Latest news with #SkyBlues
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Departing star Adrian Segecic claims Sydney FC player-of-the-year honours
Europe-bound Adrian Segecic has farewelled Sydney FC in style, winning the Sky Blues' player-of-the-season award. Segecic, who has been linked with Austrian club Rapid Vienna, was also awarded the members' best player and Golden Boot gongs at Wednesday night's Sky Blue Ball. 'It's a huge honour to be recognised like this,' said the 21-year-old attacking weapon, who scored 18 goals in all competitions for Sydney in the club's 2024-25 campaign, 'This club means so much to me. I've been here since I was 12-years old and I've worked really hard this season with the support of my teammates and the staff. 'I'm grateful to the members and fans who've been behind us every step of the way.' Segecic's superb individual season had already secured him joint A-League Golden Boot honours with Adelaide United marksman Archie Goodwin. Sydney's women's player-of-the-season award was won by captain Natalie Tobin, who made a successful comeback from a serious knee injury. for the second time,' Tobin said. next season.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Sky Blues to host La Liga's Real Betis in pre-season
Coventry City will host Spanish La Liga side Real Betis at the CBS Arena on 30 July as part of their pre-season Betis lost to Premier League side Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final in May but enjoyed a successful season, beating top clubs such as Real Madrid to end the season in sixth and secure European football match will mark the first meeting between the two Sky Blues are also set to travel to League Two's Bristol Rovers the week prior for their first meeting since 2020 - the year Coventry last secured promotion to the Championship.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
North End United boss Gary Dempsey happy to finish rollercoaster season on high
North End United manager Gary Dempsey may not have a whole lot in common with late American rocker Meat Loaf, but the feeling after Sunday's Wexford FC Cup victory was two out of three ain't bad. Having won the Wexford Premier Division title and fallen short against Fairview Rangers in the FAI Junior Cup final, the Sky Blues really wanted to regain that winning feeling as they took on holders Forth Celtic in the Wexford FC Cup decider.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Armagh GAA legend backs Kieran McGeeney's men to relive historic All-Ireland win over Dublin that ‘remains in my memory'
BETWEEN all the highs and lows with Armagh, Stevie McDonnell remembers Dublin in the rare auld times. The Orchard legend enjoyed a glittering inter-county career, picking up three All-Stars, the 2003 Footballer of the Year prize, seven Ulster titles and an All-Ireland medal between 1999 and 2012. 3 Steven McDonnell won the All-Ireland with Armagh in 2002 Credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE 3 Armagh beat Dublin in the 2002 All-Ireland semi-final Credit: Pat Murphy/Sportsfile McDonnell put in a summer for the ages when Armagh lifted Sam in 2002, with the Killeavy great firing 0-3 in the seismic 1-12 to 0-14 win over Kerry on the big day. His county's fierce rivalry with Tyrone dominated the northern landscape and the Red Hands knocked them off their perch in the 2003 showpiece. But across all those years and games, the 2002 semi-final win over the Sky Blues tops the lot for atmosphere. Tommy Lyons' Sky Blues meant business as they hunted their first crown since 1995, and the dream Kerry-Dublin final loomed large. Read More on GAA In a rip-roaring second half in front of 79,386 fans, Paddy McKeever bundled into the net at the Canal End before Ciarán Whelan's strike caused Hill 16 to erupt. Ray Cosgrove's sixth point of the afternoon had the teams level before Oisín McConville fisted over to steer Armagh ahead. Cosgrove was the darling of the Hill, and a banker to level the game in front of the old terrace when Enda McNulty fouled him well within range with seconds to go. But the Kilmacud Crokes man was stunned when the ball came off the post, and was eventually cleared by Francie Bellew. It was all over. McDonnell told SunSport: 'I don't think I'm alone in saying this, you're often asked what was the best atmosphere you played in front of and without a shadow of a doubt it was the 2002 semi-final against Dublin . Most read in GAA Football 'Dublin hadn't won Leinster in seven years leading up to that, and Tommy Lyons had them going really well. There was a lot of hype and aura around them at that particular time, and obviously they carried massive support as well. 'The Armagh supporters travelled the length and breadth of the country and were well renowned for the volume that they would take to the occasion, but what an occasion it was. It was just an electric atmosphere and a game that always remains in my memory. