Ben McDonnell on the most 'brilliant' 12 months of his life – an Ulster title, All Ireland Final, wedding and a baby on the way
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BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Drogheda defeat Derry on penalties in FAI Cup
Ten-man Derry City are out of the FAI Cup after being defeated by holders Drogheda United 3-0 on penalties at the Brandywell. The third round tie was a meeting of last year's FAI finalists with Andrew Quinn, who broke the deadlock at the Aviva Stadium, giving Drogheda the lead after just two Candystripes levelled the game in style with just over 15 minutes to go when Michael Duffy's curling effort found the top a dramatic extra time, Derry had a goal chalked off and believed they should have had a penalty before the away side won the tie on penalties after it had finished 1-1 after extra time. Derry suffer early first half blow It was the dream start for the Cup holders, who took the lead after two minutes when Josh Thomas travelled to near the byeline and cut the ball back for Quinn to steer home from close three minutes later, Thomas tried to double the away side's advantage and catch the Derry defence sleeping when he had a go from range, but his effort was narrowly Markey then fired just off target from the edge box before Luke Dennison was called into action to gather Gavin Whyte's shot and deny Derry an the first half progressed, the home side started to settle in to the game and enjoyed more possession with Dennison tipping Dipo Akinyemi's effort from 25-yards over the crossbar and Whyte and Fleming firing first half additional time, defender Mark Connolly blocked Markey's effort, which was heading towards goal. A superb strike from Duffy forces extra time Thomas continued to cause the Candystripes problems after the restart but couldn't find a way past Brian Maher from a tight angle on the left before the hour mark, Tiernan Lynch turned to his bench and brought on Danny Mullen, Ben Doherty, Ronan and Liam BoyceShortly after his introduction, Liam Boyce found Akinyemi in the box, but clever defending from Quinn knocked the ball away from the striker with Boyce unable to steer the rebound into the back of the 64 minutes, Liam Boyce then burst into the box, beat his marker and forced Dennison to make a fingertip save to deny his resulting the other end, Maher made a good save to deny Ryan Brennan's would find a leveller in the 73rd minute when Mullen found Duffy at the edge of the box, who sent a strong effort into the top left-hand the first half of extra time, Tiernan Lynch's side suffered a big blow when Liam Boyce was forced off due to injury with stopper Dennison making good saves to deny Adam O'Reilly, Mullen and Ronan Candystripes continued to dominate extra time after the restart and thought they had grabbed a goal when Connolly headed home from close range, but the effort was disallowed for a foul. Deep into additional time, Ben Doherty was sent off for a second bookable offence after the home side were left agitated by not getting a penalty in the closing seconds when Duffy was brought down in the box by George Cooper. Dennison continued his impressive performance during the shootout as he saved Jamie Scott and Mullen's efforts with Adam Frizzell firing well over and all three of the holders penalty takers, Conor Keeley, Thomas Oluwa and Owen Lambe scoring theirs.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Connacht power past Ulster in the second period
Irish Women's Interprovincial Championship, Dexcom StadiumConnacht 12 (0)Tries: Oviawe, Maher. Con: Nic DhonnachaUlster 7 (7)Try: Sheerin. Con: SheerinYellow card: Barr (36)A dominant second half performance saw Connacht secure victory in the Women's Interprovincial Championship against Ulster in win came at a cost, with Emer O'Dowd's side losing half-back pair Kayla Waldron and Grainne Moran to second half injuries but they absorbed those blows to began brightly but were unable to gain any traction in the second period as their half-time advantage was overturned by a pair of Connacht tries in the space of six minutes as their wait for a win continues following last week's defeat to made a great start in Galway as early pressure eventually led to Siobhan Sheerin bursting through to score before adding the conversion with eight minutes they couldn't build upon this as Connacht stood up to some follow-up turned up the