Latest news with #Shelbourne
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'I think we'll be fine' says Cork City's Seani Maguire before jetting off for mid-season break
The League of Ireland's mid-season break is upon us, and Shelbourne manager Damien Duff has again made clear how he feels about it. 'There's an air of the jolly boys out, they are meeting at the terminal tomorrow, they are meeting at the pub in the terminal. "It's a week on the gargle. That's not the football education I had in England,' stated Duff, who recently described this mid-season break as "amateurish." But it's fair to say some of the footballers feel a little differently about it. 'I'm going to Portugal with the family Sunday, for a couple of days, so it'll be a nice little break, just myself, my wife, the baby, and the grandparents,' admitted Seani Maguire, speaking minutes after Duff in the aftermath of Cork City's 1-1 draw with Shelbourne on Friday night. 'I've a couple of buddies over there as well. Yeah, look, I think the mid-season break, you can look at it two different ways, where you can go and just have a break totally away from football. 'But I think the message was clear from the manager in there, that we'll be back in the Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and throughout the week leading up to the Bohs game, because this is a big 18 games for us.' That result proved to be enough to edge City a point clear of bottom club Sligo Rovers at the halfway point in the Premier Division campaign, but it was the performance under newly appointed manager Gerard Nash that provides the club with reasons to be hopeful. 'I think we'll be fine. A couple of lads coming back fit, hopefully a couple more bodies through the door, and we'll see us win a lot more games than we lose' added Maguire, who was also keen to praise Cathal O'Sullivan following rumours linking him with a move to FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. Read More Colin Healy sees Kerry take care of Longford 'I think young Cathal will make his own decision. I think he can be whatever he wants. I think he's one of the best young fellas I've played with, and that includes England. 'Not just because of his talent, it's just his attitude towards everything, I think that's what teams in England will look for first, because you can just see it clear as day how good he is on the ball, he's a joy to play with. 'When he eventually goes to England, I'll be gutted not to play with him again, because of how good he is. 'But I'll be keeping tabs on his career, because I think he'll definitely play for Ireland, he's that good, and he'll definitely go and play at the highest level in football in England. 'His first touch is unbelievable, and it's not just his taking players on 1v1, just the basics of football, he does really well. 'He plays like a fella that's probably 10 years older than his age. He's brilliant, and as I said, his attitude is A1. 'He's so strong. Even in training there could be two or three lads hanging off him, and he just stands up. 'You see him in games there, he's getting kicked, he's getting lashes in the back, and he just keeps going and going and going. 'He'll go on to have an unbelievable career, I've no doubts about that.' Maguire also spoke highly of Djenairo Daniels, who he has struck up a promising partnership with in the absence of the injured Ruairí Keating. Cork City's Djenairo Daniels celebrates scoring a penalty with Sean Maguire. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane Daniels signed for City at the end of April with the club announcing at the time that it was a short-term deal until July. But it is understood the 23-year-old Dutch striker's deal will actually expire at the end of the season, although he could still sign for another club this summer with City entitled to a fee. 'DD, since he's come in, he's done really well,' continued Maguire. 'Obviously he didn't play in quite a while, and to come in and play so many games in a short space of time is a credit to him. 'He's a fit lad, he's a strong boy, he's quick, he has everything to be a top striker. He's scored goals there that are poacher's goals. 'You can see tonight the little, short and long passes, and the combination plays that we were doing, and I enjoyed playing with him tonight. 'I've only just come back in the team, and started to play with him, and I don't want to have that partnership with him, and to see him go. 'Hopefully the club get it sorted, and he'll be here for however long he wants to be.'
