Latest news with #Wasps
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Airdrie defeat to Alloa a reality check for Ross County clash, says Dean McMaster
The Diamonds went down to the Wasps in a five-goal cup thriller Airdrie midfielder Dean McMaster says their defeat to League One Alloa will serve as a 'reality check' ahead of Saturday's Championship opener against Ross County. The Diamonds were defeated 3-2 by the Sons on Saturday, having led 2-1 with an hour gone. Rhys McCabe's men topped their Premier Sports Cup group with a 100 per cent record going into the winner-takes-all clash with the Wasps, but errors from Sean McGinty gifted the Wasps a penalty shortly after Airdrie had taken the lead and then McGinty gifted the ball to Steven Buchanan in the 89th minute and the striker made Airdrie pay with his late winner. It means Airdrie miss out on qualifying as one of the three best runners-up on goals scored and McMaster - who is on the comeback trail after missing pre-season through injury - says that should serve as a warning ahead of the Staggies visiting on league duty. The 22-year-old, who is the club's vice-captain, said: "The goals are all individual mistakes. Alloa haven't really earned the goals, but that happens. "It was disappointing to go in 1-0 down at half-time. I think the first 10-15 minutes of the second half, we started really well and obviously get the two goals. After that, I don't know why, but we dropped off and we let them come back into the game when they never should have been in the game. "I think Alloa defended most of the game in their 18-yard box and we should never let them come into the game, especially with how dominant we are at home. "It is a reality check for us to show that it won't be plain sailing, winning every week. We need to get back to our best and make sure we win this coming Saturday. "It is so disappointing because the boys have put in so much hard work. Obviously, I have been in the stand for two of them but today was just one of those days where it wasn't good enough, and we need to correct that. McMaster made his comeback in Wednesday night's 2-1 win at Montrose and played the first half of Saturday's defeat, so he is delighted to be building up his fitness in time for the Championship campaign. He added: "It is good to be back on the park and get some minutes in the legs. I missed the whole of pre-season, so it is good to get the minutes. "As you could probably see, I am a wee bit rusty and I am not at my full fitness. I thought we started the game quite well, playing on the front foot with some nice passages of play, but we just didn't penetrate through to get that goal or those forward runs."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Airdrie 2 Alloa 3: Agony as Wasps sting Diamonds with late winner in group decider
The Diamonds were defeated by the League One side in the final moments to knock them out Airdrieonians were stung by a late Wasps winner in their Premier Sports Cup Group C decider with Alloa - sending them crashing out. In a winner-takes-all clash at the top of Group C, League One Alloa came from 2-1 down to stun the Championship side and reach the last 16 with a thrilling 3-2 win thanks to Steven Buchanan's 89th minute strike. An Aidan Wilson stunner - his first goal for the club - after 50 minutes cancelled out Owen Foster's first half opener for the Wasps, before a Euan Henderson spot-kick turned the game on its head on the hour mark to put Airdrie in the driving seat. Their lead only last a few minutes before Scott Taggart netted a penalty for the visitors to restore parity. With the game looking set for penalties, Sean McGinty gifted possession to Buchanan in his own half and he raced upfield to unleash a low drive into the bottom corner and send Wasps through with a 100 per cent record. Airdrie could have qualified as one of the best runners-up if they had held on for a draw and lost on penalties, but they have missed out on goal difference. The Diamonds made two changes from Wednesday's win at Montrose as Craig Ross and Rhys Armstrong were replaced by Dean McMaster and skipper Aidan Wilson. The League One visitors named the same 11 that defeated Dundee in midweek. In three minutes, the hosts created the first opening of the game when Chris Mochrie got in behind and fired the ball across the face of goal. The Wasps were only able to clear the danger to the edge of the box, where the ball found Lewis McGrattan and his attempt to curl one into the top corner drifted just over the top. Moments later Mochrie picked up the ball out wide on the right, left his marker for dead in the box and arrowed a strike towards goal, only for his thumping drive to find the side netting. The Diamonds were dominating possession, stringing some nice passes together, as they tried to find a breakthrough. Euan Henderson saw a strike on the edge of the box take a wicked deflection and loop just over the top, as the hosts turned the screw. And from the resulting