Latest news with #2019Championship
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Louth 'don't have to listen and talk about' 2010 controversy any more, says McDonnell
Louth veteran Andy McDonnell says there's no 'redemption' for 2010, just a strong sense of satisfaction after finally winning a Leinster SFC medal. McDonnell was the only player, from Louth or Meath, that featured in Sunday's Leinster final having also played in the 2010 decider between the counties. Louth claimed a narrow Croke Park win last weekend to secure their first provincial title since 1957. For some, the breakthrough win drew a line under the 2010 debacle when a late, illegal, Joe Sheridan goal was allowed to stand, sealing a narrow win for the Royal County. "It's just nice to be a Leinster medallist and to park everything that happened a few years ago," said McDonnell, now 34. "That's basically it, we don't have to listen and talk about that any more. It's now, 'Louth are Leinster champions 2025'." The ultra experienced Newtown Blues midfielder said he rarely spoke about the 2010 final and revealed that he carried some of the blame for the agonising loss. His part in the play that led to Sheridan's goal has been largely overlooked with the Meath forward pouncing on a loose ball and diving over the goal line after colleague Seamus Kenny's shot had been blocked by Paddy Keenan. The ball briefly popped up in the air after Kenny's block and both McDonnell and Louth defender Dessie Finnegan collided with each other trying to claim it, allowing Sheridan to intervene. "I was involved, maybe the cause of it," shrugged McDonnell. "Obviously Dessie went up to catch the ball and I kind of (accidentally) flicked it out of his hands. That's how the goal came about. It's nice now 15 years on to say, 'I actually have a medal', to put that to bed. I don't talk about it. There's people saying, 'redemption' and all of this and that but I'm like, 'No, I just go out and play the game and leave it at that'." McDonnell's story and comeback in 2025 is all the more remarkable because he called it quits as a Louth player six years ago, after the 2019 Championship. He was troubled by knee problems and lasted just a single game in 2021 when he tried to make a return under Mickey Harte. "A few physios and doctors would have said to me that it's time to pack it up, three or four years ago," said McDonnell. "But I went to a physio, he's actually a Meath man, Liam Hogan from Curraha. He's involved with Williams Formula One now, as their Performance Coach. "He got me back. He said, 'No, I'll fix you in a couple of months'. It was a lot of rehab, a lot of dark days too in the gym on your own. But he got me back."
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mayenda punishes huge Coventry error to put Sunderland on top in playoff
Who ever believed the form book counted for much in the playoffs anyway? No team has ever entered the English playoffs in worse form than Sunderland, after their five successive defeats, but goals from Wilson Isidor, his first in 14 games, and Eliezer Mayenda, after a disastrous back-pass from Milan van Ewijk, enabled Sunderland to earn their first victory over Coventry since 2007 and become favourites to reach the Wembley final against either Sheffield United or Bristol City on 24 May. Jack Rudoni, who grew up a Chelsea fan, Frank Lampard his hero, had headed Coventry level within two minutes of Isidor breaking his long goal drought. But then, in the 88th minute, Mayenda was gifted a clear run on goal by Van Ewijk's nightmare of a blind pass back towards his goalkeeper Ben Wilson. The Spanish striker rounded the Sunderland academy graduate in Coventry's net and scored the goal that has turned expectations on their head. The 2,400 travelling Sunderland fans reprised the Roker roar in their small corner of the CBS Arena. Related: Sheffield United crush 10-man Bristol City to put one foot in playoff final Lampard lifted Coventry from just above the relegation zone to fifth place after taking over in November and is certainly not discounting the possibility of reaching Wembley from this disadvantaged position. He took Derby to the 2019 Championship playoff final after recovering from two goals behind to Leeds. 'It's half-time,' the manager said. 'This was never going to be over [after one game] and it's not over, that's for sure. And Sunderland will know it's not over. We know it's not over. I won't be drawing on too much from the past. We just look at what this [second] game might look like, and we don't know, because they may take the same [defensive] approach at home that they brought here. Will they want to play so low at home, or will the crowd drag them out. They sucked us in [tonight] and hit us on the break.' This, however, after a mediocre run of 14 points from 14 games, was Sunderland's night. They won with 26% possession and two fine finishes from their front pairing. Régis Le Bris's team have for so long been effectively guaranteed fourth place, with Leeds, Burnley and Sheffield United battling it out for the two automatic promotion places, that they had taken their foot off the gas. The Sunderland head coach conceded as much after this breakaway victory. 'Today we felt like we were playing with a plan, after the five previous games, with all our players [but two] fit and fresh. We did so well to get fourth place but then players are players and if you don't have something to chase … today they showed they had a purpose.' Coventry fans have endured bitter experiences in the past two seasons, losing in penalty shootouts in both the Championship playoff final, to Luton, two years ago, and the FA Cup semi-final, to Manchester United last year, under Mark Robins, but their vociferous sell-out crowd had Sunderland quaking in the first period. Everything appeared in Coventry's favour. They had been in decent form, winning nine of their previous 11 home games, and stretched their unbeaten run against Sunderland to 10 games when Haji Wright scored a hat-trick in the win here in March. From the right wing, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was constantly causing Sunderland problems, not least after Dennis Cirkin was booked for a fairly crude foul midway through the half. He seemed able to cut inside and swerve over his inswinging crosses at will, and more than once Anthony Patterson flapped at crosses. But