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There was further Championship action this Wednesday evening as Charlton Athletic and their loanee Josh Cullen were held to a one all draw by Nottingham Forest at the Valley. Craven Cottage hosted the London Derby meeting of Fulham and Millwall which may have attracted the interest of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. AFC Bournemouth loanee Harry Arter started for the hosts but Cyrus Christie was an unused substitute as Fulham cruised to a four nil victory.  The visiting ‘Lions’ included Alex Pearce and Shaun Williams in their starting eleven with Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jayson Molumby a 75th minute substitute while Aiden O’Brien remained on the bench. Alan Browne was an 82nd minute substitute for Preston North End who defeated visitors Stoke City by three goals to one at Deepdale. The visitors included Aston Villa loanee Scott Hogan in their starting eleven but he made little impact and was substituted on 58 minutes. James McClean also started in the left back position and scored the late consolation goal while teenage defender Nathan Collins was introduced for the second half and played very well.  Ireland Assistant Manager Terry Connor is believed to have been an interested party at Deepdale. Ryan Manning retained his starting role for QPR who went down to a three one defeat by visitors Swansea City at Loftus Road while Ireland U21 duo Dara O’Shea and Josh Barrett had to be content with positions on the bench for their respective clubs West Bromwich Albion and Reading who played out a one all draw at the Hawthorns.

Our Republic of Ireland U16 side, guided by Head Coach Paul Osam, commenced their International Triangular Tournament involvement with a four two defeat by Denmark early this Tuesday afternoon in the English National Training Centre at St George’s Park. The ‘Danes’ were much the better side and led by four goals until the closing stages when substitutes Tom Lonergan and John Joe Power scored to present a better image.

We will next face hosts England, again at the NTC in St Georges Park, at 2pm on Thursday afternoon.

Team: Jack Ross(Bray Wanderers), Ben Curtis(Shamrock Rovers)[C], Sean Grehan(Bohemian), Aaron O’Reilly(St Patrick’s Athletic), John Ryan(Shamrock Rovers); Luke McGlynn(Finn Harps), James Abankwah(St Patricks Athletic), Michael Leddy(Shamrock Rovers); Cian Kelly(Bohemian), Evan Ferguson(Bohemian), Sean Fitzpatrick(Wexford)

Substitutes:
Edwin Agbaje(Shamrock Rovers) for Leddy 40′
John Joe Power(Burton Albion) for McGlynn 40′
Tom Lonergan(St Patrick’s Athletic) for Fitzpatrick 56′
Ben Quinn(St Patrick’s Athletic) for Kelly 56′
Tommy Fogarty(Birmingham City) for Curtis 69′
Glory Nzingo(St Patrick’s Athletic) Abankwah 69′

Championship
Match series four in the Championship kicked-off on Tuesday evening with Birmingham City scoring twice in the second half to defeat Barnsley at St Andrew’s where Daniel Crowley was an unused substitute for the ‘Blues’. Richard Keogh skippered Derby County as they went down to a two one defeat by visitors Bristol City for whom Callum O’Dowda was a sixtieth minute substitute. Teenager Jason Knight was an eightieth minute substitute for the defeated ‘Rams’. The Blackburn Rovers trio of, loanee Greg Cunningham, Darragh Lenihan and Derrick Williams all started the one nil victory at Hull City with Williams scoring the winning goal. Darren Randolph was in his usual custodian position for Middlesbrough who scored the only goal to defeat visitors Wigan Athletic in the Riverside Stadium. Fellow netminder Keiren Westwood was in action for Sheffield Wednesday who also secured a one nil home victory, over Luton Town and James Collins at Hillsborough.

