Latest news with #AirtricityPremierDivision
Irish Examiner
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Bohemians come from behind to take share of the spoils with Derry City
SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Derry City 1 (Akinyemi 45+5') Bohemians 1 (Tierney 52') SHAMROCK Rovers emerged the biggest winners at Brandywell as Bohemians came from behind to clinch a share of the spoils against Derry City. Former York City striker Dipo Akinyemi put Derry ahead on his Brandywell debut with a header from Michael Duffy's cross five minutes into first half stoppage time. That lead didn't last long as Ross Tierney blasted home from James Clarke's cross on 52 minutes to rescue a point for the second placed Dubliners. Both teams have now played the same amount of games as Rovers who finished the night seven points clear of the Gypsies and eight clear of Derry who meet them in Tallaght in their next outing. There were reports of clashes between both sets of supporters outside the ground in ugly scenes which marred a match between two teams hoping to ignite a title race. It was the Brandywell pitch which ignited when a flare was thrown over the Southend Park stand during the first half which scorched the artificial surface and caused a lengthy delay in play. Bohs were enjoying plenty of possession in the early stages but Derry almost capitalised on a quick counter attack on 12 minutes with a move started and finished by Akinyemi. The Londoner found the run of Duffy with a clever ball over the top and when the ex-Celtic winger cut it back to Liam Boyce the striker fluffed his lines. The ball broke out to the edge of the box where Akinyemi. The striker tried his luck again from distance two minutes later but Chorazka saved comfortably. Akiyemi was in the thick of the action once again when he found Duffy in space with a neat flick but the Derry winger dragged his first time strike on his right foot narrowly wide of the post. There was a five minute delay when a flare was thrown over the Southend Park stand onto the pitch and set fire to the artificial surface on the half hour mark. The stewards were slow to react much to the annoyance of the players but eventually the flame was extinguished and play got back underway. Bohs carved out a great chance in stoppage time when Ross Tierney's delicate touch from Mounteny's cross set up James Clarke but his strike from 12 yards was saved by Maher. Derry broke when Liam Boyce played a ball over the top for Akinyemi to run onto andthe striker got in behind the last man but his strike was saved brilliantly by the outstretched leg of Chorazka. The Polish keeper couldn't do anything about Akinyemi's next effort on goal as the Englishman towered above his marker and headed Duffy's cross into the corner of the net for a timely breakthrough. Diallo tried his luck from just inside the penalty box with the last action of the half but drilled his effort wide of the post. Bohs were back on level terms just seven minutes into the second half as Tierney got onto the end of James Clarke's cross from the right and volleyed past the helpless Maher. Duffy's curling free-kick from 25 yards was gathered comfortably by Chorazka and substitute Adam O'Reilly fired a blistering effort over the bar as Derry tried to get back on top. Robbie Benson came agonisingly close to finding the corner of the net in front of a packed North Stand with a glancing header from Duffy's inswinging cross with 10 minutes to go. The second half subs were making an impact and Danny Mullen raced onto a ball over the top of the Bogs defence but his effort on the half volley was beaten away by Chorazka at the near post. From the resultant corner kick Alex Bannon rose at the back post but again Chorazka parried it clear and it was as close as Derry came to finding a winner as the teams shared the spoils. Derry City: Maher 6: Connolly 7, Bannon 7, Todd 7; R. Boyce 6 (Benson 6, 69), Diallo 7 (Frizzell 6, 90), Winchester 7, Fleming 7; Duffy 7, L. Boyce 7 (Mullen 6, 69) Akinyemi 7 (O'Reilly 7, 57) Bohemians: Chorazka 8; Mountney 6 (Smith 6, 67), Byrne 7, Kavanagh 6, Flores 6; Morahan 6, Devoy 7. McDonnell 6 (Parsons 6, 74), Tierney 8; Clarke 7 (Whelan 6, 74), Rooney 7. Referee: Damien MacGraith.
