
Shamrock Rovers player getting married hours before vital ECL qualifier
The Hoops' back-up goalkeeper is marrying his partner Katie and will not be cutting short the celebrations to hot-foot it to his club's third qualifying round second leg clash with Ballkani as he has been given the night off to enjoy the nuptials.
With Leon Pohls moving on last month it is Alex Noonan, 17, who will provide back-up to number one choice netminder Ed McGinty.
The Kosovan outfit lead 1-0 after the first leg but Rovers are fancied to turn the tables at home and set up a play-off for the group stages next week.
Steacy was with Rovers as a teenager before stints with Bohemians, Bray Wanderers, Shelbourne, Longford Town, Drogheda and Cobh Ramblers.
He returned to the Hoops at the start of last year and was Stephen Bradley's reserve keeper behind Pohls. McGinty was signed as the club's new first-choice keeper at the start of this year and Pohls left for Vllaznia in Albania last month.
Rovers made the group stages of the Europa Conference League last year and became the first Irish club to reach the play-off round, where they lost on penalties to Molde, with their ground-breaking European run earning the club over €7m.
The tie could go to penalties and, if it happens, McGinty says he'll be ready. 'I enjoy penalties,' the 26-year-old said on the eve of the second leg.
'These games are all or nothing and there's no hiding from that. I just try to stay calm through it all and just try and do my job. That's all I really try to do.'
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RTÉ News
27 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Rovers come from behind to dump Shels out of the cup
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Irish Examiner
27 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Bohs' trophy hopes slide away again as Elding guides Sligo to Cup upset
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Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bohs' FAI Cup hopes fade away for another year as Sligo stun Dalymount
BOHS fans watched their side's FAI Cup hopes slide away for another year thanks to a missed penalty and Owen Elding's supersonic finish for Rovers. The hosts hoped passage into the last eight was written in the stars as they wore their Oasis jerseys on the eve of the band's first Croke Park gig, and after the Gallagher brothers' hits had rang out around Dalymount Park before kick-off. But it was Rovers boss John Russell who had the masterplan in Phibsboro as the visitors - 10th in the Premier Division and 17 points behind their second placed opponents - deserved their victory. An entertaining first half somehow ended in stalemate - and it was followed by an electric start to the second that ultimately decided it. Dayle Rooney had the chance to put Bohs ahead from the penalty spot just two minutes after the restart when Paddy McClean knocked Dawson Devoy over, but the midfielder's tame effort was well read by Sam Sargeant. And the Gypsies were made to pay in the 53rd minute. The excellent William Fitzgerald beat Keith Buckley in midfield and found Elding, and the striker shot across James Talbot into the far corner to open the scoring. Bohs' best chance of an equaliser came just five minutes later when Rooney's low cross from the left was deflected towards the top corner by Rovers defender Ollie Denham, but Sargeant superbly tipped it over. The Gypsies' loud appeal for a 58th minute penalty was rightly waved away by ref Kevin O'Sullivan as Rovers sub Edwin Agbaje got a touch ahead of Parsons to concede a corner. From that point the visitors' defence put up a wonderwall to keep Alan Reynolds' side at bay, with only Rhys Brennan's 90th minute effort that Sargeant dived to keep out causing alarm for Rovers. The hosts had looked nervy in defence early on as Sligo went to Fitzgerald and the pacy Ryan O'Kane on the flanks in search of joy. The visitors signalled their intent with a 10th minute Fitzgerald free that McClean just failed to meet with the right connection and his effort went wide. Soon after, Jad Hakiki Keith Buckley on halfway and had only Talbot to beat, but the Bohs keeper was lightning quick from his area to prevent a goal with a superb tackle. The Gypsies produced an instant warning of their own via Connor Parsons, but his near post shot was comfortably covered by Rovers netminder Sargeant. However the hosts should have scored in the 19th minute when Cian Byrne met Dayle Rooney's corner with a header that somehow glided past the near post. Bohs' mini-purple patch didn't last long. Recent Rovers Seb Quirke prodded wide from a Fitzgerald corner, then McClean met O'Kane's corner with a powerful header that Buckley cleared off the line. Parsons combined with Devoy before the break, with the former's attempt arrowed wide, but Bohs had work to do at half-time as they had been second best for most of that opening period. The penalty was their chance to take control but they failed to take it - and after all, it was Elding's effort that propelled Rovers into the last eight. Their dreams are real of lifting the Cup for the first time since 2013, while Bohs fans left Dalyer looking back in anger at a deserved exit.