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Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Galway deepen Cork City's relegation worries with late winner
SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Galway United 2 (Moses Dyer 48, Conor McCormack 85) Cork City 1 (Djanairo Daniels 52 pen) Late goals are sinking Cork City deep into relegation trouble and the pain was deepened by former player Conor McCormack swelling the gap for safety to 11 points. John Caulfield is another City link at Galway and he'll be relieved to end a four-match losing sequence with a win that could have been denied after Moses Dyer's ninth goal of the season was cancelled by a penalty from City's Djanairo Daniels. Next week's visit of champions Shelbourne marks the midway point of the season for City and new boss Ger Nash will know the return of two wins so far must be turbocharged to avoid a third drop in five years. Nash abseiled straight into managerial mode last Friday against St Patrick's Athletic, straight off a connecting flight from Sweden. Yet rather than just deliver the interval team-talk he did then, this was his first official game at the helm. Preparations began last Saturday morning at Bishopstown and there was a newness to the shape of his team. Gone was his predecessor's back-five formation, with Milan Mbeng and Darragh Crowley operating as the full backs. The newcomer wasn't afraid to make the bold calls in-game either, hauling off Freddie Anderson after one too many lapses by the young defender approaching the hour mark. Introducing left-back Matt Kiernan necessitated a reshuffle that a first full week of training convinced him was doable. It takes a mean defence to repel Galway's barrage of catapults into the box, both from play and especially deadballs, and the wild western weather contributed to a tenth-minute delivery holding up in the wind. Ed McCarthy latched onto the stray ball but the ex-Cork City winger squirted his shot past the near post. Ditto Dyer later on 38 minutes when a hospital pass by Rio Shipston to Sean Murray was intercepted and recycled to the edge of the area. Another of the City alumni, Garry Buckley, forced the only save of the half from Tein Troost – connecting with David Hurley's free-kick – yet Galway were the team fortunate to be level at the break. Cathal O'Sullivan has been the glimmer of light in this testing season for the Rebels, the teenager seamlessly stepping up on his debut Premier Division season. As has been the case against the best teams in the country, the nippy winger was a menace, drifting into channels undetected and producing killer passes at will. An absurd booking incurred on 11 minutes for shooting after he'd been harshly penalised for a foul didn't curb his influence but he was guilty of squandering the best chance on the stroke of half-time. Galway's characteristic intuition eluded them from a long ball, allowing O'Sullivan to bend his run in behind and flick the ball past the advancing goalkeeper Evan Watts. All he had to do was stroke the ball into the net but the brawn and experience of former Ireland international Greg Cunningham was enough to force him to skew the effort inches wide. Seáni Maguire looked on from the sideline relishing such a chance and in what seemed a pre-planned move was introduced in place of Shipston. Such is his history of injuries that a cautious approach is being applied but Dyer was the striker to make the most immediate impact within three minutes. Cunningham's pass still left the league's top scorer with work to do but he dribbled past Anderson into the six-yard box and his cross deflected off the Stoke City loanee to loop over Troost and trickle beyond the goal-line. Along came another goal another three minutes later and it was a controversial one through a penalty decision. Referee Mark Houlihan deemed that Josh Fitzpatrick's cross struck the arm of Jeannot Esua, enabling Daniels – who'd drilled a first half chance wide – to send Watts the wrong way. Three points were there for the taking but Galway showed their intent when both Cian Byrne and Cunningham glanced headers wide two minutes apart. Esua would get the chance to atone for his concession by raiding down the right, past Leaving Cert student Kiernan, and his cross was laid back for McCormack to smash a shot from eight yards through a thicket of players past Troost. Another relegation playoff is certain barring a major upturn in the second half of the season. GALWAY UNITED: E Watts; R Slevin, G Buckley, G Cunningham; J Esua, D Hurley (S Walsh 81), C Byrne, V Borden (C McCormack 69), E McCarthy; P Hickey, M Dyer (C Horgan 88). CORK CITY: T Tein; M Mbeng, F Anderson (M Fitzpatrick 58), C Lyons, D Crowley; S Murray, R Shipston (S Maguire 46), E McLaughlin (G Bolger 54); C O'Sullivan, D Daniels, J Fitzpatrick (M Murray 90+1). Referee: M Houlihan
The Irish Sun
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Sean Grehan targets Premier League dream after Bohemians heroics and hopes to follow in Jake O'Brien's footsteps
