Latest news with #UlsterSeniorFootballFinal
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kieran McGeeney makes Armagh penalty practice claim after another shootout loss
Armagh won the toss and opted to go first. They sent forward their best player, Rian O'Neill, to take their first penalty in the shootout against the defending champions Derry. Over 90 minutes of end-to-end action in front of 28,720 fans failed to separate the sides in St Tiernach's Park, Clones. Sunday's game had to be played to a finish and the teams spread out across the width of the pitch as the shootout unfolded. Read more: Ulster Senior Football Final: Armagh vs Derry drew average of over 240k viewers on RTÉ O'Neill had the chance to strike first for the Orchard County, but his effort was saved by Odhran Lynch. It was a huge psychological blow for Armagh, who missed two further penalties with Lynch making brilliant stops to deny Aidan Nugent and Ethan Rafferty. It was a case of deja vu for Armagh following their heartbreaking defeat to Galway in last year's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final. Speaking after Sunday's loss, Kieran McGeeney stressed that practising penalties is now part of Armagh's routine at every session. "Every session we take penalties,' stated McGeeney. 'It's a thing now. You just have to get it. Penalties are a funny thing. It's not like a skillset. 'It's a pressure thing being able to deal with that. There are so many permutations. 'In fairness to the keeper (Odhran Lynch), the three penalties that were hit were good penalties round the corner. They were good saves. They weren't bad penalties. "(Ethan Rafferty) was a goalkeeper when he was young and that's why we have him in there. 'He has done goalkeeping. He might not have the experience behind him but then we get a lot of plusses out of him during game time.' He added: 'It's tough. We played really well today, made a few mistakes and that, they played really well – thought it was a great game for the neutrals. "Intelligent game of football from both teams, a lot of good scores in the clutch, small mistakes here and there. There wasn't much between us, I suppose it would take something to separate us.' While McGeeney was understandably crestfallen after watching his charges lose on penalties, he wasn't about to use it as any sort of an excuse. Armagh have three games in Group Two against Westmeath, Tyrone and Galway to try and progress to the knockout stages of the All-Ireland Championship and McGeeney says his side must push on and learn to grind out results against the top sides. 'When you're in a condensed season everybody's gonna look for something,' added the Armagh boss. 'It's one of those things, what do you do? It's the same rules for everybody, you just have to take it on the chin. 'Even with the league this year, we got a lot of stick, Galway beat us by a last-minute goal, Kerry getting two frees at one end and us dropping the ball to win by a point. 'We were close in every game, probably should have won every game we played in. The thin margins at the very top and we have five or six teams at the top that are really quality, they all play a very similar system, 15 behind the ball, double-sweepers, break at pace and it's a tough game to break down. 'Small decisions can go your way or go against you. It's been a decent year for us but you want to push on, you want to win the big things because that's what you're remembered for. "It's tough when you lose, that's two games when you're really as good as the team you're playing, but penalties are penalties.' READ NEXT: Armagh vs Derry: Player ratings from Sunday's Ulster SFC Final Recap as Derry retain the Ulster title after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Armagh Rory Gallagher domestic abuse allegations have 'overshadowed' Ulster final - Peter Canavan Rory Gallagher 'steps back' as Derry GAA boss Who is Ciaran Meenagh? The Tyrone man in charge of Derry for the Ulster SFC Final Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gallagher begins legal action against Burns and GAA
Former Derry county football manager Rory Gallagher has begun legal action against the GAA and its president Jarlath Burns after he intervened in Mr Gallagher's potential appointment to a Kildare team. In January, Mr Gallagher was offered a coaching role with senior club champions Naas but the offer was then withdrawn after details of the appointment were made public. It later emerged Mr Burns had contacted the club to express his concern at the proposed appointment. In a statement to BBC News NI in January, Mr Gallagher said Mr Burns' actions were "unprecedented" and "misguided" and threatened legal action if the remarks were not retracted. Mr Gallagher stepped down as Derry manager in 2023 just weeks before the team played in the Ulster Senior Football Final. It followed allegations of domestic abuse made by his estranged wife Nicola Gallagher, which he denied. When news of the appointment at Naas appeared in the media, the association's president spoke to the Naas club chairman before sending an email which was then read at a meeting of party officers at which it was decided not to proceed with Mr Gallagher's appointment. In the email, which was seen by the BBC, Mr Burns said he felt compelled to share his perspective given the "potential implications for Naas GAA and the wider association". He said decisions made by the club "reverberate far beyond your immediate community" and send a "message about the values we uphold and the standards we set for our members and supporters". He also warned of the implications for the GAA's Game Changer Initiative which was launched in November to challenge the "social and cultural norms that contribute to domestic, sexual and gender based violence". At the time, Mr Gallagher called on the GAA president to withdraw his remarks. "I have never asked for sympathy or support. I do however ask that this action is formally withdrawn and the contents of the correspondence is retracted," he said at the time. "The president should lead by example and accept when he has overstepped the mark. "Absent such a retraction, I will have no other alternative but to take legal action to cure the irreparable damage done to me and my family in my ability to continue to work as a manger in the years ahead. When the accusations against Mr Gallagher were made, it emerged that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had investigated reported incidents. Two files were submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), which decided against pressing charges due to insufficient evidence "to provide a reasonable prospect of a conviction". After Mr Gallagher resigned as Derry manager, he was "temporarily debarred" by the GAA in September 2023 when an independent panel was asked to investigate the claims made by his estranged wife. Mr Gallagher successfully challenged that debarment in February 2024 and a statement from his solicitors in September said there was no "legal impediment" to prevent him returning to a senior role in the game. Gallagher accuses GAA president of sabotage over Naas intervention How the Rory Gallagher-Jarlath Burns row exposes a deepening GAA divide
