Latest news with #CARDIFFCITY
Irish Examiner
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Champions League debutants Athlone Town slay Cardiff City
Women's Champions League, first round ATHLONE TOWN 4 (Izzy Groves 15, Róisín Molloy 40, 43, Hannah Waesch 49) CARDIFF CITY 0 Wales got the better of Ireland for a Euros spot but there was a sinew of revenge on the club front by Athlone Town dumping Cardiff City out of the Champions League. This was the first time in 42 years for Athlone Town to sample the European stage – the first time for the women's team – and they made their mark with an emphatic first-half blitz to slay the Welsh dragons. Athlone's women's team has always carried a transatlantic influence, with four in the starting team from USA and Canada, but Róisín Molloy from Gurteen in Sligo was the star that shone brightest. A marauding presence from the right flank, she teed up captain Izzy Groves to fire home a 15th minute breakthrough before swelling the lead with a brace within three minutes approaching the break. Hannah Waesch slotted in from close-range within four minutes of the restart to complete the rout, allowing manager Colin Fortune to rest players with Saturday's second round tie against Croatian side ZNK Agram in mind. Shannon Evans of Cardiff City tries to keep a shot from Roisin Molloy from crossing the line. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Former Ireland manager Vera Pauw criticised Uefa for recalibrating Uefa's sole women's competition in favour of the larger powerbrokers, suppressing any slim prospect of an outlier emerging from the shadows to cause a shock. Restructuring changed the old 16-team group stage that kicked off the competition into an 18-club league phase. That entails three rounds of qualifying – beginning with this Celtic derby in the first round of the Champions Path. It means a quick turnaround for Athlone but at least to do again have home advantage. That worked a treat on this occasion, for the sold-out sign was raised four hours before kick-off, leading to queues around a Lissywollen Stadium that struggles to attract 400 for the men's team. As it transpired, an historic number of 1,916 was declared for a crowd that did include Ireland assistant manager Alan Mahon. At 23, Molloy is someone the international management could be minded to consider with the Uefa Nations League playoff against Belgium approaching in October. ATHLONE TOWN: M Plaschko; K Brennan (I Ryan 85), S Brennan, N McNally, K Shine; H Waesch, I Groves (K Slevin 70); R Molloy (A Murphy 82), S Rice, M Gibson; K Brady (H Donegan 70). CARDIFF CITY: C Chamberlain: L Owen, F Price, H Evans, N Jenkins; F Barry, K Walklett, L Billingham, M Cook; H Evans, L Curnock. Referee: Karoline Marie Jensen (NOR)
The Irish Sun
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Devastated Aaron Ramsey and Cardiff City flops forced to rush to AWARDS NIGHT just moments after being relegated
CARDIFF CITY flops led by caretaker boss Aaron Ramsey were forced to attend a player awards ceremony just hours after being relegated. A 0-0 draw at home to Advertisement 3 Aaron Ramsey was close to tears after relegation Credit: X: CardiffCityFC 3 The ex-Arsenal star led his side to the club's player awards night just hours after relegation Credit: Getty Players were in tears at the final whistle but had to dust themselves down to appear at the club's awards night just two-and-a-half hours later. The event, which took place at the But fans who attended the evening were left drowning their sorrows rather than celebrating. And one supporter in attendance tweeted: "Saw Ramsey and the coaching staff in the entrance, they didn't want to be here, nearly in tears they was. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL "You can tell they care. Could tell on their faces they was gutted, wish they had longer." A disastrous campaign has seen Cardiff win just nine of their 45 Championship games as they drop into the third tier for the first time since 2003. The relegation comes just six seasons after they fell out the Premier League under Neil Warnock in 2019. Advertisement Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS But after being unable to save them, the dejected Welshman said: "I'm gutted. I'm a fan as well and I'm sad to see this club going down. "The fans have had a difficult time this season and I really feel for them. I know how they are feeling. 'Love this for him' - Arsenal fans go wild as Aaron Ramsey, 34, goads Stoke supporters 15 years after injury horror "But also, I want to say I'm proud of the last couple of performances. I think the level of effort that the players have put in and the information they have taken on in a short space of time is evident to see. Advertisement "But the reality is we have not been good enough over the course of the season and we have to accept that." Ramsey has overseen two draws so far and he comes up against fellow ex-Gunner Jack Wilshere's Wilshere, 33, who was coaching at Carrow Road, is in charge of the Canaries' last two matches after Johannes Hoff Thorup was axed. Cardiff's leading fan group has blamed controversial owner Vincent Tan for relegation and demanded an experienced manager gets appointed, with Ramsey as his assistant. Advertisement 3 Callum Robinson was voted player of the season Credit: Rex