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - 'We had that large bit of luck for us at the end with Ray Cosgrove kicking the ball off the post. 'From the season that he had, there was no way we would have thought that he was going to hit the post. Absolutely no way. You never win an All-Ireland without a certain amount of luck, and we got it that day.' Armagh finished the job against the Kingdom, but McDonnell knew they were unstoppable after beating the Dubs. And he says their hunger and desire to win the ball after Cosgrove's miss summed it all up when they bagged Sam for the first time three weeks later. He said: 'With luck, there has to be a desire and a drive to get you over the line as well. 'When the ball broke off the post, there were three Armagh players waiting for it, there were no Dublin players waiting for it and that won us the game. 'We weren't happy or content to watch a ball go over the bar or maybe come off the post. We wanted to make sure that we were the ones reacting to it, and I think it was Justin McNulty that reacted first to getting it. 'If you beat Dublin any given day at all, it's always going to instil belief and particularly that Dublin team at that time, there was just a whole lot of hype about them and they had so many quality players — Stephen Cluxton obviously was starting his career at that stage. 'Alan Brogan had a fantastic season, Bryan Cullen, Jason Sherlock , 'So that definitely gave us the belief and confidence going into the final. 'But the atmosphere we played in for the semi-final, we didn't believe that it could have been outweighed and it certainly wasn't.' ORANGE ONSLAUGHT The buzz of that day was infectious, and over 54,000 turned up at Croker when the counties clashed in the NFL the following year. Armagh won that game, and would repeat the dose all over again in a sizzling All-Ireland third-round qualifier. Croker heaved once more as McDonnell and Cosgrove fired 0-5 each and Cluxton and Paddy McKeever saw red. But the Dubs failed to cope with a second-half orange onslaught, which McDonnell hails as their finest hour. He said: 'I mentioned earlier the best atmosphere I played in front of was the 2002 semi-final. 'And then you're often asked which was the best performance, and for me it was the second half of that qualifier game against Dublin. I think we went in at half-time three or four points down and not playing particularly well — but we came out and gave a masterclass in the second half. 'We just ran riot. I know Stephen Cluxton ended up getting sent off, but that didn't make much of a difference on the overall scheme of things in that game. 'It wouldn't have mattered even if Dublin had 16 players on the field, I think we would have won the game just the way we performed that particular day and that's the way it was. We had the capability and the belief from the previous year of stepping it up when we had to — and that's what we were able to do.' 'I could be eating my words, but I think it will be Armagh by a couple of points.' Dublin finally got one over on the Orchard in a 2010 qualifier before McDonnell called it a day in 2012 — and today's first Championship meeting in 15 years has a familiar ring to it. Armagh are champions, while Dublin are itching to get back to the top and McDonnell knows anything can happen at Croke Park . He said: 'It would take a fairly foolish person to write Dublin off. 'Not too long ago they were going for seven in a row, so what a team they are. They've got quality throughout that squad and if you underestimate them you're going to get caught out. 'I really believe that there's about six teams with realistic chances of going and winning the All-Ireland this year. 'Obviously Armagh and Dublin are in the mix and this has all the raw materials of being an absolute classic. 'Dublin got off to a fantastic start against Galway , I think they were totally the dominant team on that particular day. 'Ciarán Kilkenny was back to his best, pulling the strings from start to finish and really controlled the game at his tempo. 'Armagh, likewise, I thought for 55 minutes of the game against Derry were extremely positive in their performance and then they switched off. 'If they're going to switch off against a team like Dublin they're going to be severely punished. 'I could be eating my words, but I think it will be Armagh by a couple of points.' 3 The Armagh team form a huddle prior to the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final against Dublin Credit: Damien Eagers/Sportsfile
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Dublin facing nightmare scenario starting All-Ireland group in Galway, can they rally after Leinster letdown?
