Latest news with #SSEAirtricityMen'sPremierDivision
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Two injured as Bohs and Derry City fans clash with sticks, bats and iron bars
Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street. Carl Winchester of Derry City after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Derry City players Carl Winchester, Sam Todd and Mark Connolly after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Videos circulating online appear to show trouble outside the stadium. Two people were injured after rival fans clashed with sticks, bats and iron bars at last night's match between Bohemians and Derry City. Violent scenes unfolded outside the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry before and after the League of Ireland fixture. Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street. Today the PSNI said two people needed hospital treatment. Videos circulating online appear to show trouble outside the stadium. News in 90 Seconds - July 26th Local SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan was at the game, and said he was left frightened by what he had witnessed. Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy, meanwhile, said 'so-called football supporters from Dublin' attacked local people. Police believe the violence was orchestrated. Derry City players Carl Winchester, Sam Todd and Mark Connolly after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile The PSNI said disorder was focused in the Lecky Road and Lone Moor Road areas. 'Shortly after 7pm on Friday evening, police were made aware of two large groups of rival football supporters in the area attacking each other near the Lecky Road flyover with sticks, bats and iron bars and causing damage to buildings and cars parked in the area. "A teenage boy and a man aged in his 20s sustained injuries as a result of this incident and were taken to hospital for treatment. "Further disorder then occurred in the vicinity of the Brandywell stadium during and after a football match which was taking place. "Officers were in attendance and worked along with stadium staff to bring the disorder under control. No arrests have been made at this time.' Superintendent William Calderwood said: 'We believe that the disorder we witnessed on Friday evening was pre-arranged and we will be reviewing all available footage to identify those involved.' Speaking today, Mr Durkan condemned the trouble, saying 'thugs came to Derry masked and armed with an array of weapons.' He said: 'In terms of scale and the level of violence and danger to those in the vicinity, we haven't seen anything like this and I hope we never do again." Mr Durkan said he was late to the match due to an unrelated incident, and arrived to find the stadium 'in lockdown'. He said a bus-load of fans – separate to the organised Bohs travelling support – arrived in the city and caused problems, which continued after the full-time whistle when some locals retaliated. 'A bus-load of people - I wouldn't call them fans - came here intent on causing bother,' he said. 'I can't be certain it was an organised fight but there certainly seemed to be elements of choreography to their attack. 'The stewards at the Brandywell were under a lot of pressure. I was speaking to them in the second half and after the match, and they did their best in a very difficult situation. So too the police, who were liaising with the stewards and the security team at the Brandywell.' Mr Durkan described how he had to leave quickly after a group of visiting fans ran in his direction. 'At one point the Derry security team was trying to keep the Bohs fans in the ground but 40 or 50 broke away and just came towards where I was standing,' he added. 'It was genuinely scary. I don't scare easily but we did turn on our heels and go in the opposite direction. "People were genuinely frightened and that shouldn't be the case, especially when they go to a football match.' Mr Durkan said trouble continued as the game ended. Carl Winchester of Derry City after a flare was thrown onto the pitch during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Bohemians at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile 'There were people gathered with sticks, golf clubs and fireworks. They were roaming the perimeter prior to the match ending, and they were masked up as well,' he said. 