There were a number of Irish footballers in action this Tuesday evening across three divisions in the English football pyramid.
Cyrus Christie started for Fulham in their four one defeat at Watford which spelt relegation from the Premier League for the ‘Cottagers’ while Matt Doherty and Wolverhampton Wanderers repeated their FA Cup quarter-final success with another two one victory over Manchester United at Molineaux. The results should provide a confidence boost for both Watford and Wolves who face each other in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium next Sunday.
Goalkeeper Darren Randolph and his Middlesbrough colleagues suffered a blow to their Championship play-off hopes as they lost to the only goal from visitors Bristol City who themselves moved into a play-off position. Callum O’Dowda continues to be unavailable through injury.
The League Two contest between promotion chasing Bury and struggling Cambridge United had some Irish involvement. Aston Villa loanee Jake Doyle-Hayes, a member of Stephen Kenny‘s Ireland U21 squad, started for Cambridge United while veteran goalkeeper David Forde and defender Jake Carroll were on the substitute bench as their side stunned their hosts with a three nil victory which is likely to go a long way to ensuring their League Two survival. Bury included goalkeeper Joe Murphy and midfielder Jay O’Shea in their starting eleven with Eoghan O’Connell introduced from the substitute bench after thirty three minutes.