligo's third corner of the night in an open contest. With Sligo back enjoying a spell of concerted pressure, Buckley had to clear Patrick McClean's header off the line from Ryan O'Kane's corner in the big chance of the half. Moments later winger O'Kane saw his ball into the area whizz past the far post. The end-to-end action continued as half-time approached, Parsons firing wide of the Sligo goal after skilfully working the opening before Sargeant tipped away a dangerous cross-shot from Rooney. Twice coming close to taking the lead just before the interval, Bohs blew a real chance to do so three minutes into the second half after McClean tripped Devoy to concede a penalty. Sargeant chose right to bat away Rooney's spot kick. James-Taylor was then guilty of blazing over the top after Ross Tierney's put the rebound back into the area. Six minutes later, Sligo punished poor defending to take the lead with a fine goal. The tenacity of Fitzgerald nicked the ball off Buckley to feed it on to Elding. The 19-year-old, who scored on his last visit to Dalymount in June, needed little invitation to take on the shot first time with his left foot to drill it past Talbot to the bottom corner for his 10th goal of the season. Bohs' Douglas James-Taylor reacts to a missed chance. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho With Bohs chasing the game now, Sergeant made his second telling save of the night to tip over a Rooney cross that had deflected goalwards off defender Ollie Denham. Try as they might, Bohs couldn't conjure an equaliser with Sargeant there again with another top stop to deny substitute Rhys Brennan on 90 minutes. Elsewhere, Cork City beat Waterford 2-1 in a Munster derby at Turner's Cross while Galway United eased past local non-league side Salthill Devon with a comfortable 4-0 win at Eamon Deacy Park. In a repeat of the 1999 final, Finn Harps beat Bray Wanderers 3-1 in Ballybofey, while in the other all-First Division clash, Kerry booked their spot in the last eight with a 2-0 win over Cobh Ramblers. BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Morahan, Byrne, Kavanagh (Smith, 54), Flores; Buckley (McDonnell, 67), Devoy; Rooney (Brennan, 67), Tierney, Parsons; James-Taylor (Whelan, 74). SLIGO ROVERS: Sargeant; Reynolds (Agbaje, 51), Denham, McClean, Stewart; Harkin, Quirk; O'Kane (Patton, 81), Hakiki (Manning, 81), Fitzgerald; Elding. Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan (Cork). Attendance: 4,246.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store