SEÁN GREHAN is hoping to follow Jake O'Brien's path to the top. Grehan made himself a hero for 2 Sean Grehan is on loan to Bohemians from Crystal Palace - but he hopes to mark his mark with the Premier League outfit in the future 2 Gehan spent time with Ireland star Jake O'Brien in the Crystal Palace U21 side, and hopes to follow in his pals footsteps The centre-half is on loan at his former club from The ex-Cork City man flourished at Lyon after loan spells at Swindon Town and Molenbeek with Grehan gaining experience at, first, Carlisle United and, now, Bohs. And the Dubliner said: 'I take a lot from Jake. I played with him a bit when I was at Palace. 'The path he has had hasn't been easy, he had loan spells himself when he probably didn't play as much as he wanted and look at him now, he's doing unbelievable things. read more on football 'I take a lot from what Jake has done and try to replicate that myself. 'I talk to Jake a bit, he's always there if I ever need advice. What he's done is a good example for me to try to do the same.' Grehan is due to return to Palace, where he is under contract for next season, in June. The 21-year-old was non-committal on whether prolonging his stay with Bohs was on the agenda but boss Alan Reynolds reckon it will be tough to hold onto him. Most read in Football Reynolds said: 'I don't want to talk him up too much but he's outstanding. While we have him, we'll enjoy him. 'A player like that I could see him playing at a very high level. I'd love to keep him.' Football charity encourages Scots to donate old kits to help vulnerable people Grehan made just one first-team appearance for Bohs, in the FAI Cup against College Corinthians, in 2021. He left at the end of the season but was in limbo until the following summer as interested clubs could not agree a compensation figure. But he was handed a new three-year deal in 2023 in recognition of his progress. And Grehan said: 'It's been great for me, going over there I've developed so much as a footballer, technically and stuff. 'I feel like I'm maturing even more coming back here, these games will only help me and my career. I'm delighted with how it's going. 'I know I've to go back in June and I'll see what happens then. Palace are onto me every week, every after game, it's not like they've just left me here. 'I've really enjoyed it, the fans are unbelievable, probably the best in the country. It's great coming here and playing in front of them and when the place is bouncing like that you can't beat it.' Injury-time winners tend to produce that sort of atmosphere with Grehan just grateful hewas in the right place at the right time to deliver the goods. He said: 'I just saw the ball floating into the box and I was praying that it fell to me and it did thank God and I just hit it as well as I could. I was buzzing, the atmosphere was unreal.' Earlier, Bohs had fallen behind to Chris Forrester's penalty after Axel Sjoberg's cross struck Grehan on the arm, before Rob Cornwall leveled in the 90th minute. Grehan said: 'My hand was by my side and it was smashed at me. He shot an absolute rocket at me and I couldn't move my hand. "I thought it was harsh. Some things don't go in your favour in football. I'm just glad we came back.' It was the second time in four days they had come back, beating Shamrock Rovers 3-2 on Monday, having trailed 2-0 with 20 minutes left. Grehan said: 'It's probably unheard of. It just shows the togetherness we have in the group. 'You're coming in at half-time 1-0 down but you still have that belief going out into the second half, like we did on Monday, that we can do it again. 'It just shows the group we have is really strong and have that mindset we can beat anyone,' That was not a mindset that was obvious in earlier games but the Ireland under-21 international said: 'It can be a bit of luck at times, I don't think things were falling in our favour in the first few games and now it finally is. 'I think we deserved that now in the last two games, that bit of luck. Hopefully we don't put ourselves in situations like that anymore and we can go into games not trailing at half-time and giving ourselves a job to do.' FORWARD THINKER Whilst throwing a centre-half up for set-pieces at the end of game may be commonplace, Grehan's involvement in attacks is generally more subtle. The ex-St Kevin's Boys player joked that he has always been a defender because he is too slow to play elsewhere. But he is regularly found in the wide channels of Bohs' opponents half. Reynolds explained: 'We can set it up to leave him go to join in because he's so good at that. It's a way of us playing.' And Grehan added: 'I like to get forward when I need to and help the team out. I felt like I created a few chances in the first half against St Pat's stepping in with it. 'It's probably something I need to add more to my game. I'm a defender first of all so I need to make sure I do that but when I get the chance I like stepping in. 'Rennie gives me the opportunity to get forward, he likes it when I drive in with it. "He gives me the licence to step in and show my quality. The way we play kind of suits me, it's a bit more of a back three.'
