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RTÉ News
01-08-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
First Division: Horgan's spot-kick enough for Dundalk
Daryl's Horgan's expertly taken penalty deep in first-half stoppage time livened up a dull game as Dundalk maintained their lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division with the slenderest of wins. The Galwayman gave a glimpse about why he was rewarded with 17 caps as he gave Students keeper Dara Kavanagh the eyes before slotting the ball calmly into the opposite corner. Dundalk remain six points clear at the top, but they were made to work for it as Enda Minogue saved Adam Brennan's late penalty to secure a vital win. The visitors were the first to threaten and Andy Paraschiv left Kavanagh in no man's land as he nodded Declan McDaid's centre back across goal, but his looping header came back off the post. UCD hit back with a promising move of their own as Adam Wells ducked in from the right and knuckled a shot from 20 yards but it lacked the swerve to trouble Minogue in the Lilywhites goal. Ciarán Behan then slipped Mikey Raggett through in the box but, tracked by centre half Vinnie Leonard, he pulled his shot into the near side netting It was UCD's turn to test the woodwork then as they awarded a free kick 20 yards out when Leonard's centre back partner Mayowa Animasahun clumsily chopped down Raggett. Adam Verdon stepped up and sent a powerful curling shot over the wall and over the outstretched arm of Minogue that crashed back off the bar, and Behan put the rebound wide. Little else of consequence happened until injury time when Animasahun went from cartoon villain to hero as he went down softly following what appeared to be a shirt pull. The Students complained vociferously but ex-Preston North End and Hibernian man Horgan had no such quibbles and slotted the ball calmly into the left corner. Dundalk dominated a second half without many clear chances, Gbemi Arubi finding Kavanagh with a tame effort before McDaid stung the keeper's palms from range. Éanna Clancy strode forward and tested Minogue from 20 yards and Verdon saw his effort tipped over as the home side reverted to a more attacking formation. And their endeavour was rewarded three minutes from time as McManus appeared to handle in the area and, following a lengthy delay, Brennan stepped up. The midfielder was hesitant, however, and Minogue anticipated his weak effort and, though Hugh Smith bundled in a subsequent shot, he was deemed offside and the goal was struck off. Elsewhere the chasing pack kept pace with Cobh Ramblers and Bray Wanderers both claiming wins that saw them avoid losing further ground to Dundalk. Bray had to do it the hard way however and it took an injury-time winner from Richard Ferizaj's to claim a 3-2 victory over Treaty United. Mark Byrne put Treaty in front early on through Mark Byrne's opener but they were reduced to ten men soon after when Steven Healy was harshly adjudged to have denied Billy O'Neill a goal scoring opportunity. Goals from Conor Knight and Cian Curtis appeared to have the Seagulls cruising but a equaliser against the run of play from Joe Hanson looks set to give Treaty a hard-fought point before Ferizaj stuck out a foot to deflect his brother Justin's shot past the goalkeeper and into the net. Cobh Ramblers had a much more straight-forward victory as a hat-trick from Shane Griffin helped them a 3-1 win at home to Longford Town. Griffin opened the scoring on 37 minutes but fans were still celebrating that goal when Daniel Norris equalised two minutes afterwards. However Cobh stepped things up in the second-half and further goals from Griffin on the 50th and 81st minute were enough to seal things. Elsewhere Kerry claimed a convincing win in the battle between the basement sides as they eased to a 4-0 victory over bottom side Athlone. First-half goals from Ronan Teahan, Sean O'Connell and Robert Cleary all but ended the game as a contest by half-time and Carl Mujaguzi's second-half strike made sure of the result. While in Ferrycarrig Park, Wexford came from behind to beat Finn Harps 2-1. UCD: Dara Kavanagh; Adam Wells, Carl Lennox, Éanna Clancy (Declan Osa gie 80), Brian McManus (Ryan McBrearty 80); Adam Verdon, Adam Brennan, Ciarán Behan (Louis Dignam 84); Mikey McCullagh (Sam Norval 80), Jake Doyle, Mikey Raggett (Hugh Smith 59). Dundalk: Enda Minogue; Conor O'Keeffe, Mayowa Animasahun, Vinnie Leonard, John Ross Wilson; Harry Groome (Eoin Kenny 67), Aodh Dervin, Andy Parashiv (Shane Tracey 79); Declan McDaid (Rohan Vaughan 79), Daryl Horgan (Keith Ward 90+3), Gbemi Arubi. (Dean Ebbe 67)
The Irish Sun
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jim Crawford backs Ireland U21 starlet to ‘take hype in his stride' as he reveals ‘his family's experienced it before'
JIM CRAWFORD backed Cathal O'Sullivan to block out the noise by making some of his own with the Republic of Ireland U21s. The Cork City starlet is one of three League of Ireland players to have earned their first call-ups into Crawford's panel for today's friendly against 2 Cathal O'Sullivan is one of the rising stars of the League of Ireland Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile 2 Jim Crawford backed him to take the hype in stride Credit: Manu Reino/Sportsfile That will be followed by another friendly against next Tuesday. O'Sullivan is joined by And the Ireland U21 boss praised the trio for making a seamless transition, saying: 'They haven't looked out of place. 'I had a conversation with Cathal saying that last year, when he was playing in the First Division, I thought he was outstanding. Read More on Ireland MNT 'And then, when they got promoted, I said, great, he has that taste now of being in a league winning team. 'He's been excellent. He really has. He's exciting crowds and I'm looking forward to seeing him play for us in this window. 'Cory was someone so young, playing with the top team in the league and looking comfortable. 'He plays with a maturity and a know-how that merits his inclusion. Most read in Football 'Warren's been having a great year. He knows that he's at a stage that will help him develop even more.' O'Sullivan has been the talk of the Watch Robbie Brady aim hilarious dig at Ireland teammates after winning Player of the Year award The 18-year-old scored seven goals in 28 appearances as the Leesiders won the First Division in 2024 and has played 14 times in the Premier Division this season. While City are second from bottom, O'Sullivan's reputations has continued to blossom. The winger visited After Meanwhile, City teammate – and ex-Preston North End star - Seani Maguire argued he is Crawford revealed that the youngster's brother spent time at family handled that experience will serve O'Sullivan well. GOOD STOCK He added: 'I've seen it with players where players would lose the run of themselves with all the external stuff coming from social media or from other people around the game. 'He's played some big games for Cork and he's been excellent, he really has, so I would suggest that he'll just take it in a stride. 'His brother played with Aston Villa. I think he was there for a year, he was saying. 'The family have experienced somebody at that level that goes away to England and tries to forge a career in the game.' Crawford also confirmed that Man Utd prospect Jacob Devaney will make his Ireland U21 debut in this window. The Yorkshire-born midfielder got his first call-up having previously played for the U19s. The 17-year-old is among the smattering of first-timers that also includes Killian Barrett, Cian Dillon – who was drafted in after injuries to Mason Melia and Jack Moorehouse – and the aforementioned League of Ireland trio. And Crawford said: 'Jacob's come in and he's trained well. He had to step out for one of our sessions. It was just to modify his load. 'The beauty with him, he can play as that holding midfielder and he can play as a full-back too, which is always a strength for a player as well in international football . 'He's come in and again, another player who hasn't looked out of place. 'He's a fantastic personality and he's a credit to his family because he's come in and it could have been quite daunting for him to come into a 21s camp. 'He's come in and he's been excellent, he really has, so he's definitely looking forward to putting on the green jersey .'
