'We back ourselves' - Gordon eyes Rangers scalp to ignite Askou era
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South Wales Guardian
10 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
John McGlynn hails his battle-ready Falkirk squad after draw with Dundee United
The Bairns won back-to-back promotions under their experienced boss and the fans watched the Championship flag being unfurled before the game, marking their return to the top flight after a 15-year absence. On-loan Barnsley forward Max Watters scored his first United goal in the 39th minute with a terrific volley, but midfielder Dylan Tait levelled in the 50th minute with a fine finish. Ivan Dolcek restored the Tannadice side's lead in the 71st minute with his first goal for the club before home defender Ethan Ross equalised with a deflected strike two minutes later for a deserved share of the spoils. McGlynn said: 'I don't think we've got our eyes closed. We know that the margins are finer in this league. 'We'll all look to learn from that and we will need to learn from that. But there's so many positives to take. 'A lot of these players have played in League One, they've stepped up to the Championship dealt with that, and today, I think they looked like Premiership players against Premiership players. 'We were 15 years out of it, the same group of players almost, stepping up to the challenge, 5700 season tickets. 'Dundee United filled their allocation as well. So great atmosphere. 'People want to come and be entertained. That was entertainment. That was definitely entertainment.' United boss Jim Goodwin was proud of his under-strength side's efforts in gaining a point after they had advanced to the Conference League third qualifying round against Rapid Wien with a 2-0 aggregate win over Luxembourg side UNA Strassen on Thursday night. He said: 'It's really strange to be sitting here on the opening day of the season and talking about the number of injuries we have. 'But there's no getting away from it. There's no excuses here. 'We're missing some real key players. Our captain and vice-captain, Ross Graham and Will Ferry. Ferry was a suspension. 'Ryan Strain, Amar Fatah and Kristijan Trapanovski were all missing and they can be great options for us off the bench or starting the game. 'A draw away from home, more often than not in this league, is not a bad result. 'On the back of us playing in Europe on Thursday, with the short turnaround and the lack of recovery time, I think we've got to be satisfied with a point. 'It was only a couple of years ago we were travelling to Arbroath to kick off the Championship season. 'In the space of two years, we're slightly disappointed to pick up a point on the opening day of the Premiership but looking forward to a game in Europe against Rapid Wien. 'When you put things in perspective, we've come a long way in a short period of time.' Ferry will be back from suspension for the midweek trip to Austria and Goodwin hopes some others will be available, although Trapanovski will see a specialist about his hamstring problem on Monday.
Daily Record
10 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Alfie Dorrington wants Aberdeen statement win at Hearts as he reveals Europa League draw preference
The Dons haven't won away from home against the Jambos in over eight years ahead of their opening Preiership trip to Tynecastle Alfie Dorrington wants Aberdeen to open their Premiership campaign with a statement win at Hearts. The Scottish Cup winners head to Tynecastle to take on former boss Derek McInnes ' new-look Jambos' side Hearts have invested heavily over the summer and have made a 100% start to their Premier Sports Cup campaign and they are tipped to be up there with the Dons and Hibs battling for top three, or even higher. 'It would be a statement win as I've heard it's a hard place to go,' the defender, who has returned for a second loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, stated. 'Last season I played against them and they were a pretty good team but hopefully we can make a statement by winning. 'It will be a real fight at the top because it was for third, fourth and fifth last season as well.' Tynecastle hasn't been a good stomping ground for the Dons. Their last league win there was back in 2017 when McInnes was ironically the manager. In saying that, this fixture normally goes with home form as none of the away teams have won this fixture in the last 23 outings. Also, away form is something Jimmy Thelin's side need to improve on. Dorrington claimed: 'When we play the likes of Hibs or Hearts away treat it the same as we would at home. 'I feel like the performances on the road weren't bad but maybe the results and the way it was going went the other team's way. 'You need a bit of luck in football in terms of chances or mistakes leading to a goal but we are trying to rectify all those things. 'But I don't see that being a problem this season as the Aberdeen away support is always good. 'Most of the games that we played away, our fans packed out the away end and it felt more like a home one. 'But I feel we need the mental resilience to block things out when we're not at Pittodrie to help us more.'That's something we want to sort out in terms of what we do as we weren't happy with fifth place. 'The manager has been big on habits and daily stuff that you have to do right and so we're ready to go again.' Aberdeen will also know their Europa League play-off opponents before they take to the field in Gorgie. The Dons go into the draw unseeded with the likes of Panathinaikos, Copenhagen, Braga Ferencvaros, Malmo and PAOK all on the other side of the draw. Dorrington wants a big gun and to progress. He plans to lean on his experiences being on the bench for Tottenham's early Europa League run against the likes of Rangers and Galatasaray. 'There are some tough teams in there but it's all about backing yourself to get through,' he insisted 'I actually fancy one of the big teams like Braga or maybe Ferencvaros as I was on the bench for Spurs there. 'That is a crazy atmosphere there and I have a few Greek friends so they'll be buzzing if we get Panathinaikos. 'I was also on the bench for Rangers away and Galatasaray away so three really good atmospheres. 'My dad said the atmosphere at Ibrox was proper good but it was completely different being on the bench for Tottenham and on the field with Aberdeen. 'It was my third day at this club and I understood the rivalry straight away.' The 22-year-old admitted he came to Scottish football as a boy last season but now returns as a man. He admitted: 'I got told it was going to be physical before I came here so I was prepared for that. 'But I feel as though I've toughened up as I kind of came here as a boy then left and came back as a man.' Tottenham Hotspur now has a new manager in Thomas Frank, who came in and replaced Europa League-winning boss Ange Postecoglou over the summer. Dorrington has still to speak to him but hopes to catch his eye during his latest spell at Pittodrie. 'I saw him about but I didn't really have a conversation with him to be honest,' the Dons defender confirmed. 'All the players I've spoken to who have gone up and trained with the first team seem to really like him. 'They say he is a really good manager who cares about his players but that's the same as Ange to be honest. 'But I've still got time on my contract to make it at Spurs and once I get more games at Aberdeen I'll maybe get a chance there. 'For now I'm just looking to continue developing myself here as I'm still young and hopefully in a couple of years I'll get my opportunity. 'In the meantime the loans manager comes up to watch, checks in on me regularly and I get a lot of feedback. 'But Aberdeen are a big club in Scotland and with European football this season that heightens my profile. 'That means new experiences with different opposition and different styles of play to come up against. 'It's such a big competition to play in as Spurs showed by winning it last season so I can't wait to be involved.' The Dons head south without Kristers Tobers and Emmanuel Gyamfi but Ester Sokler returns.
