'He has a serious groin injury' - Henry Shefflin in the dark on Adrian Mullen's return to full fitness
Shamrocks made it two from three yesterday in the League section of the Kilkenny SHC with a comprehensive 4-25 to 3-14 victory over Lisdowney but Mullen is yet to feature as he continues to be dogged by a groin injury.
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Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shamrock Rovers call on the cavalry to see off a dogged Longford Town
Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Longford Town The cavalry arrived on the hour. Four players, each of them stars, were brought in to settle a game which appeared to be slipping away from Shamrock Rovers. And the strategy worked. Until that switch in approach, Longford Town had defended valiantly, turning this FAI Cup third round game into the Siege of Tallaght. And right up until the 83rd minute, they looked more than capable of extending the drama for an extra half hour. But then the difference in class was told. As Rovers upped their tempo, Longford retreated even deeper into their own half. And eventually the pressure told. Longford, a team with one of the lowest budgets in the League, took on the side with the largest one, and equipped themselves magnificently. But it is one thing for David to take on Goliath, quite another when Rovers were able to introduce Goliath's big brothers as second-half subs. Stephen Bradley, Shamrock Rovers Head Coach (Image: ©INPHO/James Lawlor) And that was what happened: Graham Burke, Danny Grant, Dylan Watts and Aaron Greene all coming into the play on 60 minutes, Danny Mandriou arriving 13 minutes later. Sure enough they all played their part. It was Burke who scored the winning goal, Grant who created it, when his brilliantly delivered cross was accidentally handled by the otherwise flawless Andrew Spain. Penalty, said referee Alan Patchell. Thank you very much, said Burke, whose kick deceived Kian Moore, the Longford keeper. While that proved to be the decisive part of the game, it doesn't tell the full story. Longford, quite simply, were defensively brilliant. They had to be because Rovers, from the off, worked the ball through the phases, their passing crisp and precise. But Longford came with a realistic game-plan. In boxing terms, this was rope-a-dope rather than a toe-to-toe scrap. Yet their tactics worked. While Rovers controlled the play, Longford didn't seem to mind, setting up in a low block, all 11 of their players retreating deep within their own half, setting up a defensive camp on the edge of their own penalty area. Still, Rovers had their successes, especially when they created overlaps down their left. More to the point, they also had a 1-0 lead after eight minutes when John McGovern was pushed over by centre-back Oisin Hand to win a penalty. McGovern then converted the spot kick, sending Moore the wrong way. But Longford fought back. Aaron Doran shot over the bar after a good attack involving Danny Norris and Dean O'Shea; then on 25 minutes Doran was involved again when Longford equalised. That came on 25 minutes when Rovers didn't deal with Town skipper Dean O'Shea's long throw. The ball was recycled back by Doran and then Pharell Manuel crossed for O'Shea to nod it into the path of Stefan Ugbesia whose shot went past Ed McGinty. 1-1. After that, the chances continued for Rovers. Corey O'Sullivan fired a header straight at the Longford keeper, Kian Moore. Right on half time, O'Sullivan's shot was cleared off the line by Sean Moore after Longford keeper, Kian Moore, had spilled Matthews' corner. And it was Mathews who then collected Moore's clearance, hitting the crossbar with an attempted lob. Onto the second half, when Michael Noonan barged his way through, a poked shot at the end of his run saved again by Moore. Comfortable in their set-up, Longford looked like taking the game to extra time. But Rovers boss, Stephen Bradley, had other ideas, giving the nod to his gang of four to get warmed up as he approached the hour mark. On they came. And out of the Cup went Longford on a night when once again we learned there is no substitute for class. Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Matthews, Grace, O'Sullivan; Barrett (Mandriou 76), O'Neill (Burke 61); Clarke (Grant 61), Nugent, Kavanagh (Watts 61); Noonan, McGovern (Greene 61) Longford Town: K. Moore; Yoro (George 90), Hand, Spain, O'Shea; Ugbesia (Wade Slater 67), Manuel (Topcu 67), S. Moore, Doran, Norris (James 90); Murtagh (Campbell 67) Referee: Alan Patchell (Dublin).
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
'He has a serious groin injury' - Henry Shefflin in the dark on Adrian Mullen's return to full fitness
Henry Shefflin is none the wiser about the return to full fitness of Adrian Mullen, with the Kilkenny star still unavailable for club duty with Ballyhale Shamrocks due to a long-term injury. Shamrocks made it two from three yesterday in the League section of the Kilkenny SHC with a comprehensive 4-25 to 3-14 victory over Lisdowney but Mullen is yet to feature as he continues to be dogged by a groin injury.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
McMahon underlines handball dominance, McConnell shocks McCarthy
Martina McMahon once again underlined her dominance when she overcame Kilkenny's Amy Brennan to win the All-Ireland Ladies Senior Softball Singles title in Abbeylara, Co Longford. Limerick's McMahon has battled adversity in recent years – after a freak soccer injury, she required an L5 S1 spinal fusion on her back and she revealed after her win over Amy Brennan that she was playing with a broken finger. 'Handball, like anything in life, is kind of a mental game and I suppose if you believe you can do something, nine times out of 10 you'll achieve it,' she remarked. 'Not to take away from Amy's performance today but I actually broke a finger on my right hand during the week. I just think when you're inside these four walls and adrenaline is kicking in, you don't feel anything. You'll feel it afterwards but I just think for as long as I can play and as long as I can give back to the game of handball, I'll continue to do so.' McMahon produced another clinical performance in the decider, her powerful serves and relentless accuracy setting the tone as she raced into commanding leads in both games. Brennan (21), a member of the Kilkenny U23 camogie panel, showed her quality in spells but McMahon was always in control, winning 21-8, 21-11. The victory extends McMahon's unbeaten run, which stretches back to last August, during which time she has captured a string of major titles across handball's three main codes. 'Softball is our traditional game and my favourite code. Big kudos to Amy Brennan, she put it up to me there today. I have no doubt she will be back again.' While McMahon's success maintained her remarkable streak, the men's final produced a seismic shock. Meath's Gary McConnell in action at the GAA Handball All Ireland Championship final at Abbeylara, Longford. Photo by Stephen Marken Meath's Gary McConnell defeated 11-time champion Robbie McCarthy of Westmeath to get his hands on the Ducksy Walsh Cup for the first time. McConnell controlled the opening game with superb fly kills and tactical dominance, running out a 21-8 winner. McCarthy raced into a 6-0 lead in the second but McConnell fought back to edge ahead 8-7. At that point, the 38-year-old Mullingar man was forced to retire injured, an anti-climactic finish to what was an enjoyable contest. McCarthy, who had been unbeaten in softball since 2019, announced his retirement immediately afterwards, bringing the curtain down on one of the great careers in Irish handball history. For McConnell, though, this was a career-defining triumph. The 35-year-old Kells man has enjoyed major success in doubles but this was his maiden senior singles crown. 'A fella said to me a couple of years ago, and it really annoyed me, 'you're like Andy Murray's brother in tennis, you only win in doubles'. It really bugged me,' he revealed. 'I was wondering if everybody thought that and it was definitely one of the things that pushed me on this year.' He admitted he spent the early exchanges probing for weaknesses before asserting control. 'It was all about me, being in the right frame of mind. I'm a firm believer that if I show up on my game, nobody can touch me, especially in the big court,' he said.
