Hat-trick hero Gibson 'absolutely lethal'
Danny Gibson's hat-trick saw Carrick Rangers take a giant step towards Irish Premiership safety as Stephen Baxter's side beat Annagh United 5-2 in the first leg of the promotion/relegation play-off. After the game BBC Sport NI caught up with both managers.Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter on Gibson's hat-trick: "He was absolutely lethal, that's Danny."If you put the ball in the right areas for him, he'll run on and score that goal, and tonight he found those spaces and was a handful all night, but that's the type of player Danny is."He has been playing well the last number of games. What I know Danny to be is that he has power and aggression, and if he gets a sight of the goal, he'll score."On the performance of his side: "I'm very pleased. I'm probably disappointed if I'm honest that we didn't add to the five and with the two we conceded, but that's always the case around a manager - we will always pick out faults."It's only half-time, you can't get carried away with it. You're up the road with a 3-0 lead and you've to finish the job off on Friday night. That's what this game's all about, you've got to find a way through, and it's far from over."Annagh United's Ciaran McGurgan on his side's defensive performance: "We are really, really disappointed. What we've done well all season defensively, we have the most clean sheets in the league, we didn't do this evening."I thought tonight we were well off it, it was a car crash at times. That's the most disappointing thing. "The things we've done well to get results to get us here tonight, we didn't do, and Carrick punished us every time it went forward in the first half."On the approach to the second leg: "It's only half-time, and yes, unfortunately, we are three goals down, but you get an early goal, and that changes things and gives you belief and momentum. "They have to believe that they can go out on Friday night and give a good account of themselves and get themselves back in it."
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Heatley signs one-year deal with Carrick Rangers
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BBC News
4 days ago
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Glentoran's time will come with fine tuning
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"But it's never a huge gap. It's always fine margins. Many of the games we lost or drew last season were so finely poised. We were one goal away from finishing second. "The level is up there, the squad performance, Declan's performance - it's all where it should be. I think we just need a bit of fine tuning."Glentoran haven't won the league since the 2008-09 season, but Pour says he believes the Gibson Cup will return to the Oval sooner rather than later. "Our time will come eventually, whether it's under my control or others. "We are serious contenders. There's no reason why it can't happen - the budget's there, we're still signing top players, Declan is more than qualified and capable of bringing the Gibson Cup here."If I didn't think we were capable, I probably wouldn't invest as much. What would be the point? We are capable of doing it and I'm sure one day we will, Who knows, it could be this season." 'Strong bid' for stadium redevelopment Something that the London-based owner believes could add to Glentoran's all round success and improve things on and off the pitch, is a new League clubs are awaiting news on how much money they will receive from the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund. In Pour's eyes his club have submitted the best application and have requested a large portion of the available £36 million."When you look at the Oval, the stadium is falling apart here and I've seen other stadiums that need money. We have waited long enough. "The government has made a decision that they are going to put an amount of money into football. £36 million is not enough by any means for the whole league, so hopefully there will be more to come."Pour says the club have "ticked all the boxes" with a strong bid, and says it is a "big chunk" of the fund."We put a very, very strong bid in and I am very proud of what we have done. We have asked for a lot, we've asked for a big chunk. "Look, we can build a stadium for £20 million, we can build one for £100 million. It just depends how advanced you want it to be."Our need is clear, we sell out many big games because there is space available, but it's jut not safe. "In terms of impact, our social partnership has done wonders in this area and we understand the need to be sustainable. So, we're very optimistic." 'We're missing a talisman' After finishing third this season, the east Belfast side lost their European play-off semi-final to Cliftonville, something Pour admitted falls well short of the club's standards."European football is very important financially and from an emotional perspective. I was disappointed at the end of the season as our squad was more than capable of progressing through Europe. "We put a very strong team together, so we could have done really well had we qualified for Europe. It was hard to see us not get in there and obviously we could have made a lot of money in Europe in the next few months.""Emotionally, the fans and myself, we deserve to be in Europe. We're a full time club, we're very well financed, we've spent a lot of money over the past few years. It should be a given. "Even statistically speaking, there are four places available. We're a top two/top three team, we should be in Europe every year. Now this is the second year we haven't qualified, it's disappointing." Looking ahead to next season and summer transfers, Pour said manager Declan Devine has identified the positions they need to have already signed Scottish midfielder Liam Burt from Shamrock Rovers and Pour stressed there would be further additions."We may bring in two or three more players to strengthen our squad for next season. We're missing a talisman, we're still lacking a real goalscorer, someone who pulls it all together. So, I think we need one more upfront and one in a more defensive position."The club's women's team have achieved great success in recent seasons, wining three of the last five NIFL Premiership titles, achieving European football and most recently topping their group in the All-Island Cup to progress to the quarter-finals where they will host Dublin side Bohemians."The women's team are the thing that cheers me up," said Pour. "When the men's team isn't doing to well, they give me energy. The manager, Kim [Turner], is doing a great job."They've had a great start to the season and are doing so well in the All-Island Cup. I will support them all the way."