RTÉ News
05-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Kevin Doherty bemused by 'ridiculous' criticism as Drogheda United return to the summit
Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty was left bemused by the "ridiculous" criticism that came his side's way in recent weeks as they returned to the top of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division table following a dramatic 3-2 win over Cork City. The Louth side entered the clash on a winless run of four games, with the side surrendering a two-goal lead to draw in Sligo on Friday. It looked like two more points would be dropped on Monday as Djenairo Daniels struck for Tim Clancy's team either side of goals from Shane Farrell and Warren Davis, but there was drama right at the death as Ryan Brennan struck a match-winning penalty in the 96th minute. "The amount of people questioning because we drew a game away to Sligo the other night was ridiculous," said Doherty, who was without the injured Luke Dennison, Darragh Markey and Paul Doyle at Sullivan and Lambe Park. "Every single pundit, every single bookie, every single supporter outside of ours had us tenth in the league and we were (tenth) in the odds. "Now we're a long way from anything yet but the best teams in the world concede goals and don't win every single game, but some of the stuff you hear is ridiculous." The win may have come in dramatic circumstances, but Doherty felt it was totally deserved. "I thought we were the better team by a good bit. Cork are obviously really well coached by Tim and they carried a threat. "We got 2-1 up with an excellent goal, a really well-worked goal, but then to concede the way that we did was hard to watch to be honest." Doherty had special praise for Brennan, who emphatically slammed home the penalty to spark a pitch invasion, with St Pat's loss to Derry later on Monday ensuring Drogheda would maintain top spot at the end of the bank holiday weekend. Back in March, the side were handed a penalty at the death against Shamrock Rovers but Farrell's spot-kick was saved by Ed McGinty in a 2-1 defeat. "We had a similar incident earlier in the season, we got a 96th-minute penalty against Shamrock Rovers and Ryan wasn't on the pitch. "I had no doubt with Ryan. He's just a class act, a class captain." For Cork boss Clancy, Drogheda's late goal just put the seal on what had been a tough night for him watching on. "It was a horrible game, there wasn't much football played to be honest." "We speak all week that it's not the first ball, it's the second ball and none of the line drop for the second ball and it results in the penalty and they win the game," he added of Drogheda's late winner. Brennan's late strike prevented Cork from extending their unbeaten run to four league games, and Clancy said it was to be somewhat expected given their missing list. "Look, we're reliant on a load of kids at the minute, we're missing a lot of experienced players that make a lot of difference - 'Keatsy' (Ruairí Keating), Malik (Dijksteel), Seani (Maguire), you've Greg Bolger, Benny Couto as well. "A load of injuries, suspensions with Josh (Fitzpatrick), and you could see that in the second game in three days. The inexperience in important moments is costing us." Meanwhile, Clancy had no further information on the future of 18-year-old Cathal O'Sullivan, who has been linked with a summer transfer to Premier League side Nottingham Forest. "Cathal's an exceptionally good player, as long as he's here he'll be looked after.
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Substitute Lomboto rescues Rovers with late equaliser to deny Cork City
SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Sligo Rovers 1 (Francely Lomboto 90) Cork City 1 (Kitt Nelson 76) The top tier's two strugglers, Cork City and Sligo Rovers, played out a 1-1 draw at The Showgrounds. Kitt Nelson's goal after 76 minutes looked to have made the difference for Cork but the visitors then had Joshua Fitzpatrick dismissed. Sligo kept battling and equalised in the 90th minute through substitute Francely Lomboto. This fixture had 'six-pointer' written all over it as Cork and their hosts, Sligo, second from bottom and bottom of the table respectively, were looking to turn a corner. The arrived came into this game without lethal strikers Seani Maguire and Ruairi Keating, both former Sligo players. But Tim Clancy's charges came to the north-west boosted by their Easter Monday defeat of Waterford FC, a 2-1 win at Turner's Cross, which was only their second win in 11 games. Underperforming Sligo, also with only two victories this year, were coming into this fixture on the back of Tuesday's 3-0 loss away to Derry City. Sligo started on the front foot on a blustery and wet night. They forced a couple of early corners and there was also a shot from Jad Hakiki that was narrowly wide. Cork's first serious chance was a free-kick delivery from Evan McLaughlin that he got on target but without causing Sam Sargeant a problem. Nelson and Evan McLaughlin were proving influential for Cork and Will Fitzgerald was the main source of danger for the home side, who were proving stubborn to break down. Nelson's clever pass released Cathal O'Sullivan but his cross to the back post to where there was no teammate summed up the cagey and toothless nature of this contest. A drab first-half ended with Sligo getting a header on target - Gareth McElroy's effort from a Jake Doyle-Hayes free-kick delivery - but once again Cork goalkeeper Tein Troost wasn't worried. Sligo's first opening of the second-half was when impressive full-back Conor Reynolds sent Owen Elding through but a heavy touch let Sligo's top scorer down and Troost was able to block. Charlie Lyons was a rock at the back for Cork who were still unable to carve any meaningful chances until the 71st minute when substitute Joshua Fitzpatrick's cross flashed across the face of Sligo's goalmouth. Then a strong surge from Milan Mbeng on the right led to Evan McLaughlin setting up O'Sullivan for a shot that flew wide. The breakthrough came in the 76th minute when Fitzpatrick's dangerous ball was bundled in by Nelson. Cork were rocked two minutes later when goal creator Fitzpatrick was shown a straight red card after an incident with Sligo's Stephen Mallon. Sligo drew level in 90th minute when a classy cross from Mallon was headed goalwards by Elding and substitute Lomboto got the final touch to ignite the home crowd. The hosts missed a chance in added time when Fitzgerald pulled a shot wide from Reece Hutchinson's pass. Sligo Rovers: Sergeant; Reynolds (Patton 72), Mahon, McElroy, Hutchinson; Manning (Wolfe 90+2), Doyle-Hayes; Elding, Hakiki (Mallon 72), Fitzgerald; Kavanagh (Lomboto 62) Cork City: Troost; Mbeng, Crowley, Lyons, Couto (Kiernan 64); O'Sullivan, McLaughlin, Murray, Nolan (Fitzpatrick 53); Nelson (Rio Shipston 82), Daniels Referee: Robert Harvey Attendance: 2,187