League One
Alan Judge was a seventy second minute substitute for Ipswich Town who defeated visitors AFC Wimbledon by two goals to one at Portman Road in League One this Tuesday evening while Manchester United loanee Kieran O’Hara started for Burton Albion who journied to Oxford United and secured a four two victory. Ronan Curtis, disappointing on Saturday afternoon at Sunderland, scored for Portsmouth who were held to a three all draw by visitors Coventry City at Fratton Park. The ‘Sky Blues’, reduced to nine men following two red cards, trailed by three goals to one with twenty minutes remaining but scored twice to earn a point.  

The second semi-final in the 2019 EA Sports Cup between Dundalk and Bohemian took place on Monday evening in Oriel Park where the hosts emerged as crushing 6-1 victors with Patrick Hoban scoring four. Dundalk will face Derry City in the final which is set for Saturday the 14 September 2019.

Waterford went down to an emphatic five one defeat by visitors  Shamrock Rovers in the Airtricity League Premier Division this Monday evening. The ‘Hoops’ are now four points adrift of leaders Dundalk but the Oriel Park side have two matches in hand.

                            P   W  D  L   F   A   G/D  Pts
Dundalk                    26  19  5  2  52  13   39    62
Shamrock Rovers            28  18  4  6  50  17   33    58
Bohemian                   29  14  7  8  41  23   18    49
Derry City                 29  12 10  7  44  28   16    46 
St Patrick’s Athletic      29  12  7 10  24  27   -3    43
Sligo Rovers               28   7 11 10  27  36   -9    32
Cork City                  27   7  9 11  21  31  -10    30
Waterford                  27   7  6 14  32  44  -12    27 
Finn Harps                 29   6  5 18  24  55  -31    23
UCD                        27   5  2 20  21  62  -41    17

Monday
Molineaux hosted the Premier League meeting of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United which ended in a one all draw on Monday evening. Matt Doherty, rested from the Thursday night Europa League encounter with Pyunik, resumed his right wing back role for the hosts but suffered an early injury and was withdrawn at half-time.

Sunday
Sheffield United, with the Irish international quartet of John Egan, Enda Stevens, David McGoldrick and Callum Robinson in their starting eleven, played their first home fixture in this season’s Premier League when they defeated Crystal Palace by one goal to nil at Bramall Lane on Sunday afternoon. Robinson was forced off through injury after 56 minutes but first reports indicate that the injury may not be too serious. New signing James McCarthy was introduced from the substitute bench for the visitors after seventy minutes.

Saturday
Match Series Two in the Premier League kicked-off at 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon when Arsenal defeated visitors Burnley by two goals to one in the Emirates Stadium. Jeff Hendrick was an unused substitute for the visiting ‘Clarets’. Kevin Long was not in their matchday squad while Robbie Brady has just returned to training this week following his injury absence. Conor Hourihane was an unused substitute for Aston Villa who went down to a two one defeat by  visitors AFC Bournemouth while Shane Duffy was in his customary centre back position for Brighton & Hove Albion who drew one each with West Ham United in the Amex Stadium. New Club Captain Seamus Coleman led Everton to a one nil Goodison Park victory over visitors Watford. Promoted Norwich City defeated visitors Newcastle United, for whom Ciaran Clark was an unused substitute, by three goals to one at Carrow Road while Michael Obafemi was an unused substitute for Southampton who went down to a two one defeat by visitors Liverpool, but Shane Long was not in the matchday squad.

Sunday in the Championship
The Championship continued at noon on Sunday when Reading secured an emphatic three nil victory over visitors Cardiff City at the Madejski Stadium. Our U21 international Josh Barrett has played a part in the ‘Royals’ opening fixtures but was an unused substitute this afternoon. 

