News

The draw for the third round of the IRN-BRU Cup was made this afternoon. Bohemian  will play host to English side Sutton United while Sligo Rovers will travel to face Motherwell Colts with the ties provisionally scheduled for the week ending Sunday the 14th October 2018.

The draw for the semi-finals of the 2018 Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup was made on the Soccer Republic programme this evening and sees the finalists for the last three years, Cork City and Dundalk once again avoid each other. The draw has paired Dundalk with First Division UCD with the tie likely (unconfirmed) to take place in Oriel Park on Friday the 28th September while the winners of the quarter-final tie between Derry City and Bohemian will host Cork City, with the contest likely (unconfirmed) to take place on Sunday the 30th September.  

A foot injury has ruled Seamus Coleman out of the Ireland team to face Poland in tomorrow evening’s friendly contest in Wroclaw. David Meyler, who joined manager Martin O’Neill at this afternoon’s press conference, is expected to wear the armband tomorrow night.

There was also some ‘fun and games’ surrounding the public release of a whatsapp audio purporting to have come from Stephen Ward who left the squad yesterday with a foot injury. The audio outlines details of the exchanges between Assistant Manager Roy Keane and players Harry Arter and Jon Walters which were alleged to have occurred during the summer internationals. 

Denmark, whom it seemed were in some domestic turmoil, showed no ill effects as they secured a deserved two nil victory over Wales in Group Four of the UEFA Nations League this Sunday afternoon. Both goals were scored by Christian Eriksen, the man who scored the hat-trick that contributed to Ireland’s crushing World Cup qualification defeat last November.

Our U19 side went down to a one nil defeat by Wales in the first of two friendly internationals played at City Calling Stadium, Longford this afternoon. The second contest is set for Eamonn Deacy Park, Galway at noon on Tuesday.

In the FA Women’s Super League this Sunday afternoon both Louise Quinn and Katie McCabe were in the Arsenal Women’s side which crushed visitors Liverpool by five goals to nil. The visitors included former ‘Gunner’ Niamh Fahey in their starting eleven. Also in action was recent signing Heather Payne who was a second half substitute for Bristol City Women who won with the only goal at Brighton & Hove Albion. Goalkeeper Grace Moloney had a fairly quiet afternoon as her Reading Women’s side secured a comfortable four nil success over visitors Yeovil Town.

The Ireland squad sets out for Poland today without Stephen Ward who picked up a foot injury on Thursday night and has now returned to his club Burnley. The squad which has also lost Jon Walters, has been reinforced by the arrival of Ronan Curtis, who scored the equaliser for the U21 side on Friday evening but is suspended for the clash with Germany on Tuesday.  

With their qualification destiny still in their own hands, decision time looms for our U21 side who face European Championship Qualifying Group Five leaders Germany in Tallaght Stadium at 6pm on Tuesday evening. With three matches remaining for both sides, Ireland trail Germany by two points but with the final two contests away in Israel and Germany, this home encounter is absolutely vital if hopes of qualification for their first ever Championship Finals are to be realised. The current furore surrounding Declan Rice has cost Head Coach Noel King a gigantic asset and coupled with the one match suspension of the in-form Ronan Curtis and centre back Ryan Sweeney makes an already formidable challenge even more daunting. Defenders Shaun Donnellan and Sean McLoughlin have now been called up to the squad.

Goalkeepers: Liam Bossin (Nottingham Forest), Kieran O’Hara (Loan-Macclesfield Town)
Defenders: Ryan Delaney (Rochdale), Danny Kane (Loan-AFC Fylde), Liam Kinsella (Walsall), Connor Shaughnessy (Leeds United), Ryan Sweeney [suspended]Loan-Mansfield Town), Corey Whelan (Loan-Crewe Alexandra), Shaun Donnellan (Yeovil Town), Sean McLoughlin (Cork City)
Midfielders: Harry Charsley (Everton), Josh Cullen (Loan Charlton Athletic), Rory Hale (Derry City), Ryan Manning (Loan-Rotherham United), Jamie McGrath (Dundalk), Jake Mulraney (Heart of Midlothian)
Forwards: Ronan Curtis [suspended](Portsmouth), Reece Grego-Cox (Crawley Town), Ronan Hale (Loan-Derry City), Joe Quigley (Maidstone United)   

Head Coach Paul Osam leads a nineteen player squad to Bulgaria where they will face their hosts in two contests at the National Football Complex in Sofia. The first encounter is set for 3pm (Irish time) on Tuesday afternoon with the second contest scheduled for the same time on Thursday afternoon. These U16 players will benefit from the experience and knowledge of Richard Dunne who joins the coaching team in an advisory capacity.

Goalkeepers: Arlo Doherty (Manchester City), Josh Keely (St Patrick’s Athletic)
Defenders: Fionnan Coyle (Finn Harps), Oisin Hand (Shamrock Rovers), Leigh Kavanagh (Bray Wanderers), Ronan Kilkenny (Bohemian), Anselmo Garcia McNulty (Real Betis), Gavin O’Brien (Bohemian)
Midfielders: Louie Barry (West Bromwich Albion), Colon Conroy (Bohemian), Kyle Conway (St Patrick’s Athletic), Oran Crowe (Cork City), Lee Harkin (Tristar Boys), Ben McCormack (St Patrick’s Athletic), Andrew Moran (Bray Wanderers)
Forwards: Roland Banya (Shamrock Rovers), Daniel Gildea (Finn Harps), Callum Kavanagh (Middlesbrough), Billy Vance (Bray Wanderers)