heat late in the half with Ulster losing vice-captain Brenda Barr to the sin bin but they couldn't capitalise as Ulster retained their 7-0 advantage at the hosts had numerical advantage for the first six minutes of the second half and they laid siege to the Ulster line, but the visitors held initially firm as Barr was held up for over 15 minutes as Connacht's Waldron was stretchered off with what appeared to be a leg injury, but the fly-half gave a thumbs up on her way off the pitch as her team maintained the pressure when the game Connacht camped on the Ulster line, they finally breached the defence with replacement Faith Oviawe crossing and Éabha Nic Dhonnacha converted to level the game in the 55th was with the hosts as a downfield kick had them back inside the 22 and after further pressure, Roisin Maher drove over for the lead hosts were dealt a further injury blow with scrum-half Moran also stretchered off, but they again absorbed this hit to see out the game and bounce back from last week's defeat to Clara Barrett, Emily Foley, Orla Dixon, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (capt), Hannah Clarke, Kayla Waldron, Grainne Moran; Hannah Coen, Lily Brady, Roisin Maher, Poppy Garvey, Grace Browne Moran, Beibhinn Gleeson, Ailish Quinn, Jemima Adams Stacy Hanley, Ellen Connolly, Hope Lowney, Faith Oviawe, Caoilfhionn Morrissey, Lesley Ring, Ava Ryder, Fódhla Ní Bhraoná Kate Farrell-McCabe, Lucy Thompson, Siohbán Sheerin, Tara O'Neill, Niamh Marley, Lauren Farrell McCabe, Georgia Boyce; Sarah Roberts, Maebh Clenaghan, Ava Fannin, Lauren Darley, Brenda Barr, Moya Hill, Ruby Starrett, India Daley (capt).Replacements: Cara McLean, Megan Simpson, Sophie Barrett, Rebecca Beacom, Katie Hetherington, Sophie Meeke, Kelly McCormill, Stacey Sloan.
Belfast Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Callum Devine's double delight as Ulster Rally triumph sees him reclaim Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title
Devine made a break for the front over Friday's opening six stages to provisionally lead by 12.9 seconds despite boiling his brakes and clipping the right-rear tyre on his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 – a mistake that would normally be punished but he managed to get away with. He hammered home his lead across Saturday's six bone-dry closed-road speed tests, his previous experience of carrying the No.1 on the side of his door paying dividends. After 100 competitive miles, he secured a first Ulster win to add it to the first-place finishes he recorded at the Circuit of Ireland Rally, Rally of the Lakes in Killarney and Donegal International Rally with Noel O'Sullivan in the space of a five-month period. 'It has been a tough season so far and there has been a lot of pressure, but we have put a lot of work into it,' said Devine, who joins an illustrious list of former Ulster Rally winners including Swede Stig Blomqvist, the late Colin McRae and Craig Breen, M-Sport owner Malcolm Wilson OBE and FIA World Rally Championship drivers Elfyn Evans and Adrien Fourmaux. 'I am very happy to finally get a first Ulster Rally win; four wins out of four is fantastic and, to be honest, it is not something I thought would happen, so I am just delighted,' added Devine, who survived a late turbo boost scare over the final few miles. Runner-up on his Hyundai i20 N Rally2 debut – and on his first Ulster appearance since 2021 when he lost the British Rally Championship title to an accident – was Osian Pryce. Using the Newry-based event purely as a warm-up for September's Rali Ceredigion, and to refine the set-up of the C&M Motorsport-owned Korean supermini, the Welshman said the performance 'shows what we have got – and the good progress that we have made'. He leapfrogged the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Declan Boyle on Saturday's opener and was never headed from that point on, helped by some handling issues with Boyle's Czech car. Third was still a respectable outcome for veteran driver Boyle, who rolled back the years. Kevin Eves – on his maiden Rally2 campaign – was a safe fourth in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta and England's Neil Roskell fifth with Daniel Barritt at the controls of an identical Ford Fiesta. Elsewhere, Damian Toner was triumphant in the hotly contested Modified Section of the Ulster Rally, his Ford Escort Mk2 having the edge over the Toyota Starlet of Gareth Black.