Saturday in the Championship
Match series three in the Championship took place this weekend. West Ham United loanee Josh Cullen travelled with his Charlton Athletic colleagues to Barnsley where they secured a two all draw while the Blackburn Rovers trio of Darragh Lenihan, Derrick Williams and Cardiff City loanee Greg Cunningham all started the one nil victory over Ewood Park visitors Middlesbrough and Darren Randolph. The position of Callum O’Dowda at Bristol City remains one of flux and he was not in the matchday squad for the visit of QPR to Ashton Gate. The visiting ‘Rs’ included Ryan Manning in their starting eleven as they went down to a two nil defeat. James Collins started for the hosts Luton Town, who went down to a two one defeat by visitors West Bromwich Albion for whom Dara O’Shea was an unused substitute. The Millwall trio of Aiden O’Brien, Alex Pearce and Shaun Williams all started  the one nil victory over visitors Sheffield Wednesday for whom Keiren Westwood returned following his suspension. Daniel Crowley and his Birmingham City colleagues made the short cross country trip to Nottingham Forest where they suffered a three nil defeat while also in Midlands action were Stoke City and Derby County. The hosts included James McClean and Aston Villa loanee Scott Hogan in their starting eleven while Richard Keogh started for the visiting ‘Rams’. The sides played out a two all draw with Hogan scoring the second for Stoke. Teenagers, Nathan Collins for Stoke and Jason Knight for Derby were both introduced as late substitutes. Sean Maguire started for Preston North End as did Joe Rafferty,who opened the scoring after eleven minutes, but the hosts Swansea City recovered to secure a three two victory. Alan Browne was an eighty first minute substitute for Preston.

League One
Much Irish interest in League One focussed on those named in the provisional international squad announced by Mick McCarthy on Friday.
There was an early start for Sunderland and Portsmouth who met in the Stadium of Light at 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon with the hosts prevailing by two goals to one. The veteran Aiden McGeady started for the ‘Makems’ while ‘Pompey’ included Ronan Curtis and  Marcus Harness in their starting eleven with Norwich City loanee Sean Raggett on the substitute bench. Manchester United loanee Kieran O’Hara started for Burton Albion who lost to the only goal from Rotherham United. Surprise preliminary international squad selection Kieran Sadlier was in action for Doncaster Rovers as was  goalkeeper Ian Lawlor in their three two victory over their visitors Fleetwood Town.

Manager Mick McCarthy has announced his provisional 40 man Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifying contest with Switzerland followed by the friendly encounter with Bulgaria. The squad will be reduced to the regularity 23 prior to the opening fixture.

Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Kieran O’Hara(Manchester United-Loan at Burton Albion), Darren Randolph(Middlesbrough), Mark Travers(AFC Bournemouth), Keiren Westwood(Sheffield Wednesday)
Defenders: Cyrus Christie(Fulham), Ciaran Clark(Newcastle United, Seamus Coleman(Everton), Nathan Collins(Stoke City), Greg Cunningham(Cardiff City-Loan at Blackburn Rovers), Matt Doherty(Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Duffy(Brighton & Hove Albion), John Egan(Sheffield United), Richard Keogh(Derby County), Darragh Lenihan(Blackburn Rovers), Kevin Long(Burnley), Enda Stevens(Sheffield United), Derrick Williams(Blackburn Rovers)
Midfielders: Harry Arter(AFC Bournemouth-Loan at Fulham), Robbie Brady(Burnley), Alan Browne(Preston North End), Jack Byrne(Shamrock Rovers), Josh Cullen(West Ham United-Loan at Charlton Athletic), Jeff Hendrick(Burnley), Conor Hourihane(Aston Villa), Alan Judge(Ipswich Town), James McCarthy(Crystal Palace), James McClean(Stoke City), Callum O’Dowda(Bristol City), Kieran Sadlier(Doncaster Rovers), Glenn Whelan(Heart of Midlothian), 
Forwards: James Collins(Luton Town), Ronan Curtis(Portsmouth), Scott Hogan(Aston Villa-Loan at Stoke City), Shane Long(Southampton), Sean Maguire(Preston North End), David McGoldrick(Sheffield United), Michael Obafemi(Southampton), Aiden O’Brien(Millwall), Troy Parrott(Tottenham Hotspur), Callum Robinson(Sheffield United)