they did not have any clearcut chances. In their third playoff in four seasons, Sunderland came back into this contest after the interval. A corner routine had ended with Enzo Le Fée delivering a fine diagonal cross for Trai Hume, the original taker, to volley hard but wide. Although Rudoni, the jewel in Coventry's crown, snapped a shot wide, there was a sense of unease infiltrating the home ranks. Three Coventry players were cautioned in eight minutes. Sure enough, Sunderland went ahead midway through the second half. Le Fée picked up the ball in the centre circle and this time the two forwards split their runs. Isidor was picked out superbly, as Coventry appealed in vain for offside, and the Frenchman cut inside to fire his shot into the far bottom corner for his 13th goal of the season. This served to wake Coventry up. Within two minutes Van Ewijk crossed from the right wing and Rudoni – who else? – rose at the near post to head powerfully home, his 12th goal involvement in his last 13 games. But Mayenda, who turned 20 on the eve of the game, had more cause for celebration as he scored the winner of this first leg.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eliezer Mayenda gives Sunderland advantage over Coventry in playoff
Eliezer Mayenda strokes the ball home to put Sunderland 2-1 up against Coventry in the first leg of the playoff semi-final. Eliezer Mayenda strokes the ball home to put Sunderland 2-1 up against Coventry in the first leg of the playoff semi-final. Photograph: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock Who ever believed in the form book for the playoffs anyway? No team has ever entered the English playoffs in worse form than Sunderland, after their five successive defeats, but Wilson Isidor's first goal in 14 games and Eliezer Mayenda's late capital enabled Regis Le Bris's team to earn their first victory over Coventry City since 2007 and become favourites to reach the EFL Championship playoff final on 24 May. Jack Rudoni, who grew up a Chelsea fan, Frank Lampard his hero, had headed Coventry level within two minutes of Isidor breaking his long goal drought. But then, in the 88th minute, Mayenda was gifted a clear run on Coventry's goal by Milan van Ewijk's disastrous back pass and rounded Ben Wilson, the Sunderland academy graduate in Coventry's goal, before turning in the goal that has turned expectations on their head. The 2,400 travelling Sunderland fans reprised the Roker roar in their small corner of the CBS Arena. Advertisement Lampard has exceeded expectations since taking over Coventry in November and he will still believe his team's superior form over the second half of the season will give him the chance of repeating his feat when he took Derby County to the 2019 Championship playoff final by beating Leeds United. But, after a wretched run of 14 points from 14 games, this was Sunderland's night. The home crowd, having broken the club's record attendance figure at this stadium for the previous game against Middlesbrough, were in full voice again as the game kicked off with a full moon peering down from a perfectly blue evening sky, mirroring City's white shorts beneath their shirts. 'The support on the day and the atmosphere was one of the best I have ever experienced at the CBS [Arena],' Ben Sheaf, the Coventry captain, wrote in his programme notes. 'That noise that you generate doesn't go unnoticed by everyone at the club.' Everything appeared in Coventry's favour. They have been in very decent form, winning nine of their last 11 home games, while their visitors' mediocre run stretches back well before the five successive defeats with which they ended the regulation season. Nor had Sunderland beaten Coventry in any of their 10 meetings since 2007. With automatic promotion effectively out of their reach since not long after the fold of the season, Sunderland had only scored three goals in the nine games since they lost 3-0 here in March. Their leading marksman Wilson Isidor, left out of last week's home defeat by QPR, had not scored for 13 games. Advertisement So it was no wonder the CBS Arena was awash with optimism. From the first of five Coventry corners in the opening half, Antony Patterson, the Sunderland goalkeeper, barely helped matters as he struggled to make his punch count, and the ball had to be scrambled away. For all their dominance of possession, however, it was not until the middle of the half that Matt Grimes, their January signing from Swansea, had a couple of attempts at goal: after slicing the first well wide, he neatly sidestepped his man from Haji Wright's pullback from the second but saw his shot bravely blocked. Sunderland were restricted to rare breakaway, certainly in the first half. When Mayenda did turn and get away from the base of Coventry's midfield in the centre circle, Isidor's poor run off the ball obliged him to go all the way on his own. His final shot from the edge of the penalty area was a good effort but wide. From the right wing, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was constantly causing Sunderland problems, not least after Dennis Cirkin was booked for a fairly crude foul midway through the half. He seemed able to cut inside and swerve over his in-swinging crosses at will, and again Patterson failed to fuel Sunderland's 2,400 travelling supporters with great confidence when he flapped one such delivery wide for a corner. Advertisement In their third playoff in four seasons, Sunderland came back into this contest after the interval. A corner routine had ended with Enzo Le Fée delivering a fine diagonal cross for Trai Hume, the original taker, to volley hard but wide. Although Rudoni, the jewel in Coventry's crown, snapped a shot wide, there was a sense of unease infiltrating the home ranks. Three Coventry players were cautioned in eight minutes. Sure enough, Sunderland went ahead midway through the second half. Le Fée picked up the ball in the centre circle and this time the two forwards split their runs superbly. Isidor was picked out superbly, as Coventry appealed in vain for offside, and the Frenchman cut inside to fire his shot into the far bottom corner for his 13th goal of the season. This served to wake Coventry up. Within two minutes Milan van Ewijk crossed from the right wing and Rudoni – who else? – rose at the near post to head powerfully home, his 12th goal involvement in his last 13 games.