BreakingNews.ie
11 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Dublin cruise past Meath to claim seventh All-Ireland title
Hannah Tyrrell, Kate Sullivan and team captain Carla Rowe registered an impressive combined tally of 0-13 at Croke Park on Sunday as Dublin regained the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship title with a commanding triumph over Leinster rivals Meath. Nicole Owens and Niamh Hetherton also bagged goals in a dominant opening half as Dublin ended their first season under the joint management of Paul Casey and Derek Murray with the Brendan Martin Cup back in their possession for the seventh time in history. Advertisement Needing just three points to secure the ZuCar Golden Boot for 2025, Tyrrell got the ball rolling in a repeat of the 2021 All-Ireland decider with an early 0-2 salvo. Things got even better for the Sky Blues when Owens struck a clinical sixth minute goal and Sullivan also added her name to the scoresheet before Emma Duggan finally opened Meath's account with a successful free on 10 minutes. While Duggan was on hand to cancel out a score from Rowe, Dublin pushed into overdrive either side of the first quarter mark with four points on the bounce from Tyrrell (two), Orlagh Nolan and Sullivan. The rampant Jackies then moved twelve clear when Hetherton buried a shot to the roof of the Meath net in the 22nd minute and even though Duggan contributed a brace of frees in response to Sullivan's third from play, Dublin brought an emphatic 2-9 to 0-4 buffer into the break. Advertisement This left the Royals with an enormous uphill task on the restart, but Meath were provided with fresh impetus when Duggan kicked two more points in advance of her Dunboyne club-mate Vikki Wall posting a fine effort from play. However, Dublin reinforced their superiority when Rowe knocked over a place-ball effort of her own and Tyrrell's fifth point of the day meant they were once again in front by double figures (2-11 to 0-7). With Sullivan bringing her own personal haul up to 0-4 off a subsequent attack, the Metropolitan outfit were on the brink of another top-tier crown heading into the closing quarter. Ciara Smyth, skipper Aoibhin Cleary and Duggan (with her seventh of the tie) all found the target for Meath as the final whistle approached, but although Tyrrell was withdrawn through injury late on, points from Hetherton, Niamh Crowley and the influential Rowe (two) ensured Dublin eased towards their second All-Ireland success in the space of three years. Advertisement Earlier, Tyrone manager Darren McCann said he was confident all through that they had the measure of Laois at Croke Park to capture the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title for the second time in history. 'On the sideline, we felt totally in control. We were creating chances but we just weren't taking them, which was frustrating for us,' said McCann. 'The whole group have serious heart and determination as a collective and that was a collective performance. I was really happy with their performance today and the key thing was getting on top and staying on top.' Goals in either half from Aoife Horisk and Katie Rose Muldoon proved pivotal as they edged out Laois by six points to deservedly capture the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup at Croke Park. Advertisement TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Football Championship Final, Croke Park,Laois vs Tyrone. Photo: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes In the process Tyrone bounced back from last year's final defeat to Leitrim to capture the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title for the first time since they sole success in 2018. Laois manager Stephen Duff said they were always chasing the game but he was very proud of their effort. 'We didn't perform in the game. There was a bit of relief that we weren't further behind at half-time,' said Duff. 'Whether the occasion got to us or it was just a bad day at the office, it just wasn't a great performance. Advertisement 'We kept in the game in the third quarter but we probably needed another goal at that time and they managed to pull away in the end. 'We're savagely proud of everyone and we'll just take it on the chin.' Tyrone enjoyed a 1-7 to 1-5 interval lead with Horisk's 27th minute goal cancelling out an equally superb finish from Laois' Shifra Havill four minutes previously. There was little to separate the teams throughout a nervy second half but the decisive moment arrived in the 54th minute as Muldoon left Laois goalkeeper Eimear Barry helpless with a shot from close range. It was Tyrone that seized the early initiative through points from Sorcha Gormley and Cara McCrossan before Laois struck back to level parity by the fourth minute courtesy of scores from Jane Moore and Emma Lawlor. Lawlor edged Laois in front in the seventh minute, immediately after their corner-back Faye McEvoy had produced a superb goal line clearance at the opposite end, with parity restored soon after through a Niamh O'Neill free. Parity continued as Emily Lacey and Aoife Horisk (free) traded points by the end of the first quarter with the Ulster county re-establishing their two-point advantage thanks to Sláine McCarroll and the lively Gormley. However, their