
Joey O'Brien praises the attitude of Shelbourne super sub Seán Boyd
Joey O'Brien has praised Seán Boyd for his reaction to his exclusion from the Champions League first leg with Linfield, suggesting that his impact off the bench is setting an example to the rest of the Shelbourne squad.
Boyd was a big player in their title-winning campaign last term and signed a new long-term contract over the winter amid interest from England and Scotland but has largely been restricted to an impact-sub role this season since returning from a lay-off.

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RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers hails Dane Murray's masterful performance
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers claimed the sky's the limit for Dane Murray after the centre-back celebrated his new contract with a maiden goal in first-team football. The 22-year-old headed home Celtic's third goal from an Arne Engels corner as the Hoops beat Falkirk 4-1 at Parkhead to reach the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals. The central defender made his first appearances for Celtic in the Champions League play-offs against Midtjylland in 2021 but subsequently suffered two separate cruciate ligament injuries and did not play another first-team game for three years. He was recalled from a loan spell at Queen's Park midway through last season but injury ended his campaign prematurely after he returned to the Celtic team. However, he was one of six players drafted in by Rodgers for the cup tie and he took his chance with a deft header from close range. Rodgers said: "It's great for him because he's a great boy. He's got a lot of potential. And I think over the next 12 to 18 months, he's going to really grow. "His ceiling is so high. There's areas of the game that he needs to clearly, obviously, work on. "But he's 6ft 4in, he's quick, he can take the ball. He has a comfort with the ball which aligns with top players. "Just, concentration is something that's key for defenders. But I really, really like him and that's hence the reason we've tied him down – and I think he's got a great future." Daizen Maeda scored the only goal of an open first half with a diving header and Celtic took full control after the break with a flurry of goals from Alistair Johnston, Murray and Liam Henderson's own goal, before Keelan Adams notched an impressive consolation. "I thought the performance was very, very good from the first whistle," Rodgers said. "You've seen the hunger in the team and the intensity in the team. "The first half we were good with the ball, but not so good without it. It gave Falkirk a couple of wee opportunities to break through. "We weren't aggressive enough and tight enough. When we corrected that at half-time, we really dominated the second half. "The goals were excellent and I thought we played really, really well." Falkirk manager John McGlynn was frustrated that two Celtic goals came from set-pieces and two others came from his side losing possession deep in their own half. But he was pleased with the way his top-flight newcomers approached the challenge. "Kind of cheap goals, but Celtic deserved to win by that margin," he said. "Of course they did with the amount of pressure they had on us, the amount of corners and the amount of attempts. So I didn't have any complaints about that. "We were kind of causing our own downfall, but I thought Celtic were very, very good. And we'll need to take learnings from that. "But you're spending millions of pounds building a team like that. And I know the Celtic fans are still wanting more signings, but there didn't look much wrong with that team to me."


Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Liverpool's attacking firepower clear but also their defensive frailties
FOR ALL THE FOCUS on Liverpool's revamped forward line, which may yet be further supplemented by Newcastle United's unhappy Swede Alexander Isak, Arne Slot knows full well that league titles are won or lost by defences. The Dutchman inherited a world-class backline when he took over at Anfield a year ago, and ensured his men were miserly in the early months of what turned out to be a title-winning season. Liverpool did not concede once in their opening three games, all wins, and after a surprise 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest, then conceded two in the next four games. Their opening eight league games brought seven victories, with just three goals conceded, and took them to the top of the table, from where they never wavered. Slot had the second meanest defence in the division, conceding 41 times at just over a goal per game, but nine of those came in the final four matches, after they had wrapped up the title and were coasting towards their summer holidays. But it's already looking like a very different picture. Pegged back twice by Crystal Palace in last week's Community Shield, Liverpool conceded twice again as the unfancied Cherries picked them off with too much ease for Slot's liking. From being 2-0 ahead after 49 minutes, Liverpool looked like letting it slip when Antoine Semenyo scored twice in the space of 12 minutes to equalise, only for Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah to score two late goals and complete victory for the Reds. There was a huge sense of relief from Liverpool's fans when they scored, not least because Bournemouth looked at one point like they might take all three points. So nervous and unsettled was Liverpool's defence that Bournemouth had enough chances throughout to score more than four. Despite the dramatic victory, expectations around Anfield will be dampened now the world has seen they are fallible at the back. Jeremie Frimpong, who has arrived to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, shares the English international's defensive frailties, and was hooked early in the second half for the second game running. Milos Kerkez, poached from Bournemouth, was also replaced long before the end, as Slot looked to stem a tide from the south coast team. None of the defenders was faultless. Virgil Van Dijk had played David Brooks onside before he crossed for Semenyo's first, and he and Konate looked like rabbits in car headlights when the former Bristol City winger, who was the victim of racial abuse from the crowd, ran at them for his second. Slot knows he has work to do with his defence, and he cannot say he has not been warned. Jamie Carragher, who embodied defensive solidity when he was a player for the Reds said earlier this week, when Sky Sports launched their coverage of the new Premier League season, that he does not see a procession towards another title for the Reds, mostly because they have to assimilate the signings they have already made – and may have to fit in one or two more if Isak and Marc Guehi can be tempted away from Newcastle United and Crystal Palace respectively. 'I don't think it's inevitable that Liverpool are going to run away with the league, you know, because they've signed this player and that player and the league (title race) is over. 'History tells us it is not just about having the best players, but having the best team and getting the balance right, and last weekend it didn't quite look right.' At Wembley last week, Slot's new-look attack looked impressive, with Hugo Ekitike scoring early on his competitive debut, and setting up another for Cody Gakpo. Florian Wirtz showed flashes of the brilliance that prompted Liverpool to sign him for an English record fee, but as he did against Palace, the German faded and was withdrawn before the end. All the transfer talk this summer has been about whether Liverpool can get a deal for Isak over the line, with the fee likely to break the record they set with Wirtz's signing. But the ways things are looking with Ekitike, the Reds are well set up front, but not settled at the back, and perhaps Guehi should now become their priority. The England international is in the last year of his contract so would be a free transfer next summer, when Konate is expected to leave Liverpool. The way things are going, the Reds would do well to spend the money now on Guehi and ship out Konate, or at least put the Palace man straight in ahead of him. Liverpool still have the goal power to win games, but as it stands they do not appear to have the same solidity in defence that set them on their way to the title last season – and Slot needs to address that sooner rather than later.


Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shels' European tie with Linfield may be brought forward due to Sam Fender gig
Shelbourne's clash with Linfield could be moved forward due to a scheduling clash with a Sam Fender gig in the area. Shels are due to play Linfield in the second-leg of their Conference League play-off at Windsor Park on Thursday August 28th, the same day that musician Fender plays to 40,000 at Boucher Road Playing Fields. Reports in the Belfast Telegraph suggest that Linfield, UEFA and the PSNI are looking at the situation and are heavily considering moving the game to an earlier date in order to avoid clashing with Fender's headline performance at the Belfast Vital festival. (Image: WireImage) That same report from The Belfast Telegraph states that Linfield have been told that there would be stewarding concerns should the game get played on the same day as Fender's gig, which will take place at the same time a little over a mile away. A PSNI spokesperson confirmed that they were looking at the situation and that an update would be issued when a decision was made.