The 42
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
The American college graduate who has taken Irish football by storm
THE CLICHÉ when Irish clubs acquire foreign players is that they will need time to adapt and adjust to the rhythm and pace of the Premier Division. However, this year, in both men's and women's top flights, a pre-season signing from abroad sits at the top of the scoring charts. In the men's game, New Zealand international Moses Dyer has been the league's most prolific player with nine goals since joining Galway in January. For Shelbourne Women, Mackenzie Anthony has had a similarly positive impact. The 23-year-old American has eight league goals from seven starts, leaving her joint top-scorer in the Premier Division alongside Athlone Town's New York-born forward Kelly Brady. Brady recently pipped Anthony to April's Player of the Month award, and it looks like it could be a race between the two Americans for the Golden Boot. Anthony's background is in college football in the US, while studying for a degree in advertising management. Last autumn, she graduated from Michigan State University after two years there, having previously played three seasons at Baylor University in Texas. Anthony subsequently went on trial with teams in the US, but had never been to Europe before and wanted to go 'just for the culture and the experience'. She considered Scandinavian countries but was keen to play somewhere where the main language was English. Ireland had not been on her radar until Eoin Wearen got in touch last February. The Shelbourne manager had previously coached in Anthony's home city, Chicago. He had never met Anthony during that time, but did coach one of her best friends in football, Bella Najera. Anthony also spoke with another US-born footballer, Maggie Pierce, who had a similar background in high-level college football and who spent two years at Shelbourne before departing at the end of 2024. Three weeks after Wearen initially got in touch, Anthony received her holiday visa and was ready to go for the new season. Mackenzie Anthony has been in flying form this season for Shels. All her goals so far 🔥 — League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) May 7, 2025 Advertisement The young striker has enjoyed her time in Ireland so far and finds it very 'different' to her US football experience. 'It's very technical and very much touch play, quick passes, which I feel like, in the States, you're dribbling a lot more, I would say, especially up in the attack,' Anthony tells The 42. 'I thought it was interesting — everybody knows everybody in this league. 'People are dropping first names and it was funny because I didn't realise, everyone's been playing against each other for years, or even with each other, which I guess it is how it is in the States, but not to that extent, where everybody knows everybody's strengths, everybody's weaknesses, in and out.' The Wheaton, Illinois native couldn't have asked for a much better start, averaging better than a goal a game in the league and coming off the bench to score an equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Bohemians in the All-Island Cup last weekend. The US star also describes her adjustment off the pitch as 'smoother than I thought it was going to be'. Based in Castleknock, she is roommates with Shelbourne goalkeeper Amanda McQuillan and recently got a Bernese Mountain Dog named Murphy to 'hang out with all day'. Anthony has been able to get away for short trips to England and Spain during breaks in the season, and soon plans on visiting Italy with fellow American Shels player Gabby DelPico. She compares this stint at Shelbourne to a 'semester abroad' and finds it less exhausting compared to the lifestyle she was accustomed to in the States. 'I was going to get a part-time job at a coffee shop. I still might, but I just have so much time,' she adds. 'What's nice about this league, actually, is you do get so much time. Because I know in America, in college, your life revolves around soccer. 'School was part of it, but I feel like it was mainly just soccer that consumed you. 'So it's been nice having more of a balance, getting to do so much more, and travel and explore.' The downside is that Anthony is playing in a part-time league where only some clubs pay travelling expenses. 'I would say I do wish it was more like full time, but it has given me the freedom to do more and just relax after five years of very intense soccer and it also gives my body a little break, I'd say, just not training as much — I feel like I'm able to recover better. 'But in the future, I do think I'd want to go back to being more full-time. I could do that, play professionally, full-time.' In the US, Anthony would play twice a week and train four times, meaning she invariably got one day off a week. 'And even on that day off, we would have to be doing treatment, massages, still going in to lift, maybe, an optional lift and rehab, just injury stuff,' she explains. Anthony believes this background is part of the reason why she has looked so impressive since moving to Shelbourne. In the States, however, she did not always thrive in the demanding environment. 'It's easy to lose that love for the game when it has become such a monotonous thing. 'But here I'm excited for training. I'm excited for the games. It's not like I wasn't excited then, but I feel like I would get nervous before games. And here, I don't, which has been really freeing, I would say.' She is not anticipating a lengthy career in the game but hopes to compete at a high level for 'at least' another four years. 'Coming here, I was hoping I'd figure out more what I'd want to do once I'm done with playing,' she says. 