corner Airdrie thought they had grabbed the lead. Aidan Wilson poked the ball home from Jamie Barjonas' corner, but referee Sean Murdoch was quick to blow for a foul in the box in the build-up. McGrattan cut inside after 25 minutes and unleashed a fierce, low shot that Liam McFarlane did well to batter away and when the rebound came back to the Diamonds midfielder, he saw his follow-up strike deflected over. From the corner, Airdrie came even closer to breaking the deadlock. King bent a corner towards the back post and Sean McGinty rose well to crash a header off the outside of the post. Down the other end, Luke Rankin should have done better when the Wasps got the break of the ball in the box. It sat up nicely for Rankin to have a swing at it, but he couldn't get the right connection on it to find enough power that would beat Cade Melrose. But the Wasps still had a sting in the tail and, against the run of play, they took the lead in 29 minutes. A Cameron O'Donnell free-kick out on the right was driven towards goal and although Melrose got a hand to it to keep it out, the Diamonds defence failed to deal with the rebound. Steven Buchanan was able to hang the ball up to the back post and Owen Foster out-jumped his marker to head home his first professional goal, and stun New Broomfield. Once again, Airdrie had the ball in the back of the net, only to see the goal ruled out. This time, it was Mochrie who turned the ball home but the near-side assistant referee flagged for an apparent handball in the build-up. The Diamonds turned to their bench at the break with Dean McMaster making way for Gavin Gallagher as they looked to get back into the contest. And just five minutes in, they were level - and in stunning style. Lewis McGrattan saw his pass across the box blocked and when the loose ball broke to Wilson, he took a touch and curled an outstanding strike into the far corner off the post, leaving Wasps No.1 Liam McFarlane with no chance. Within seconds of the re-start, Airdrie were almost in front when a through ball found Mochrie, but McFarlane stood up well to deny him a certain goal. That gave the momentum back to the hosts and on the hour mark, they found themselves in front. Henderson burst into the box and when Taggart stuck out a leg, he brought down the Diamonds winger. Henderson dusted himself down and converted the spot-kick, sending McFarlane the wrong way. But any hopes Airdrie had of that being game, set and match, were quickly extinguished when the Wasps netted a penalty of their own in 64 minutes. McGinty clumsily barged into Kurtis Roberts as the pair went for an aerial duel in the box and referee Murdoch pointed to the spot again. That allowed Taggart to redeem himself, as the skipper stepped up and equalised from 12 yards. Both sides pushed for a winner and it was Alloa who found it in the final minute of normal time. A miscommunication between McGinty and substiture Dylan Williams saw McGinty gift the ball straight to Buchanan just inside the Alloa half. The Wasps striker had loads to do, but he broke forward at pace and rifled home a low strike into the bottom corner to stun the hosts and book their place in the last 16. AIRDRIE: Melrose, MacDonald, King, McGinty, Wilson (Ross 58), McGrattan, Barjonas, McStravick (D Williams 78), McMaster (Gallagher 45), Henderson, Mochrie. Scorers: Wilson 50, Henderson 61 (pen) Bookings: King, Barjonas, Henderson Subs not used: Hutton, C Williams, McCabe, Aird, Cooper. ALLOA: McFarlane, Taggart, Devine, Waters, Foster, Hetherington, Roberts (Sammon 72), Scougall (Clarke 83), Buchanan, Rankin (Orsi 65), O'Donnell. Scorers: Foster 29, Taggart 64 (pen) Bookings: HT: 0-1
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
From The Mountain's Edge by Ed Jackson: What nearly dying (twice!) taught me about living
From The Mountain's Edge by Ed Jackson (HQ £16.99, 250pp) With the sun shining brightly, though not for much longer, Ed Jackson and his small team of climbers stood trapped at 22,300ft, just below the summit of Himlung Himal deep in the Nepalese Himalayas. They couldn't go forward as they were surrounded by hidden crevasses, each covered by thick, fluffy snow that had failed to freeze. They would only know if the drop hidden by the snow was a few feet or several hundred when they stepped on it. There was clearly no route through the brilliant white of the crevasse field. Isolated in this freezing wilderness, driven back by treacherous glaciers and terrible snow conditions, they could go no further. They had no water, shelter or food. They hadn't slept for 36 hours and their bodies were battered and bruised from the days of gruelling climbing. It was too late to even attempt to descend further. There was no chance of a helicopter rescue till the next morning. As the sun set, the temperature began to drop to -25C (-13F). They'd have to spend the night in the open and hope for the best... How would they ever make it? There used to be a flood of mountain expedition