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The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Galway United earn a draw to end Shamrock Rovers' winning run at the top
Shamrock Rovers 0 Galway United 0 SHAMROCK ROVERS STUTTERED to a stalemate against Galway United but after five successive wins it means this draw will only feel like a missed opportunity heading into the mid-season break rather than something more dramatic. The Hoops remain six points clear at the top of the Premier Division, the same advantage they had at the start of the night with Drogheda United and Bohemians leading the chasing pack. Galway were full value for the point and it's a sign of the division's strength they only jumped one place to seventh as a result. Frustrating nights like this felt like they had a greater consequence for Stephen Bradley's side last season, as their grip on the title was loosened. Now they are the pace setters and as they drove forward looking for a late winner it was more in hope than desperation. Had they managed to nick it in one of the five minutes of added time then maybe it would be looked back on as a significant night, instead it may well be quickly forgotten as players break until mid June. The best moment of the first half came on 26 minutes when Aaron McEneff ghosted into the box off the shoulder of David Hurley and produced an eye-catching bicycle kick from 12 yards after being picked out by Danny Grant's cross on the right. The ball fizzed over the bar but between the sight of his body contorting in mid air and the sweet connection it was enough to awaken the crowd from a midsummer night slumber. It felt like one of those lazy evenings, not due to any lack of industry or effort, merely activity in either box. Advertisement As the half wore on and Galway nullified the league leaders, the natural subplot to follow was the impact of Josh Honohan down Rovers' left. He links up with the senior Republic of Ireland squad this weekend ahead of the friendlies with Senegal and Luxembourg. His international debut will surely come and manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and assistant John O'Shea were in Tallaght Stadium to take in proceedings. He fed one nice pass for Graham Burke to deliver a dangerous cross after nine minutes but other than that his most telling contributions were forgettable ones; mis controlling a diagonal switch of play out for a Galway throw and then being needlessly caught offside when he was looking across the line. This is the kind of scrutiny that comes for any Ireland player, especially one who it seems is about to take the next step in his club career as clubs in the United Kingdom step up their interest. Bradley acknowledged as much this week, admitting it will be a battle to keep hold of the defender this summer, but he still had no qualms about substituting him for 16-year-old Victor Ozhianvuna on 59 minutes after a below par start to the second half. Rovers' Josh Honohan with Jeannot Esua. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Rovers' biggest threat before half time came from the other side when right wing back Danny Grant drove forward, then cut across the 18-yard box before forcing Evan Watts to push his left-footed shot around the post. That remained Rovers' only shot until a tame Michael Noonan header drifted over the bar on 67 minutes. Two penalty appeals had been turned down either side of the break by referee Kevin O'Sullivan. The first was a Burke shot from distance that ricocheted off Rob Slevin's thigh onto his arm, before a coming together between Burke and Greg Cunningham on 54 minutes led to the Hoops forward going down in the area. The hosts remained frustrated and John Caulfield's men resolute, but Bradley could at least turn to quality off the bench to try and find a breakthrough. As well as Ozhianvuna – who is seemingly bound for Arsenal – coming on, last season's player of the year, Dylan Watts, replaced Jack Byrne, and playmaker Danny Mandroiu got the last half hour in place of McEneff. Veteran Aaron Greene also got the nod when Noonan's race was run for the last quarter of an hour, with defender Adam Mathews also withdrawn for striker Rory Gaffney. But with Cian Byrne sitting in front of the Galway defence, and Vince Borden supplementing that defensive work alongside David Hurley and Patrick Hickey, space was congested in the final third. Galway also began to sense more opportunities on the counter and with set-pieces to add another layer of danger. Ozhianvuna had two shots from the near the edge of the box, neither of which found the target, and for the final 10 minutes it was one-way traffic. Galway, though, were doing a great job of creating a bottleneck and Rovers had no way through. Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Adam Mathews (Rory Gaffney 76), Roberto Lopes, Cory O'Sullivan; Danny Grant, Matt Healy, Jack Byrne (Dylan Watts 69), Aaron McEneff (Danny Mandroiu 59), Graham Burke, Josh Honohan (Victor Ozhianvuna 59); Michael Noonan (Aaron Greene 69) Galway United: Evan Watts; Jeannot Esua, Garry Buckley, Rob Slevin, Greg Cunningham (Robert Burns 57); Patrick Hickey, Cian Byrne, Ed McCarthy, David Hurley (Conor McCarthy 76), Vincent Borden (Stephen Walsh 89); Moses Dyer (Killian Brouder 89). Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan. Attendance: 6,204.
