Watch: League of Ireland Preview – Huge clashes at Tallaght and Dalymount
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Irish Independent
30 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
'He is the best keeper in the league' – John Russell heaps praises on Sligo Rovers' penalty saving hero Sam Sargeant
John Russell believes Sligo Rovers goalkeeper Sam Sargeant is 'the best keeper in the league' after the Bit O'Red netminder continued his outstanding run of form to see his side through to the quarter-finals of the Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup after a 1-0 win over Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday night.
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
'It's just the nature of the beast. You can't expect to be on the same contract'
RORY GAFFNEY TOASTED his continued rejuvenation with a can of Coke Zero after a starring role in the Uefa Conference League third qualifying round on Thursday night. Supping on the soft drink while beads of sweat slowly dripped from his temples to his his cheeks, this was the comedown after an effervescent shift that married ruthless endeavour with clinical instinctiveness. The result was two goals and a man-of-the-match award as Shamrock Rovers progressed to the play-off stage against Portuguese side Santa Clara. 'It just seems to be the story of my season, balls falling to me two or three yards out. I don't know why it didn't happen the last 15 years,' he said. The first leg of the play-off is away in the Azores next week and, with a FAI Cup third round clash against Longford Town tomorrow, the striker will be hungry to add to his tally of 12 goals in all competitions so far. Advertisement The last year has been one of the most demanding for Gaffney, a troublesome Achilles problem leading to surgery on his ankle. He could jog casually at times during the year but was unable to sprint without a flare up and so he barely kicked a ball at all. Rovers head coach Stephen Bradley revealed after last night's 4-0 win over Ballkani that Gaffney took a pay cut to stay at the club in January. He started pre-season without the guarantee of a contract at Tallaght Stadium, even turning down the offer of two-year deals from two League of Ireland rivals. The aim was to prove his fitness at Rovers and help them retain the Premier Division title. There are nine games remaining and the Hoops have a 10-point lead at the top of the table. 'Yeah, yeah. Might give it back to me now,' Gaffney said, joking about his reduced terms for this season. 'I don't know, [I'd] no other choice! It's just the nature of the beast, isn't it? You've been out for a year, you haven't played. You know, you can't expect to be on the same contract. 'What does it mean to me? I suppose I didn't know if I was going to be playing. I suppose I watched the lads last year. It was hard to watch at times, really, but obviously you're delighted for them. But I suppose I just had… My full focus was just trying to get back fit and I was happy to call it the day if I couldn't get fit. 'Because you know yourself, you're playing up front and especially in this team, you need to be able to run. You have to be able to press. I think every manager in the league wants their strikers to press. And if you can't do it, you know, you just can't play as simple as.' Gaffney turns 36 in October and his performance levels are benefitting from a tailored training schedule. In a regular week he does the usual heavy session with his teammates on a Monday then does his own programme on a Tuesday and Wednesday before linking back up for pre-match on a Thursday and then having the weekend off after a Friday night game. Europe continues to offer a very welcome disruption and if Rovers can overcome Santa Clara – who finished fifth in the Portugal Primeira Liga – the year will continue right up until Christmas. It was the same in 2024 when Gaffney travelled to London and sat in the stands for the final league phase game of the Conference League against Chelsea. 'Yeah, it was just frustrating, but I suppose the lads were doing well. Johnny Kenny did well off the back of it, so, you know, it's great to see him do well. He's got a new contract [at Celtic]. It's probably off the back of how well he's done last year. He's gone back to Celtic full of confidence, and kicked on.' Gaffney is doing the same and a new contract of his own will surely be on the way should he continue to deliver this level of performance.
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Sligo Rovers 'delighted' as Bohemians boss says 'we never turned up'
Sligo Rovers boss John Russell felt the "magic of the cup" was at play as his side recorded a 1-0 win away at Bohemians. Rovers keeper Sam Sargeant saved a second-half penalty shortly before Owen Elding scored the only goal of the game at Dalymount Park. The Gypsies piled on late pressure but the Bit O'Red held on to progress to the last eight of the FAI Sports Direct Cup. "Delighted to be in the next round, not only the result but our performance, I thought we were electric in that first half," Russell, whose side sit second from bottom of the Premier Division, told RTÉ Sport. "Some of our play was top level, the combinations, the movement... we were calm in our build-up and I don't think Bohs laid a glove on us in the first half. "The disappointing thing was coming in at half time not being in front." On the crucial moments after the break, he said: "It's the magic of the cup, I suppose. "You want your big players to stand up and Sam Sargeant has been unbelievable for us this season and comes up and makes an incredible save. "He's shown his class over the last couple of weeks. "Then we go up the other end and, for me, the best young talent in the country, Owen Elding, he was outstanding tonight, and once he got in in the box, we knew he was going to hit the back of the net." The Connacht side are seven points clear of bottom of the table Cork City and four points behind Galway United with nine games to play. "If we play the way we played tonight we are going to pick up a lot more wins than losses," he added. "These are special nights when you come up to Dalymount a get a delighted we are in the quarter-finals and in the hat for the next round." Meanwhile, Bohs boss Alan Reynolds (above) was honest in his appraisal, conceding his team, second in the league, got what they deserved. "I thought we never turned up, I thought we got what we deserved, in fairness," he said. "Not that we haven't spoken about their threats and the problems they cause. We just never showed up. "I think we left everyone down as players and staff. I think there's been nights here where you take criticism coming in. "We deserve everything we get after that because that was poor." "I don't blame them [the fans for being angry]. "Us as players, we get that. "Dawson Devoy has been outstanding. In my eyes, the best midfielder in the league this year. And tonight, he has an off night at his standards and nobody else turns up. Nobody else comes over and says, 'you know what, I'll take over and I'll carry it'. "I spoke to the players about this. We deserve everything you get from that. That performance was really poor." On Dayle Rooney's saved penalty (above), he added: "Yeah, but it would have covered over things. "We could have went on and won it, but, let's be honest, we didn't create enough. "We didn't defend properly, and we didn't win duels. We didn't do anything that we have done." "It's just a flat performance and extremely disappointing. "What we've done all year is we've applied ourselves and we've worked extremely hard. "Just feeling we left ourselves down, that's probably the message. "But we don't get too carried away when we're having a good run. Just nine games to go, let's crack on."
