Irish League: Full-time scores are in across Premiership and Championship
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Daily Record
24 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Livingston 0 Hibernian 2: Lions 'off the pace' as they miss out on Rangers clash
David Martindale's reaction to his side's Premier Sports Cup exit By Ian Steven A blockbuster quarter-final showdown with Rangers was a prize tantalisingly just out of reach for the Lions as Livingston collapsed to a buoyant Hibernian side in the Premier Sports Cup. A first half header from Thibualt Klidje and a sickening late screamer from a full 30 yards out by Josh Mulligan put paid to any dreams David Martindale had of repeating his unrequited love affair with the League Cup, with the manager admitting his West Lothian side were off the pace and dealt a valuable lesson by their Edinburgh opponents. 'I don't think we deserved to go through', the manager stated. 'I think Hibs deserved to go through over the balance. I don't think there's much in the game. First half, we lose our goal at a really poor time, especially being a set play in the run up to half time. 'So you find yourself in the dressing room one down. But I don't think there was a lot in the game. I actually think we're dominating more of the ball in the first half. Second half. I thought the change of shape really helped us and put Hibs under a bit of pressure. We looked like a team that maybe could get the next goal, and then Mulligan comes up with a 30 yarder. 'That's an incredible goal, a good individual goal, and then the game runs away for us at that point. 'I think we spoke about this as a group. That's the first time our group have come up against a top six team, so we played Premiership opponents over the year. Ross County and St. Johnson last year and then obviously Kilmarnock this year twice, played Falkirk four times last year. So I think that was probably the real first test as a group, and there is a gap between that top section in the bottom six. 'So I Hibs are flying at the moment. They've got real positive energy around them. They're in a good moment and that was our first test, and I don't think there was a lot in the game. I think Hibs deserve to go through, but I don't think there was a lot in the game. And if you take out the Mulligan strike, I was fairly happy." Livingston's only real chances came from a Robbie Muiread run through on goal, but the striker stumbled at the worst possible time, and a couple of Zak Rudden headers that flashed over the bar, leaving Martindale convinced the game had offered a valuable lesson to his charges against Premiership opposition. 'Wee bit off the performance. But that's the Premiership level. That's what you're up against. You kind of get crucified. We probably got away with mistakes last year in terms of maybe not dealing with the safe play properly, but we don't get punished. "Maybe not getting pressure on the ball for 25-30 yards per year goal and you don't get punished. But that's what happens against the bigger clubs, the top six clubs. 'The players are gonna have to get their head around the fact that will the one difference from last year to this year is going to be the adversity from losing games of football, and it's really important that we don't allow that to bite into a working week. We'll deal with the moment today. We'll deal with that tomorrow. And then I'm not going to touch on it again. "And we need to approach the season in a very similar vein in terms of one game at a time. Don't really look too much at a day. Don't really look too much about the past games. Don't use the negative energy, use the positive. Just focus on that next game.'
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Celtic's mixed Champions League play-off history as Brendan Rodgers looks to avoid unwanted curse
Celts have played in the final qualification hurdle in Europe's prestigious competition on 11 occasions Celtic bid to reach the promise land of the Champions League this week when they take on Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan in the play-off round. And if history is anything to go by, the Hoops' chances of getting past the final qualification hurdle remains firmly in the balance. Brendan Rodgers ' side have automatically entered the group stages of Europe's premier competition in the past three seasons but Scotland's slide down the UEFA co-efficient rankings means that they will have to negotiate a two-legged tie to enter the revamped group stage, which has now been converted into an eight game league format. The Premiership champions welcome Kairat to Parkhead on Wednesday before making the 3,536-mile trek to Asia for the return leg six days later - having previously faced rivals from Kazakhstan at this stage twice before. And while Celtic have seen off rivals from the nation on two occasions, Rodgers won't want to break that streak and create unwanted history. In face, there is plenty of lessons for the boss as Celtic have taken part in the play-off round of the Champions League on 11 occasions down the years and to say they have had some mixed fortunes would be putting it mildly. Record Sport takes a look at the Hoop's history in the fixture as fans once again dream of mixing it with Europe's elite. Astana (Kazakhstan) –2017 Coincidentally, the last time Celtic took part in the Champions League play-off round also came against Kazakhstani opposition. during Rodgers' first stint in Glasgow's East End. After smashing Linfield 6-0 over two legs and edging out Rosenborg of Norway on aggregate in the third qualifying round, Celtic squared off against Astana for a place in the group stages in the 2017/18 season. Celts romped to a 5-0 home victory in the first leg as Scott Sinclair helped himself to a brace before falling to a 4-3 loss in the return fixture that saw them progress 8-4 on aggerate. The Hoops would go onto finish third in a group that featured Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich - infamously losing 7-1 to the former - before dropping into the Europa League, where they were dumped out in the round of 32 by Zenit St Petersburg 3-1 over two legs. Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel) –2016 A year earlier, Rodgers' secured Champions League group stage football in his debut season at Parkhead after surviving a bit of a scare against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The Hoops claimed a 3-2 aggregate win against Astana in the previous round to set up a play-off clash with the Israeli outfit. They scored a comfortable 5-2 victory at Celtic Park - with skipper Scott Brown rounding off the scoring - but were left desperately clinging onto that advantage when Hapoel went 2-0 in the return fixture, requiring just one more goal to knock Celtic out on away goals. Fortunately, Rodgers' side held on and went onto finish bottom in a challenging group that consisted of Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Mochengladbach, memorably playing out a 2-2 draw with the Premier League giants under the lights in Glasgow. Malmo (Sweden) –2015 However, that triumph was preceded in the previous campaign by a disappointing showing against Malmo that saw Celtic fall at the final hurdle in Champions League qualifying. Ronny Deila's team made light work of Icelandic minnows Stjarnan before narrowly getting back Qarabag of Azerbaijan to line up against the Swedish side. Despite winning the first leg 3-2 at home, Celtc' were dumped out when they were beaten 2-0 in the reverse fixture, with defender Dedrick Boyata turning the decisive goal into his own net. They didn't fare much better in the Europa League group stages either, failing to win in any of there six games against Molde, Fenerbahce and Ajax to finish rock bottom of the section. Maribor (Slovenia) –2014 Deila's attempt to reach the Champions League promise land had also ended in failure in the first of his two seasons in the dugout. Celtic spanked RK Reykjavik of Iceland 5-0 over two legs and left themselves a mountain to climb by losing 4-1 in Poland to Legia Warsaw in the following round. Deila's side were then initially sent packing with another 2-0 loss at home before being awarded a 3-0 win that saw them progress on away goals after UEFA ruled that Legia had fielded an ineligible player. But their run would run out in the play-off round, bowing out to Slovenian team Maribor with a 1-0 defeat at Parkhead after claiming a 1-1 draw in the first leg on an away soil. The Europa League would offer something of a reprieve for the Norwegian, with Celtic advancing from the group stages before admirably getting knocked out to Inter Milan in the knockout phase. Shakhter Karagandy (Kazakhstan) –2013 Celtic did emerge victorious in the Champions League play-off 12 months earlier under Neil Lennon, but had to pull off a remarkable comeback to do it. The Hoops found themselves 2-0 down to Kazakh outfit Karagandy going into the return leg at Parkhead after getting back Cliftonville and Elfsborg to reach the play-off. Goals from Kris Commons and Georgios Samaras levelled things up before James Forrest bagged the crucial winner in injury time just as the tie looked to be heading for extra time. Celtic went onto struggle in the group stage, losing five of their six matches in a group of death with AC Milan, Barcelona and Ajax to suffer an early exit. Helsingborgs (Sweden) –2012 Progression to the group stage was a much more straightforward process at the beginning of the 2012/13 campaign. Lennon's men racked up a 4-1 win on aggregate against HJK Helsinki before winning 2-0 in both legs against Helsingborgs of Sweden to earn their place amongst Europe's elite. And that journey proved to be one of the best in recent memory, with a famous 2-1 victory against Barcelona helping them reach the round of 16 where they fell to Turin giants Juventus in two matches that Efe Ambrose will forever be trying to live down. Arsenal (England) –2009 You then have to go back another three years for the next time Celtic appeared in the Champions League play-off when they were dealt a tough hand by being drawn against Arsenal. Celts edged past Dynamo Moscow to set up the clash with the Gunners but Arsene Wengers' side had too much for them, winning 2-0 at Parkhead before finishing the job off with a 3-1 triumph in North London. Spartak Moscow (Russia) –2007 Two years earlier, Celtic's quest to get into the competition was decided by penalty shootout. Consecutive 1-1 draws against Spartak Moscow saw the tie go to spot kicks, with the Parkhead club progressing after scoring four of their five penalties against Spartak's three. And the campaign proved to be a memorable one, with Gordon Strachan scoring impressive home victories against AC Milan and Benfica to secure last 16 place against Barcelona, where Celtic were defeated 4-2 on aggregate. MTK Hungaria (Hungary) –2003 A comprehensive drubbing of MTK Hungaria saw Martin O'Neill's Celtic secure passage from the Champions League play-off in the 20023/04 season. Celtic thumped Lithuanian outfit FBK 5-0 on aggregate to take on the Hungarians and won by the same score line over two legs to reach the group stage. They went onto narrowly miss out on a place in the knockout stage and reached the last eight of the UEFA Cup before falling to Villareal 3-1 on aggregate. Basel (Switzerland) –2002 Celtic were on the end of a Champions play-off exit to Basel in 2002 that was soon followed by the club's epic run to the UEFA Cup final. They squandered a 3-1 advantage at home to go out on away goals with a 2-0 defeat in Switzerland but after dropping down into the second tier competition, went all the way to Seville after claiming imperious victories against Stuttgart, Premier League duo Liverpool and Blackburn and Boavista of Portugal. A staggering 80,000 fans made the trip to Spain to take in the final against Porto but it ended in heartbreak for Celtic, with Jose Mourinho's stellar team lifting the trophy with a 3-2 win after extra time. Ajax (Netherlands) –2001 The Hoops did reach the group stage 12 months earlier after getting by Eredivisie powerhouses Ajax. Celtic claimed a priceless 3-1 victory in the Dutch capital courtesy of goals from Chris Sutton, Didier Agathe and Bobby Petta and progressed from the play-off despite losing 1-0 at home in the reverse leg. O'Neill's men won three of their five group matches - including famous triumphs against Porto and Juventus - but were unfortunate to miss out on the knockout rounds, dropping into the third round of the UEFA Cup were they suffered an agonising exit on penalties to Rafa Benitez's Valencia.
Belfast Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Linfield boss David Healy outlines main reason Larne let slip League crown… and it's not fixture chaos
Linfield manager David Healy says he believes that Irish League sides can still reach the group stages of major European competition and challenge for the Premiership title despite Larne's struggles in the 2024/25 season.