books from publishers – and I should know, as I love climbing and have a ton of them on my shelves. Part of it was a huge interest stemming from the 1953 Everest triumph led by John Hunt's largely British team, and partly a general vogue for exploration and a growing love of the outdoors. Now times have changed. Expedition books are no longer a sure-fire hit. Climbing has become too complicated with different grades of difficulty – with or without oxygen, with or without aid, new route or old route and so on – so it is hard for the general public to feel involved. What publishers – and readers – seem to like are relatable people telling stories of exceptional endeavour in an extreme environment, rather than some bearded superhero ticking off another mountain triumph. And there can be few more relatable – or likeable – heroes than Ed Jackson. A former professional rugby player with Bath and Wasps among others, his life was changed when he broke his neck at 28, in 2017, diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool. He suffered serious spinal injuries and some medics said he would never walk again, but he proved them wrong – though his left side doesn't function properly and he has problems controlling his temperature, as well as some bodily functions. But he wasn't going to let the accident define him. And, clearly driven by fierce determination, within a year he had summited Snowdon before turning his attention to higher, more demanding peaks. Sporting star: Before his accident Ed played rugby for Wasps He has founded a charity, Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M), with his wife Lois to help people facing mental health challenges to use adventure to develop a brighter future. And this hugely enjoyable book –vivid, observant and written with a crisp unfussiness – is about Jackson's desire to push his limits yet further with the attempt to climb the 23,425ft Himlung Himal in 2022, accompanied by his three friends, Ben, Beetle, Arron and their guide Bigraj. It's a terrific adventure book as much as anything else, with vivid chapters on the beauty of Nepal and the warmth of the Nepalese, the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, the long trek to the mountain via the remotest village in the world, and the climbing through the crevasses of Himlung Humal. Jackson is under no illusions about what climbing entails. 'High-altitude mountaineering is suffering,' he writes. 'It strips you down to the point where every other word is an expletive, as it is the only way to explain what you are going through. 'Every step was a struggle and in the space of a few hours, we were accelerated into old age when every breath never quite gave us enough oxygen, so we would gasp for another. 'It's certainly not for everyone but for me it is the ultimate test of character and resilience and the rewards are unrivalled. 'You discover things about yourself you never knew existed and develop areas you have always wanted to strengthen.' That is as good a summation of the complex pleasures of climbing and mountaineering that I can think of. And there is great joy, too. Jackson writes: 'As I stared at the night sky the contrast of the physical output these climbs demanded compared with the mental clarity and calmness gained amazed me. In those moments I was truly present in my surroundings and life.' And back to the night on the bare mountain. As the temperature began to plummet, resigned to the fact that the mountain would just not let them pass, Jackson started to shake uncontrollably as the adrenaline from the climb wore off. All the team were struggling to stay awake, but they knew that falling asleep was how you died at these altitudes. Your core temperature drops when you sleep and that could be fatal when you are subjected to temperatures of -25C. Your heart would simply stop beating. They huddled together to preserve warmth, they sang, they told stories. As the icy cold seeped up through their bones from not moving, they all shivered violently. But Jackson remembered that this wasn't a bad sign. It was when you stopped shivering that you should be worried, as then your body is focusing on keeping your organs warm, which is the stage before dying. Eventually, they did make it to the morning. And morning means daylight and daylight means warmth. And eventually the rescue helicopter arrived. The team had survived. They may not have made it to the top but that's not really what climbing is about. It doesn't matter if you don't reach the summit, though it's important to have goals. What matters in climbing is the process, the friendships, the experience, the teamwork, and the fact that your life is in the hands of others, and theirs in yours. If it wasn't such an awful overused word, you could say it was the 'journey'. That's the final lesson for Jackson: his second brush with death after his accident makes him realise how much more living there was to do, with his wife, his family and his friends.