'But I don't really know.' Anthony grew up competing in tennis and soccer, ultimately deciding to focus on the latter while in eighth grade. 'My parents were like: 'You've got to pick a sport. It's too much money to pay for two.'' At the age of just 14, Anthony's footballing talent led to her being recruited by Baylor University. It took the pressure off the final years of high school, knowing she had a college place secured. 'My friends were all going through it when they were juniors and seniors. It was nice that I didn't have to worry about any of it.' While appreciative of the opportunities soccer has afforded her, Anthony admits there have been some dark moments too, such as when she missed an entire season after suffering an ACL injury in her second year of college. 'There was a lot of being like: 'Do I even want to play anymore?' Asking those questions. There was a point when my dad told me to quit because it got so stressful. 'I remember it was my fourth year, spring, and I was just really down and no confidence, nothing. 'And then I went and did Summer League [an amateur and semi-professional competition that US college players can avail of in the off-season], and I loved the game again. I was playing, and I was having fun with it. And you just, you remember [why I played in the first place] 'So there's going to be ups and downs — it [applies] everywhere. Just know, throughout your career, you're going to have so many ups and downs, and that's just normal. It's not normal to be only up — then something's wrong.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘It's a week on the gargle' – Damien Duff slams LOI mid-season break after half-time rant in Shelbourne draw vs Cork
DAMIEN DUFF let loose on his Shelbourne players with a half-time tirade during their 1-1 draw against Cork City. A fan video from outside the Turner's Cross changing rooms caught some of Duff's 'ranting and raving' through an open window after a below-par first half. 2 Shelbourne drew 1-1 with Cork City Credit: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile 2 Damien Duff slammed his team's performance Credit: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile Duff said of his half-time rant: 'I haven't done that in a long time, and I wasn't planning it, but sometimes you are driven towards it. 'You can talk tactics and subs, but sometimes when a manager vents, it's for themselves. That wasn't for myself. It was to get a reaction out of them. 'Does it usually work ? No. Did it work in the second half? We were better. Was it because of that? I don't know. Read More on Shelbourne 'It could have been the subs. It could have been our application. 'The first half wasn't a Shelbourne performance. It wasn't a performance befitting champions. 'To win a league again and be up there or thereabouts again, you need a bigger edge. Everything has to be better than the year before, and it hasn't been. That's why we are where we are.' Duff also admitted that he 'fought tooth and nail' with some of his players over their holidays . Most read in Football When asked about the mid-season break, he replied: 'I have never liked it. The flipside is it has come at a good time for us as it's a time for reflection, but I don't like it. 'There's an air of the jolly boys out. They are meeting at the pub in the terminal. It's a week on the gargle. That's not the football education I had in Shelbourne manager Damien Duff gives sweet birthday shoutout to his mother after his side's draw against St Pat's 'People probably think I am unfair saying it. I think it's ingrained in the culture here. It's ingrained in my guys. I fought tooth and nail with my guys. I am not happy with some of my guys on it, but that's for another day. 'But they have had a different football education to what I've had. I was taught differently, and that's why it doesn't sit right with me.' At the league's halfway mark, fifth-placed Shels remain nine points behind front-runners He stressed: 'There's a long way to go. We are still alive and kicking. We still have a heartbeat, and I know it because they are great guys. 'We have certainly dropped a lot of points along the way with basic individual errors when we have dominated games. Different story here. 'I love challenges. It gets me excited. If it doesn't excite our players and the club, the second half of the season, be it the FAI Cup, Europe , or chasing Rovers down, then they are in the wrong place. 'Nine points is a pretty big gap, but if you have a decent fortnight in the League of Ireland , you can claw it back. 'I wouldn't say it's a big challenge. I have always embraced big challenges. Taking over Shelbourne Football Club was a hell of a big challenge. 'Cup final the first year, Europe the second year, won the league the third year. They are big challenges, but we overcome them, because that's what we do.' SUBS STANDARD For the second time in the past month, Duff made a triple substitution at half-time, including the return of Paddy Barrett in defence. Duff warned: 'It could have been more. Absolutely could have been more. 'We can't waste 45 minutes. We talk about not wasting a moment, an action, you can't waste a half of football. 'It's a common theme here: if you waste a half, you are coming off. 'They are not decisions which should make you nervous or afraid of giving the ball away. When lads come off lacking energy and spark, and there's a flatness about them, that's why. 'Unbelievable quality all week, and then maybe they thought they could roll into Turner's Cross and turn Cork over. It doesn't happen like that in Turner's Cross. 'Maybe they have stopped listening, I don't know. Sure, we got a reaction in the second half, and even in the first half, you can say we showed resilience getting in at 0-0 because the fire was coming.'