DUBLIN'S summer could go from bad to worse against Galway today. Whether three teams qualify or not, losing your first group game puts you on the back foot straight away. 2 A lot is falling on Ciaran Kilkenny's shoulders with so many other members of that great Dublin team now retired 2 Meath legend Graham Geraghty writes for SunSport throughout the inter-county Championship season A defeat in the west would really turn the heat up on the Sky Blues — and it's likely to happen. Dessie Farrell's men have had time to regroup and take stock of All the chat of their downfall has to be getting to the players as well. Everyone knows they're not as good as they were. But if you were in that dressing room, hearing it would fire you up to prove them all wrong. Read More On GAA Those players know how to shield themselves from negativity. But some of those doubts have to sink in. Galway Taking down Mayo in their own backyard — without Shane Walsh and Damien Comer — was another big stepping stone for this group. Pádraic Joyce's star pair are vital to their All-Ireland hopes but the likes of Matthew Thompson and Rob Finnerty really stood up without them. Most read in GAA Football Either way, the same reliance on the pair isn't there anymore, and that's a great scenario for any manager. Dublin GAA legends reunite in Germany after taking part in gruelling sporting phenomenon Walsh likes playing out from goal and running at teams with pace on top of his obvious scoring threat. He scored 0-7 in the All-Ireland quarter-final win over the Dubs last June. And he could easily surpass that today with his ability to kick two-pointers. Comer provides that target and physical presence on the edge of the square. He showed that against Dublin in the league when he scored a wonderful goal off the bench. But Galway can manage fine today without him. They're building a serious resilience and know how to win tight games. That's why today is a nightmare start for a Dublin team still smarting from the Meath defeat and away from the comforts of Croke Park once more. The kickouts are going to be vital too. Salthill is always windy. Whoever wins the toss surely has to play with the wind and rack up a big lead. Meath really went after Stephen Cluxton's restarts in Portlaoise and it was the deciding factor in the end, as they led by 12 at half-time. Obviously Galway will have looked at that as well. They'll be eager to apply the same pressure on home soil. With the new rules, gone are the days when Cluxton could just dink the ball out to a corner-back. And after some high-profile Sky Blues retirements, he doesn't have James McCarthy or Brian Fenton to aim for if he does go long. It's up to the likes of Ciarán Kilkenny and Peadar Ó Cófaigh Byrne to change that now and make their presence really felt if they want to win. They've had three weeks to work on it, so rest assured Cluxton's distribution will be a lot better at Pearse Stadium but the pressure Galway apply to those kicks will be crucial. Losing your first game is not what you want. Imagine an angry Armagh team coming to Croker in a fortnight to really twist the knife? It all points to a Galway win for me. COMING TO THE KINGDOM The All-Ireland series starts in Killarney today when Kerry host Roscommon. I saw the Rossies in the flesh in Navan and they were poor — but they love a Championship scalp too. They stunned Tyrone in Omagh in the preliminary round last year and gave Armagh plenty to think about in the quarters. They were really disappointing in their Connacht semi- final loss to Galway. But that brings its own chance to go back to the drawing board and refocus. Davy Burke has some fine players to call upon in Enda Smith, Brian Stack and Diarmuid Murtagh — but they don't really have enough overall quality to beat the Kingdom. Paudie Clifford is back after missing the Clare game and Jack O'Connor will just want to win this and move on. I tipped Kerry at the start of the year to win the All-Ireland and I haven't changed my mind on that just yet. DOWN IN CLARE Clare's game against Down in Ennis tomorrow will be interesting given the holes the Mourne men punched in Donegal and the fact the Banner still scored 0-21 in the Munster final loss to Kerry. Both of them will fancy getting something out of it. Down won the Tailteann Cup but had a poor league — getting relegated back to Division 3. Clare shipped four goals against Kerry but should win at Cusack Park if they can sort that out. Cavan are going to Castlebar with nothing to lose against Mayo and will fancy a scalp. But they had a desperate performance in Ulster against Tyrone, and the gap between the top and the rest is still plain to see in games like that. WHOLE MAYO Mayo will be seething from losing another Connacht final and their failure to see it out. Diarmuid O'Connor got more minutes into him after a shoulder injury has been annoying him all year. But Paddy Durcan's return is a boost for Kevin McStay after their captain and leader tore his ACL this time last year. Durcan resumed full training during the league and rightfully wasn't risked — but it was surprising he didn't come off the bench against Galway when he was named in the 26. They're a hugely experienced team and will be eager to get a home win after what happened two weeks ago. A result today will get them back on track but we might not be talking about Mayo for much longer in the grand scheme of things.