Irish Independent
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Bumper programme announced for 2025 Mallow Arts Festival
The band who are renowned on the live circuit for their high octane performances will be bringing their brand of punk folk energy to Mallow for the annual arts festival. The punk-folk outfit are an anarchic mix of drums, bodhrán, whistles, punk poetry, songs and beats. Initially a solo project, Wasps vs Humans punk poet/drummer, Carl Antony Plover has shared the stage with some of Ireland's and UK's well-regarded performers including Christy Moore, John Cooper Clarke, Whipping Boy and a daring opening set for The Fall. As a musician, he has released an album and single with 4,000,000 Telephones to critical acclaim in the UK national press and he also made the playlist for the John Peel BBC Radio 1 Show. Having partnered up with musician wife, Linda Plover, WvHs have honed a distinctive punk/folk sound over the last eighteen months, whilst promoting their debut album, 'Scratchcard Empires'. The album, released in October of last year, features singles such as 20 million Andrew Tates, Price You Pay, and Ugly America. The doors at Kepplers Cellar Bar will open from 9pm for the performance. The 2025 Mallow Arts Festival which will be held from July 23 to July 27 is an annual festival celebrating live music, literature, art, film and everything creative. Acclaimed musician and mental health advocate, Niall Breslin, will also be bringing his unique and thought provoking live show to Mallow. The Irish musician who is also known as Bressie will be performing in St James Church, Mallow on Saturday, July 26. ADVERTISEMENT This show which combines the power of storytelling with music will have a special appeal to those invested in mindfulness and mental well-being and provides a thought provoking and moving experience. Other highlights from the upcoming festival include Sweep Down To The Sea on July 24, Scullion on July 25, Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella on July 27. A creativity writing and wellbeing workshop for teens will also be held on Saturday, July 26 at 11am, while a yoga class will be held in the serene surrounds of Mallow Castle on Saturday, July 26 from 10.30am to 12 noon. Other highlights include the launch of Mary Bradford's new book which will take place on Thursday, July 24 at Mallow Library and a drama workshop with Geoff Gould. There are lots of great highlights for people of all ages in this year's 2025 Mallow Arts Festival.
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Rassie says he ‘made a mistake' turning Willie le Roux down at Stormers
The Springbok coach admitted he initially didn't understand Willie le Roux's emotional style. Willie le Roux playing for Boland in 2011, around the time Rassie Erasmus turned him down for the Stormers. Picture: Luke Walker / Gallo Images Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted he made a poor decision turning Willie le Roux down during a trial for the Stormers when the fullback, who was enjoying a breakthrough season at Boland about 15 years ago, was trying to join the big leagues. Erasmus told Le Roux he wasn't good enough at the time. But the budding youngster proved him wrong, joining the Cheetahs in 2011 and then going on to shine for the Sharks, Wasps, Verblitz and the Bulls. He made his Springbok debut in a Test against Italy in Durban 2013. Twelve years later he will earn his 100th Test cap against the same opposition, with two World Cups under his belt to boot. 'Willie is an interesting character,' Erasmus said. 'In the beginning, I didn't know him well. I basically said he couldn't make the Stormers squad when he was in there because his emotional involvement in the game shows. He's a guy who shows how he feels.' Rassie changes his mind Erasmus said he spoke to a coach in England when Le Roux was playing for the Wasps (2016 to 2019), who changed his mind about the player. 'I said I don't understand why Willie is doing these actions, and he said something that really stuck with me. He said, 'Because he cares so much. He doesn't hide his emotions.' 'I think if you talk to Mapimps (Makazole Mapimpi) or anyone in the team, the way Willie looks sometimes when he is down or not happy, it's definitely not a reflection on how he feels about the rest of the team. It's just how much he cares for the team.' Erasmus said he was 'very happy' he had decided to give Le Roux a chance at the highest level. 'I definitely made a mistake not keeping him at the Stormers. And now he's got 100 Test matches, two World Cups, a few things for Wasps, for the Free State. We are very proud of him and we hope we can help him make this a memorable game.' Le Roux the eighth Springbok centurion Le Roux will become the eighth Springbok to reach 100 Tests, and he will do so in a match where the Springboks need a big result. Their 42–24 win over Italy in the first Test at Loftus left plenty of room for improvement. While the problems generally lay at the breakdown and lineouts, 35-year-old Le Roux will bring experience to the backline that may shift the focus of play for the Springboks as they take on the Italians in Gqeberha at 5.10pm this Saturday.
