The Premier League continued on Monday evening with Everton being held to a one all draw by visitors Crystal Palace in Goodison Park. Seamus Coleman started for the hosts while former ‘Toffee’ James McCarthy failed a late fitness test for the ‘Eagles’. There was an 8.15pm kick-off set for the meeting of Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United at Molineaux which ended in a three two victory for the visiting ‘Hammers’. Teenage striker Ademipo Odubeko was unused on the visiting ‘Hammers’ substitute bench.
The Championship resumed on Monday afternoon with Blackburn Rovers and Darragh Lenihan going down to a two nil defeat by visitors AFC Bournemouth for whom Southampton loanee Shane Long and Mark Travers were unused on their substitute bench. James Collins was a 70th minute substitute for Luton Town and scored but to no avail as Barnsley scored twice at Kenilworth Road. Loanee Cyrus Christie started for Nottingham Forest who defeated visitors QPR by three goals to one. Jason Knight started for Derby County but was withdrawn on 62 minutes as they went down to a three one defeat at Reading. Young Louie Watson was unused on the bench for the ‘Rams’. Daryl Horgan was a very late substitute for Wycombe Wanderers who defeated hosts Rotherham United by three goals to nil. James McClean was a 76th minute substitute for Stoke City who went down to a two one home defeat by Millwall who included Danny McNamara in their starting eleven. Conor Hourihane and Ryan Manning both started for Swansea City who went down to a one nil defeat by visitors Preston North End for whom loanee Jayson Molumby was an 80th minute substitute. Keiren Westwood returned to the Sheffield Wednesday substitute bench alongside Ciaran Brennan as the ‘Owls’ crushed visitors Cardiff City by five goals to nil at Hillsborough in the late kick-off.
London Road hosted the League One clash of promotion challengers Peterborough United and Sunderland which ended in a one all draw. Fit again Jack Taylor fit again started for the hosts who also included goalkeeper Christy Pym in their starting eleven while the veteran Aiden McGeady started and scored the equaliser for the visiting ‘Makems’ for whom Aiden O’Brien was a 71st minute substitute. Ronan Curtis and Marcus Harness started for Portsmouth who secured a one nil victory at Wigan Athletic. The meeting of Rochdale and Ipswich Town at the Crown Oil Arena smacked of an Irish Convention with the hosts including Eoghan O’Connell, Jimmy Keohane, Conor Grant and Conor Shaughnessy in their starting eleven with loanee Gavin Bazunu and veteran Paul McShane on their substitute bench while the visiting ‘Tractor Boys’ include loanee Troy Parrot together with Alan Judge and Stephen Ward in their starting eleven with loanee Mark McGuinness and Aaron Drinan on their substitute bench as the sides played out a scoreless draw.
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There was no direct Irish involvement in the Premier League meeting of Southampton and Burnley which kicked off at noon on Sunday. Will Ferry for the hosts and Jimmy Dunne with the visiting ‘Clarets’ were both unused substitutes in a contest which saw the ‘Saints’ recover from a two goal deficit to secure a three two victory. Burnley were without recent injury victims Robbie Brady and Kevin Long while long term injury casualties Michael Obafemi and Will Smallbone were absent for the ‘Saints’. Later in the day, Newcastle United came from behind to secure a deserved two all draw with Tottenham Hotspur at St James Park where Ciaran Clark and Jeff Hendrick were unused substitutes.
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Premier League high flyers Chelsea suffered a shock five two home defeat by relegation threatened West Bromwich Albion early on Saturday afternoon. Dara O’Shea suffered an injury which forced his withdrawal after 24 minutes and his replacement was an injury victim just twelve minutes later and was replaced by Callum Robinson. This surprise substitution proved positive with Robinson scoring twice to improve his overall Premier League goals total to five, all of them coming against Chelsea. Relegation bound Sheffield United went down to a two one defeat at Leeds United with Enda Stevens included in their starting eleven while John Egan returned to action following his injury absence as a 77th minute substitute.