The 42
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Last-gasp goal sees Shamrock Rovers win top-of-the-table clash
Derry City 1 Shamrock Rovers 2 Simon Collins reports from the Ryan McBride Brandywell DERRY MAN Aaron McEneff came back to haunt his hometown club with a last-gasp winning goal, which sent Shamrock Rovers six points clear at the top. Substitutions on both sides influenced this cat-and-mouse encounter on Foyleside, but it was Michael Noonan and McEneff who earned three vital points for the Hoops in the end. Derry haven't won against Rovers in the league in nine attempts, but sub Danny Mullen's fifth goal of the season on 66 minutes put them firmly in the driving seat. That lead lasted less than six minutes as Noonan headed in from close range after Roberto Lopes' long-range strike was turned onto the crossbar by Brian Maher. Against his hometown club! 🫨 Aaron McEneff scores late on that'll surely win it for the visitors. — League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) May 23, 2025 Derry reacted well to that setback, but it was a former hero turned villain at Brandywell, McEneff, who had the last laugh with an 89th-minute winner. Fellow sub, Danny Mandroiu threaded a pass through to Noonan, who picked out McEneff's run towards the near post, and he made no mistake. Advertisement The midfielder was cautioned for his overzealous celebrations in front of the home support in the Southend Park stand to silence a record 5,000-plus attendance. That goal ensured a fifth consecutive win for Rovers and a seventh game unbeaten as the Dubliners ominously started shifting through the gears. Derry started with promise, and Michael Duffy was gifted possession inside Rovers' penalty area when Dan Cleary's attempted clearance fell kindly to the winger, but his curling effort sailed harmlessly wide of the far post. Match referee Marc Lynch issued three contentious yellow cards inside eight first-half minutes to Boyce, Winchester and Rovers' defender O'Sullivan, who was replaced by Josh Honohan after just 18 minutes as Stephen Bradley wasted no time in turning to his bench. Derry carved open the Rovers defence with a neat pass into the feet of Whyte just inside the penalty area on 25 minutes, and the ex-Portsmouth man glided past his man before picking out Boyce eight yards from goal. The striker's first-time strike was deflected behind by Adam Matthews, who recovered well. From the corner,r the ball eventually came to Ferguson in space at the back post, but the full-back fired his effort wide of the target. Rovers' first shot on target arrived on 33 minutes after Ferguson's pass was intercepted inside his own half. Aaron Greene crossed low towards Graham Burke, but his powerful strike was saved comfortably by Brian Maher. Rovers were bossing the ball at the start of the second half, but it was Derry who broke the deadlock in devastating fashion on 66 minutes. Winchester won the ball from Byrne before finding McMullan on the right flank. The winger played a delicious pass to send his fellow Scot Mullen into space, and the former Patrick Thistle striker finished expertly past Ed McGinty. That lead lasted less than six minutes as Roberto Lopes' ferocious strike from distance was turned onto the bar by Maher, but substitute Noonan reacted to the rebound quickest and headed into the net from close range. McMullan and Mullen combined brilliantly again on 75 minutes, but the latter couldn't get enough lift on the ball to guide it over the head of McGinty who snuffed out the danger. Matthews made an important block to deny Duffy's close-range strike with nine minutes remaining as Derry went in search of a winner. Rovers issued a killer blow in the final minute when Mandroiu split the defence with a searching pass into Noonan, who picked out the run of McEnef,f and the Derry man made no mistake with a clinical finish. Four minutes of stoppage time were signalled, but Derry couldn't find an equaliser as their four-match unbeaten run came to an end. Derry City: Maher; Ferguson (Doherty 77), Connolly, Holt, Cann, Todd; Whyte (McMullan 60), O'Reilly (Benson 84), Winchester, Duffy (Hoban 84); Boyce (Mullen 60); Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Matthews, Lopes, Cleary, Grant, O'Sullivan (Honohan 18), Byrne (McEneff 77), Nugent (Mandroiu), Burke (Watts 64), Greene (Noonan 64). Referee: Marc Lynch.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackburn Rovers trio earn international recognition after recalls