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'A week on the gargle' - Damien Duff slams mid-season break
Damien Duff let loose on his Shelbourne players with a half-time tirade during their 1-1 draw against Cork City. A fan video from outside the Turner's Cross changing rooms caught some of Duff's "ranting and raving" through an open window after a below-par first half. Post-match, the Shels supremo suggested his side "probably had one eye on Dublin Airport and not on the game" ahead of the mid-season break. Duff said of his half-time rant: "I haven't done that in a long time, and I wasn't planning it, but sometimes you are driven towards it. "You can talk tactics and subs, but sometimes when a manager vents, it's for themselves. That wasn't for myself. It was to get a reaction out of them. "Does it usually work? No. Did it work in the second half? We were better. Was it because of that? I don't know. "It could have been the subs. It could have been our application. "The first half wasn't a Shelbourne performance. It wasn't a performance befitting champions. "To win a league again and be up there or thereabouts again, you need a bigger edge. Everything has to be better than the year before, and it hasn't been. That's why we are where we are." Duff also admitted that he "fought tooth and nail" with some of his players over their holidays. When asked about the mid-season break, he replied: "I have never liked it. The flipside is it has come at a good time for us as it's a time for reflection, but I don't like it. "There's an air of the jolly boys out. They are meeting at the pub in the terminal. It's a week on the gargle. That's not the football education I had in England. "People probably think I am unfair saying it. I think it's ingrained in the culture here. It's ingrained in my guys. I fought tooth and nail with my guys. I am not happy with some of my guys on it, but that's for another day. "But they have had a different football education to what I've had. I was taught differently, and that's why it doesn't sit right with me. "At the league's halfway mark, fifth-placed Shels remain nine points behind front-runners Shamrock Rovers. But Duff insists his side are not out of contention. "There's a long way to go. We are still alive and kicking. We still have a heartbeat, and I know it because they are great guys. "We have certainly dropped a lot of points along the way with basic individual errors when we have dominated games. Different story here. "I love challenges. It gets me excited. If it doesn't excite our players and the club, the second half of the season, be it the FAI Cup, Europe, or chasing Rovers down, then they are in the wrong place. "Nine points is a pretty big gap, but if you have a decent fortnight in the League of Ireland, you can claw it back. "I wouldn't say it's a big challenge. I have always embraced big challenges. Taking over Shelbourne Football Club was a hell of a big challenge. "There's an air of the jolly boys out. They are meeting at the pub in the terminal. It's a week on the gargle. That's not the football education I had in England" "Cup final the first year, Europe the second year, won the league the third year. They are big challenges, but we overcome them, because that's what we do. "For the second time in the past month, Duff made a triple substitution at half-time, including the return of Paddy Barrett in defence. "It could have been more. Absolutely could have been more," said Duff. "We can't waste 45 minutes. We talk about not wasting a moment, an action, you can't waste a half of football. "It's a common theme here: if you waste a half, you are coming off. "They are not decisions which should make you nervous or afraid of giving the ball away. When lads come off lacking energy and spark, and there's a flatness about them, that's why. "Unbelievable quality all week, and then maybe they thought they could roll into Turner's Cross and turn Cork over. It doesn't happen like that in Turner's Cross. "Maybe they have stopped listening, I don't know. Sure, we got a reaction in the second half, and even in the first half, you can say we showed resilience getting in at 0-0 because the fire was coming."