Glasgow Times
07-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Christian Eriksen nets winner as Northern Ireland suffer defeat in Denmark
An early own goal from former Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg put Michael O'Neill's side on top but Gustav Isaksen levelled in first-half stoppage time before Eriksen swept home the winner in the 67th minute. It was a second successive friendly defeat for Michael O'Neill's side, after March's 5-1 thrashing in Sweden, but was a much better defensive performance away to top-level opposition in their penultimate match before the World Cup qualifying campaign starts in Luxembourg in September. O'Neill made seven changes from that heavy loss in Stockholm, with Conor Bradley, Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard among those returning while Conor Hazard started in goal. The starting eleven had an average age of just 23.4. Denmark take the lead⚽ Christian Eriksen makes no mistake from close range! 🎯#BBCFootball — BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) June 7, 2025 The Parken Stadium produced its usual rowdy atmosphere before kick-off but was silenced six minutes in. Good Northern Ireland pressure in the corner forced Denmark's 18-year-old debutant Lucas Hogsberg into a poor ball out of defence and the bright Justin Devenny quickly intercepted. The Crystal Palace man, starting at left wing-back, cut into the box and his cross deflected off Joachim Andersen before Hojbjerg, under pressure from Shea Charles, turned the ball into his own net. Isaksen looked like Denmark's best outlet early on as the Lazio winger showed good trickery to break into the box more than once, but he was guilty of a dive while in a foot race with Northern Ireland skipper Hume, not fooling Cypriot referee Menelaos Antoniou. It's all over in Copenhagen. — Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) June 7, 2025 Denmark, who are in Scotland's World Cup qualifying group, unsurprisingly bossed possession but frustrations grew as Northern Ireland defended well, with Ballard heading away a succession of crosses. It took until the second minute of time added on for Denmark to register a shot on target but when they did, they scored. Isaksen, having moved into a central area, was found by Brentford's Mikkel Damsgaard on the edge of the box and curled a shot around Hume into the bottom corner of Hazard's net. It was Hazard's last involvement. The Plymouth goalkeeper, who had needed treatment after an earlier collision with Rasmus Hojlund, was replaced by Pierce Charles at the break. Pegged back, Northern Ireland struggled to get forward again. Bradley was having a quiet night and Dion Charles, surely low on confidence after a goalless start to life at Huddersfield, was unable to hold the ball up. Michael O'Neill named a young side (Brian Lawless/PA) Denmark were applying the pressure and Pierce Charles had to get down smartly to keep out Christian Norgaard's header. Then, from a corner, Ballard headed Andersen's header off the line before Hume made another goal-line block to deny Hogsberg. It was turning into a drab match but Denmark took the lead as they cut Northern Ireland open too easily. Isaksen's low cross was deflected by both Hume and Ballard before Eriksen, who ghosted away from Shea Charles, tucked in his 45th international goal. Mika Biereth was denied a third by an offside flag and Pierce Charles was kept busy, making an excellent double save from Mathias Kvistgaarden and Morten Hjulmand late on.