inaccuracy up front undermined their general control as O'Neill placed her shot too close to Eimear Barry in the 22nd minute and that profligacy was punished in an instant as Lawlor worked well in releasing Havill for an emphatic finish to the roof of Amelia Coyle's net. Frustration continued for Tyrone in the 26th minute as Gormley was denied from the penalty spot following a foul on Horisk but the latter made no mistake a minute later as she drilled home from ten yards to edge her side two points clear by half-time. Laois wasted little time in getting back on level terms as Mo Nerney and Fiona Dooley both scored within three minutes of the restart. Crucially, Laois were unable to get in front as this time as O'Neill (free) and Horisk responded for Tyrone, with the latter becoming increasingly influential as the contest evolved. Tyrone wrapped up the issue when Muldoon followed up well to net after fellow substitute Emer McCanny had been denied and they pulled away by the final whistle thanks to insurance points from O'Neill, Gormley and captain Aoibhinn McHugh. TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Junior Football Championship Final, Antrim vs Louth. Photo Credit: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes Louth manager Kevin Larkin said hailed his charges as they recovered from a poor start to bounce back from losing last year's decider to Fermanagh by capturing the TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship title at Croke Park for a record fourth time. 'What a group to work with. All of Ireland has seen it there. Penalty, four points down and the girls just kept going, kept going and we went in a point up. There was 20 seconds on the clock before the break and we didn't stop. We didn't try and slow it down. We could have slowed it down and gone in with a draw. It wasn't good for us, but again, the players called that on the pitch themselves. They're just a brilliant group. 'I've been saying it to the girls, their mental strength and their resilience is their biggest weapon. They're just fantastic and even the control on the ball. Eimear Murray put in a tackle there. I thought Lara Dahunsi was through and I was like 'ah, no' and Eimear gets a hand in. Rachel Beirth did not give your one an inch. 'It's all over the pitch. I know obviously the forwards will probably get the headlines, but everywhere over the pitch we were just fantastic,' said Larkin. Antrim, also bidding to become the first county to win the TG4 All-Ireland junior title four times, didn't build on their superb start and joint manager Chris Scullion lamented not taking chances in the second half. 'There was a couple of opportunities presented to ourselves in the second half. It just didn't fall our way today. It seemed to be mistake after mistake sometimes and we were constantly trying to regroup the girls to go again, go again. "It maybe took a toll on them, but I'm not taking anything away from Louth. Louth were brilliant today. "They set up defensively, kept their same structure and they were able to break out and it caused us problems. They were able to work the ball around and get their scores. Fair play to them. 'Whenever they attacked, we tried to block them out the same way they were doing to us. It's just unfortunate we just couldn't get the final ball, the final pass to ourselves to break through. Maybe get our chance. It did present itself right there at the end, but we were trying to get that instruction onto the field five, 10 minutes earlier to press up and push up on their kick-outs. To try and get the turnovers because we were still chasing the game. It's just unfortunate it just didn't go our way,' said Scullion. It was the Ulster side who initially hit the ground running with team skipper Bronagh Devlin superbly drilling a third-minute penalty into the roof of the Louth net after Theresa Mellon was adjudged to have been fouled inside the square off a Maria O'Neill free that dropped short. Mellon followed up the goal with a fine point for the Saffrons and even though Louth eventually opened their account through Aoife Russell, Omolara Dahunsi reinforced Antrim's early authority by splitting the posts at the opposite end. Dahunsi also found the range in response to back-to-back points from Louth corner-forwards Russell and Ceire Nolan, but in the temporary absence of Bronagh Devlin for a yellow card offence, the Wee County cut their deficit to the bare minimum with impressive contributions from Flood and Shannen McLaughlin. Although Antrim sharpshooter O'Neill was on target not long after Devlin's return, unanswered points by captain Aine Breen and the ever-dependable Flood (two) ensured Louth brought a 0-8 to 1-4 cushion into the interval. An outstanding score from the increasingly-influential Kate Flood left Louth two points to the good moving into the final-quarter and they were a step closer to another junior crown when Breen and substitute Mia Duffy added points in the 47th and 49th minutes respectively. Lucy White subsequently increased Louth's cushion and even though a late surge from Antrim produced three points on the bounce by Ana Mulholland, Mellon and O'Neill (a goal-bound effort that was deflected over the bar), the Wee County ultimately prevailed in the end.