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'It's a week on the gargle' - Damien Duff defends half time rant but hits out at mid-season break
In this day and age, where camera phones are everywhere, it's hard to get away with much. Particularly when you're a high-profile figure such as Damien Duff. And that again proved to be the case on Friday night as during the half-time break, when Duff thought he was having an angry word or four with his players in the privacy dressing room, opportunistic City fans were lingering outside the small window at the back of the Shed recording footage. Despite the scoreline remaining at 0-0, Duff clearly wasn't pleased at the performance of his players as City had dominated throughout the opening 45. "I was wondering why people. . . I haven't done that in a long time, and I wasn't planning it, but sometimes you are driven towards it," admitted Duff, who was surprised to learn in the aftermath of their 1-1 draw that the audio had been doing the rounds on social media. Live scenes from Turners Cross as Damien 😈 delivers the half time team talk — The Other 3 Amigos Podcast (@TheOther3Amigos) May 30, 2025 "You can talk tactics, subs, but sometimes when a manager vents it's for themselves. That wasn't for myself. It was to get a reaction out of them, to get a jolt out of them. "Does it usually work? No. Did it work in the second half? We were better. Was it because of that? I don't know. It could have been the subs, it could have been our application. The first half wasn't a Shelbourne performance, it wasn't a performance befitting champions. "To win a league again and be up there or thereabouts again, you need a bigger edge, everything has to be better than the year before and it hasn't been, and that's why we are where we are. "Does it worry me? It's not the time to worry or dwell, it's the time to act. We made changes, but an incredible flatness, which I find incredible, an amazing training week, I complimented them on it yesterday before training. "Training again was excellent, it was a training week that I've seen when I've been at elite clubs, where everyone trains with an edge, togetherness, driving each other on. Unbelievable quality all week and then maybe they thought they could roll into Turner's Cross and turn Cork over. "It doesn't happen like that in Turner's Cross. Maybe they have stopped listening, I don't know. Sure, we got a reaction in the second half, and even in the first half you can say we showed resilience getting in at 0-0 because the fire was coming, and they got in at 0-0." The stalemate on Leeside leaves the champions in fifth place, nine points adrift of Shamrock Rovers at the top of the Premier Division. Asked about the challenge his club now faces in order to retain their crown and if it is achievable, Duff admitted: "I think it is in this league. "Good three weeks and that's what Rovers have done, and pulled away. We have certainly dropped a lot of points along the way with basic individual errors when we have dominated games. "Different story here, counter-attack goal brilliant from Sean's point of view, awful from ours. I love challenges, it gets me excited. Read More Honours even as Shelbourne deny Cork City much-needed victory "Here, if it doesn't excite our players and the club, the second half of the season, be it the FAI Cup, Europe or chasing Rovers down, then they are in the wrong place. "Nine points, it's a pretty big gap but if you have a decent fortnight in the League of Ireland you can claw it back. "I wouldn't say it's a big challenge. I have always embraced big challenges. "Taking over Shelbourne Football Club was a hell of a big challenge. Cup final the first year, Europe the second year, won the league the third year, they are big challenges but we overcome them, because that's what we do." The City clash officially marked the half-way point in the League of Ireland season, with the players now getting the opportunity to go on holiday before returning to action in two week's time. "Our lads have different amounts of time off," added Duff, who recently described this mid-season break as "amateurish." "Different players have different loads during the season. The staff will be in with some players from the middle of next week, you don't need to know who they are. I have never liked it. "The flipside is it has come at a good time for us as it's a time for reflection, but I don't like it. There's an air of the jolly boys out, they are meeting at the terminal tomorrow, they are meeting at the pub in the terminal. "It's a week on the gargle. That's not the football education I had in England. People probably think I am unfair saying it. I think it's ingrained in the culture here. It's ingrained in my guys, I fought tooth and nail with my guys, I am not happy with some of my guys on it, but that's for another day. "But they have had a different football education to what I've had, I was taught differently and that's why it doesn't sit right with me."