Yuki Ohashi has joined Balazs Toth and Kirsti Montgomery in earning a call-up for his national team's June fixtures. Rovers had no first-team players away with their countries in the March international break. However, that has changed this time around with Ohashi and Toth recalled by Japan and Hungary, respectively. Both were central to Rovers' late flurry of wins at the end of the season. Ohashi finished as the club's top-scorer, netting on the final day at Sheffield United whilst Toth started the last six league matches in which Valerien Ismael's side were unbeaten. Japan travel to face Australia on June 5 before hosting Indonesia five days later on June 10. Both games are World Cup qualifying matches, with Japan already qualified in first place with 20 points from eight games. READ MORE: Ohashi has been called up twice previously but is still looking to add to his solitary cap and score his maiden goal. Rovers will be keen for the forward to rest this summer having played a season and a half of football without a break. Toth will be hoping his form for Rovers can earn him a second cap for Hungary. First up, it's a clash against former head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson with Sweden on Friday, June 6. That is followed by a trip to Mardakan, for their second and final friendly of the camp against Azerbaijan, with the test to be played at the Dalga Arena. Montgomery has been rewarded for his breakthrough end to the season with Rovers by earning his first Scotland Under-20 call-up. Scot Gemmill's side face Slovakia on Friday, May 23, in a match that will serve as preparation for the Under-21 European qualifiers which begin in September. Having previously represented Scotland at Under-16 level, this latest call-up is Montgomery's first involvement at Under-20 level.
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Stephen Bradley credits players for maintaining fitness levels during unusual pre-season as Rovers go top
STEPHEN BRADLEY admitted there were pre-season doubts that made going top of the table last night all the more pleasing. Bradley's Shamrock Rovers moved into first place after There are only 15 games gone, but with the joint fewest goals conceded, and the most scored, and a team with title winning knowhow, Rovers look to mean business. But the Rovers' boss acknowledged that their European run that extended last year and forced a shorter pre-season meant he did have a small fear his team would start badly. He said: 'Yeah, it could have easily (have gone wrong). 'You make a decision to play one game in pre-season, and most teams will play six, seven, eight or nine, it could have gone really bad. Read More On Irish Football 'But I trust the players, I trust that they show up. Whether you give them eight weeks off or three weeks off, I trust that they'll show up and are ready to go. 'That's why they are here and that's why they have been the best. But it could easily go wrong when you only play one game. 'I think we had 20-something training games. Normally we'd have eight weeks. A lot more. Easily double (the training sessions). 'We had 22 days, I think, actual training days, working days, and one game. So it could go easily wrong. Most read in Football 'But something had to give and we gave up the pre-season and the games. 'That's why I'm so happy with where we are right now, because of the lack of preparation we had in pre-season.' Mikel Arteta does a Benitez as he rants about xG and tells Luis Enrique 'look at the stats' after bold Arsenal claim Many of the Hoops' league rivals finished their season at the end of October and were back in training by the team Rovers' season ended against Chelsea on December 19. And while the Hoops' squad did have time off in November, they then took a full break before coming back for the Conference League play-off tie with Molde. Losing on penalties to the Norwegians hurt, but Rovers' maintained contact in the league through the opening round much to the delight of Bradley. He added: 'I think we should have more points to be honest, but I'd take your two hands now if you said to me this is where we'd be. 'When you put everything into context, last year, a really short pre-season, one pre-season game… 'The thought process for the first round of games was just to stay there, just be there. The players have been excellent. 'The pleasing thing is we have four of the five (injured) players coming back on Monday, we know this team only gets stronger as the season goes which is important.' Danny Mandroiu, Dan Cleary, Aaron McEneff and last year's player of the year Dylan Watts will further add to Bradley's options now as he hopes his side can keep winning. 1 His side have accumulated 26 points from their 15 games Bradley continued: 'We have got to go get maximum points and keep our foot down. That's what we'll be looking to do. 'The aim is four games (before the summer break) and win the four of them. Then we can have a few days off, come back. 'History tells you, in the second part of the season we get really strong. But we've been around this league a long time and won enough to know not to get carried away. 'Our aim now will be to push on and get better. We know we get stronger and we know the squad is getting healthier. 'The players we are in our rhythm which is really good, we just need to stay focused and lets see where that takes us. 'If you said to me in November/December when we were planning that this is where we'd be in May, I would have taken your hand off. We're there now we just need to stay focused and keep our foot down.'