'So while I have pointed the finger, accurately I believe, at the people who came on the bus for starting the bother, the stuff afterwards was retaliatory.' The match was also briefly suspended after a flare was thrown from outside the ground onto the pitch. Local Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy also condemned the trouble. He said many people in the area had felt frightened. 'The sight of masked youths armed with an array of weapons, and fighting in the streets before turning on the PSNI, was terrifying for local residents, including children, who witnessed this appalling violence,' he said. 'In what seems to have been a pre-arranged attack connected to a football match at the Brandywell, the violence erupted when so-called football supporters from Dublin attacked local youths as well as cars and property belonging to residents. "That is disgraceful and the violence that took place on our streets needs to be condemned. "It threatened the safety and well-being of local residents and stands in stark contrast to the fantastic work that is going on in the area through the Féile and the redevelopment of Meenan Square.' The match finished in a 1-1 draw. Afolabi Akinyemi's first goal for the Candystripes broke the deadlock, before Ross Tierney levelled things for Bohemians. Derry City and Bohemians have been contacted for comment.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Padraig Amond bags brace as Waterford extend Galway's losing run
A Pádraig Amond double aided Waterford FC in earning three points on the road, as the Blues defeated Galway United 4-2 at Eamonn Deacy Park. Before tonight's encounter, John Caulfield's side came into the fixture having won the previous six home fixtures against Waterford, but that record was halted due to a bright Blues performance. The visitors started on the front foot, with the first chance of the game arriving from a set-piece. United's on-loan shot-stopper Evan Watts failed to collect a corner kick, but, to the relief of the home faithful, Waterford were unable to get a touch goalwards. At the other end of the pitch, recent signing Aaron Bolger almost caught Stephen McMullan out with an in-swinging cross, while the Waterford keeper was well placed to save a Robert Slevin header. The damp evening on Corrib-sdie brought greasy conditions, as two clubs positioned in the bottom half of the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division table put in some strong challenges in the crucial six-pointer. Throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Blues looked threatening on the counter-attack, and it was Pádraig Amond who had the first clear-cut chance of the half. The experienced striker did well to get in behind the home defence, but his tame close-range effort was welcomed by Watts. John Coleman's team continued to mount attacks, and following some neat build-up play, Conan Noonan produced a moment of quality to put them in front in the 31st minute. Tommy Lonergan teed up Amond, who neatly sent the talented Noonan beyond the United backline, and the midfielder, on loan from Shamrock Rovers, arrowed a low strike beyond Watts and into the bottom corner to the delight of the travelling support. Moses Dyer's departure from the Tribesmen has been evident in the last few fixtures, and it continued to be the case tonight as the home team struggled to create many clear-cut openings. The second half saw Waterford continue where they left off as Amond doubled the Blues' lead just after the break. In the 47th minute, Amond once again got in behind the opposition defence and demonstrated his poacher instincts to volley home his 11th league goal of the season. The Tribesmen fought back, and the introduction of debutant Dara McGuinness brought more energy to their attack, which assisted in United gaining a lifeline in the 59th minute. Following an awarding of a free kick, substitute David Hurley delivered a teasing ball into the box, which was met by Stephen Walsh, who did superbly to find the bottom corner with a precise header to halve the deficit. Following a flurry of action, three goals arrived in the space of five minutes. In the 73rd minute, Darragh Leahy benefitted from a set piece to restore the Blues' two-goal advantage but two minutes later, the lively McGuinness cannoned home his first goal in maroon. That moment of optimism for the United supporters was short-lived, as Amond slotted home his second from the penalty spot in the 78th minute. Chances continued to fall at both ends but it finished 4-2, Waterford picking up a vital win away from home. Galway United: Watts; Slevin, Brouder (Buckley 67), Walsh, Cunningham; Shaw (McGuinness 45), Borden (Hurley 45), Burns, McCarthy (Keohane 61), Esua; Bolger (Piesold 81).
RTÉ News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Shelbourne tempo will be key to getting better of out-of-season Linfield
Richie Towell says Shelbourne must use the disparity in match sharpness to their advantage when they face Linfield in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier at Tolka Park. The first leg fixture between last season's SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division champions and NIFL Premiership holders will be live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Shels go into the game after a period of turmoil following Damien Duff's abrupt decision to depart as manager two weeks ago. But the Reds have looked to bring about some stability by appointing Duff's long-time assistant, former Republic of Ireland and Premier League defender Joey O'Brien, as head coach. After back-to-back draws as interim boss, O'Brien's Shels got back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over bottom side Cork City on Friday. That will breathe confidence back into their ranks. But ahead of the Linfield clash on Wednesday and next week's second leg in Belfast, former Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk midfielder Towell believes the tempo Shels play at will be key to their hopes, given that David Healy's side are in pre-season mode - with the exception of a NIFL Charity Shield fixture against Dungannon Swifts last Friday. "For Shelbourne to get the draw that they have, it's a massive, massive bonus for them," he said. "Linfield are in the midst of pre-season now. Paul (Corry) will tell you, when you're in the midst of pre-season, you never feel great. "Pre-season is a hard slog. You come back in after having a couple of weeks off and it's a grind. The legs constantly feel heavy. "I remember even when I was at Brighton, full of Championship and Premier Leauge players, and you'd go and play against a League Two team, and you'd be getting beaten 2-0 and you just feel like, 'What's going on here?' You can't get the legs going. "So hopefully the Linfield players are a little bit like that. Now, I know times have changed and it's not running until you get sick anymore. It's a lot more science based. "I do understand that. But still, Shelbourne are in the middle of the season, they should be firing all guns blazing. They have to go for it, they have to go for the jugular. "They're playing against a Linfield team who, as we said, are in pre-season. If (Shelbourne) don't go and really raise the levels and have a really high tempo against them, it could backfire." Also speaking on the podcast, former Sheffield Wednesday, UCD and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Paul Corry, who agreed that Shelbourne have a "huge advantage" over Linfield when it comes to match sharpness, highlighted how vital getting through the tie is if the Drumcondra club harbour any hopes of playing league phase football in Europe with all the financial benefits accrued. As Shamrock Rovers showed last season, getting to at least the second qualifying round in the Champions League makes the path that bit wider towards the Conference League's own league phase. And Corry feels Shels are showing signs of a return to form under O'Brien just in time for Linfield, with Harry Wood and Mipo Odubeko among the goals more often. "There's been a little bit of a bounce in some of the performances since Damien Duff has left," he said. "They're obviously giving away very sloppy goals but even the little bounce in the likes of Odubeko, who's come in and probably has a little bit more confidence. "He's come in, he's scored goals. I know he's missed chances and that was very evident when they played Galway (United). But there are small little bits of hope there for Shels fans that they have turned a little bit of a corner in the last 7-10 days and you'd be hoping that they can continue on that trajectory over the next ten days which is ultimately going to be the most important stage of their season."
RTÉ News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Bohemians brilliant in derby but 'tweaking' can push them on
David McMillan believes a few more tweaks to Bohemians' squad during this summer window are necessary to push them on further after an outstanding display in the Dublin derby victory over Shamrock Rovers on Monday night. Second-placed Bohs came into the game off the back of a damaging defeat at Waterford on Friday but harried and pressed Rovers in the first half at Dalymount Park three days later on route to a 2-0 win. The result puts Alan Reynolds' side nine points behind their derby rivals with two games in hand in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division to give a glimmer of hope to neutrals that a title race might still be a possibility. But looking at the Gypsies' squad, former Dundalk striker McMillan told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast that areas of the squad still need strengthening in spite of their decent run of form in recent weeks, capped by Monday's outstanding display on and off the ball. "Huge credit to Bohemians and the disappointment from (Alan) Reynolds' point of view is that they've lost so many games as well when they can perform as well as that," he said of a team that has remarkably not drawn a single game in the league this season. "I think if they can get a couple of reinforcements in, particularly in defensive areas... particularly with (Seán) Grehan gone, the fact that they've spent most of the season playing centre-mids at full back will tell me still that - and I thought this at the end of last season and I still think it - there's a bit of tweaking needed to that squad, even if it's just bringing in full backs and centre backs to allow those other midfielders to move into midfield. "I don't think they're a million miles away. I thought that at the end of last season and I still think a couple of good signings and they can improve and push on. "Whether they're close enough to challenge Rovers I think is very debatable but certainly from their perspective from where they were earlier in the season, from where Alan Reynolds was at half time in the game in Tallaght a couple of months ago to where he is now, it's brilliant from a Bohs perspective." Reynolds was under huge pressure from the Bohs fanbase at the time that they fell 2-0 down to Rovers in April but their comeback to win that game sparked a strong run which has lifted them up to second. Reynolds was able to enjoy the praise from the fans after Monday's game after being pushed towards the front of the stand by his in-form midfielder Ross Tierney and even indulged in some uncharacteristic Jurgen Klopp-like fist-pumping. His former team-mate Alan Cawley, also speaking on the podcast, expressed delight at the turnaround for the former Waterford boss and ex-Republic of Ireland Under-21 assistant coach. "I'm delighted because I think he has the makings of a really good team but being a really good manager as well. A lot of people know him as a coach," he said. "But I'm delighted to see things working out for him as well and they were brilliant (against Rovers), and if they can carry on that form from now till the end of the season, and they don't have the distraction Shamrock Rovers will have with Europe as well, that might help them also. "So they're in a really good place and if they can just maintain that form, they have a really good chance. But they were brilliant (on Monday night)."