Irish Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shamrock Rovers climb top of league table with comprehensive Drogheda victory
Shamrock Rovers 3-0 Drogheda United Rapid-fire Shamrock Rovers have raced to the top of the Premier Division. Facing leaders Drogheda United, it was a frustrating evening for the Hoops until Aaron Greene opened the scoring in the 50th minute. Lee Grace doubled their lead three minutes later as Drogheda's disciplined defence disintegrated, and substitute Rory Gaffney added a third in injury-time. Up to Greene's opener, the Hoops had little joy in the final third and Graham Burke's missed first-half penalty suggested that their luck might be out. The ease with which the Boynesiders comfortably soaked up their hosts' pressure made the nature of Rovers' opener all the more surprising. Drogheda had all 11 players in their half as the ball was cleared down the pitch to home goalkeeper Ed McGinty. He was 20 yards from his area as he took a touch and then passed it to Grace on his right, and as the centre-half launched the ball forward, Greene could barely believe his good fortune. The same defence that had acted like a shield in front of Luke Dennison's goal simply evaporated and Rovers' veteran forward found himself with a clear run on goal. Spotting Dennison's desperate dash off his line, the 35-year-old, who last Monday celebrated his 100th League of Ireland goal, calmly lifted the ball over the US-born keeper and into the net. It was an incredible contrast to Drogheda's previously imperious rearguard display - the only exception being the concession of a penalty just after the half-hour mark. Owen Lambe clipped Josh Honohan, who was turning away from goal, and referee Robert Harvey pointed to the spot. There were almost two minutes between the awarding and the taking of the penalty, but you would have put your house on Burke converting from 12 yards. Yet the man who had been successful with all but two of his 21 previous spot-kicks clipped the outside of the right-hand post with this effort, with a relieved Dennison having dived the wrong way. Suddenly, the Drogheda fans in the 6,101-strong crowd could be heard over the home fans, who had to wait until the 26th minute to see their side's first shot on target. That was another Burke effort, this one from the edge of the area that was low and straight at Dennison. Up to that point, Drogheda's Shane Farrell and Rovers' Jack Byrne were off-target. In the build-up to Friday's game, Rovers boss Stephen Bradley claimed that Drogheda were the best in the league at winning free-kicks. But when it came to the dark arts, their slowing of the game by eating up seconds on goal-kicks and set-pieces was the biggest source of irritation for Bradley and his players. In the end, Rovers were more than happy to take the pace out of the game, thanks to Grace doubling their advantage three minutes after the opener. He rose unmarked at the back post to head Byrne's corner powerfully into the back of the net. With Drogheda forced to abandon their defensive set-up, gaps started to appear, and another link-up between Grace and Greene gave Byrne an opportunity to tee up Matthew Healy. His effort from the edge of the area was saved by Dennison, but the Drogheda goalkeeper was beaten again in injury-time. He raced from his area to challenge substitute Michael Noonan for a through-pass and, as the pair collided with each other, the ball broke to fellow sub Gaffney. The Galwayman will never score an easier goal - he had the simple task of walking the ball unchallenged into an empty net for his third goal of the season. Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty 6; Roberto Lopes 6, Lee Grace 7, Cory O'Sullivan 6; Danny Grant 6 (John O'Sullivan 84), Darragh Nugent 7 (Victor Ozhianvuna 84), Matthew Healy 6, Jack Byrne 7 (Cian Barrett 84), Josh Honohan 6; Graham Burke 6 (Rory Gaffney 72), Aaron Greene 7 (Michael Noonan 73). Drogheda United: Luke Dennison 6; Owen Lambe 6, Elicha Ahui 7, Conor Keeley 8, Frank George-Cooper 7 (Thomas Oluwa 59, 6), Conor Kane 7; Luke Heeney 6, Shane Farrell 6 (Kieran Cruise 72), Ryan Brennan 6 (James Bolger 63, 6); Warren Davis 6, Douglas James-Taylor 6.