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shelbourne begin life after Damien Duff with a draw as Harry Wood brace salvages a point against Waterford in thriller
HARRY WOOD scored a brace as life after Damien Duff began with a share of the spoils for Shelbourne following a titanic battle with Waterford. The man who gave Duff his finest moment as Shels chief with the goal that won the league title in Advertisement 2 Harry Wood scored twice as Shelbourne drew with Waterford Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 2 Grant Horton of Waterford celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Shelbourne Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile A whirlwind 36 hours for the Tolka Park club saw Joey O'Brien take over as interim manager after And the ex-assistant was on the edge of the touchline like his predecessor, dishing out the orders as a dramatic start to both halves was the tale of this encounter. And he could have been celebrating seven minutes into added time. O'Brien proclaimed in his post-match interview that it was a 'mad 24 hours' and that the players were 'shocked' by Duff's departure early on Sunday morning, but that his players were 'paid professionals', and it was Daniel Kelly who nearly won him his first game in the hotseat only to rattle the bar. The post-Duff era was only three minutes old when the champions struck the front. Advertisement Read More on League of Ireland Tyreke Wilson found space on the left before putting in a cross that saw Mipo Odubeko get a touche that took the ball into the path of Wood at the back post, and he squeezed the ball past Stephen McMullan. The madness continued five minutes later as Shels gifted their hosts an equalising goal. McMullan's long clearance was touched back to Kameron Ledwidge but his header to stopper Conor Kearns fell short before Grant Horton nipped in between defender and keeper to finish to an empty net. It took strong hands from Blues No 1 McMullan to deny the visitors from regaining the lead on 20 minutes. Advertisement Most read in Football Ali Coote cut through the centre before slipping the ball out left to his hitman Odubeko only for his stinging to be kept out. And when Reds attacker Odubeko outmuscled Darragh Leahy on the right five minutes later, he released Wood into a one-on-one run with Jesse Dempsey. Shelbourne manager Damien Duff gives sweet birthday shoutout to his mother after his side's draw against St Pat's And after the winger got the better of the battle, he could not beat McMullan, who saved at his near post. A wind-assisted McMullan goal kick on 41 minutes almost bounced for Amond on 41 minutes but keeper Kearns came out to collect just in front of the striker . Advertisement An incredible start to the first-half was bettered by a kamikaze start to the second. Within three minutes, the champions were the cause of their own downfall again as they fell behind. Paddy Barrett got his clearance all wrong and Conan Noonan's effort was parried by Kearns but striker Amond was on hand to finish the rebound from close range. Sixty seconds later though, interim chief O'Brien was celebrating after Mark Coyle made a lung-bursting run towards goal. Advertisement He then sprayed the ball out for Ali Coote who put in a teasing delivery and Wood was on hand to touch home. There was even time for more drama in the seventh added minute of five added on as the impressive Wood burst from midfield to slip the ball out wide right for Kelly — who let fly with a thunderous strike . But his effort came crashing back off the bar with McMullan beaten. SUN STAR MAN Harry Wood (Shelbourne) Advertisement WATERFORD : McMullan 7; Horton 7 (McCormack 84, 4), McDonald 7 (White 84, 4), Leahy 7, Burke 7, Dempsey 6 (Boyle 62, 5); Lonergan 6, Olayinka 7, Glenfield 7 (McMenamy 72, 5), Noonan 6; Amond 8. SHELBOURNE : Kearns 7; Gannon 7, Barrett 7, Wilson 7 (Norris 62, 5), Ledwidge 7; Lunney 7, Wood 9, Coyle 8 (Chapman 74, 5), Coote 7 (Boyd 74, 5); Odubeko 7 (Martin 86, 4), Caffrey 6 (Kelly 62, 7). REFEREE : D Toland (Athlone) 5
