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Scorchers clinch opening match of Arachas Super 50 Cup

A solid batting display led by captain and player of the match Gaby Lewis, and an impressive team bowling performance, sees the Scorchers claim the first win of the Arachas Super 50 Cup today at Pembroke Cricket Club.

Three wickets apiece to Scorchers’ Cara Murray (3-39) and Leah Paul (3-42), backed up by a good fielding performance saw the team in orange defend their total of 221-5.

The Typhoons began the run chase solidly, with Rachel Delaney (21) and Rebecca Stokell (20) putting on a 44-run opening stand. Typhoons captain Laura Delany (24) threatened to accelerate the scoring until she was dismissed stumped by a smart piece of keeping by Shauna Kavanagh.

The blues innings drifted in the middle overs until Louise Little (42) and Celeste Raack (40*) put on a well-paced 74 run partnership. Little was unfortunate not to register her maiden half-century, looking increasingly confident as her innings progressed until she skied a ball and was caught at cover by a diving Gaby Lewis.

The Typhoons’ run rate required became insurmountable and they finished 14 runs short.

The Scorchers bowling attack looked sharp right from the outset, Sophie MacMahon’s (1-23) opening spell kept early runs to a minimum, while Lara Maritz (0-28) brought pace and accuracy to the fore. However, potentially the most threatening pair were Ashlee King (1-36) who – after starting her afternoon’s work with two wides – found extra bounce and pace to unsettle several of the Typhoons batters, and Cara Murray who bowled her legspin with increased pace and improved accuracy, showing the benefits of her off-season working on her bowling technique.

Earlier in the day the Scorchers opening pair of Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul started strongly with a 74-run opening stand in just over 16 overs. A tight run out saw Paul depart for 16, while Lewis fell shortly after for 60, trapped in front by her opposite number Laura Delany.

With the loss of Lewis the Scorchers run rate becalmed. With a rebuilding job required Shauna Kavanagh led the fightback with 48, while Sophie MacMahon (38*) and Lara Maritz (20*) put on an unbroken 42-run stand at the backend of the innings to get the Scorchers to 221-5 from their 50 overs.

For the Typhoons bowlers, Laura Delany 1-17 and Orla Prendergast 1-48 looked the most threatening, while Ava Canning went wicketless, but her 0-29 off 10 overs was instrumental in keeping the Scorchers total in check.

In the end, it was the Scorchers bowling unit that was the difference between the two sides, however, the result sets the tone for a highly competitive series.

Gaby Lewis was named Player of the Match.

MATCH SUMMARY

Scorchers v Typhoons, 1st Match Arachas Super 50 Cup, Dublin, 25 April 2021

   Scorchers 221-5 (50 overs; G Lewis 60, S Kavanagh 48 ; L Delany 1-17)

   Typhoons 207-9 (50 overs; xL Little 42, C Raack 40*; C Murray 3-39)

Scorchers won by 14 runs

Galway’s Emma Slevin stars for Ireland at European Gymnastics Finalists

Galway’s Emma Slevin finished 19th in the Women’s All-Around European Final nailing a clean competition and improving on her ranking from qualifications. It was a great achievement for the 17 year old.

Aside from a stumble on vault 23 year-old Adam Steele had an excellent competition finishing in 21st position.

Slevin scored 12.300 on Floor; 13.233 on Vault; 12.400 on Uneven Bars & 11.900 on the Balance Beam giving her an All-Around total of 49.833

Steele scored 12.266 on Rings; 12.766 on Vault; 12.333 on Parallel Bars; 13.066 on Horizontal Bars; 13.733 on Floor and 12.566 on Pommel Horse giving him an All-Around total of 76.730.

Speaking to RTE after her performance today Emma said:

‘I’m absolutely delighted with that performance as well as qualification. Qualifying in 22nd position and finishing in 19th position after today is something I’m really, really proud of. Overall, I am just delighted with that performance. Being with the best gymnasts in the world, overall it is just an amazing experience. Seeing how the top athletes work – it is very inspiring to say I competed alongside them. I know what I need to work on when I go back to my gym, obviously there are improvements still that I can make, and it is just very, very motivating to know that I am in with the best in Europe. It was enjoyable out there – I thought nerves would take over but it was honestly very, very enjoyable for me!

The support has been phenomenal. I would like to thank everyone for supporting me, for any gymnast coming up who is hoping to make a difference in gymnastics in Ireland just stay focused, stay motivated, do what you can. One thing for me is self-confidence, it is a gamechanger for me and I think I have discovered a lot of self-confidence this year and that has just helped me phenomenally as you can see from my results.’

Speaking after his competition Adam Steele said:

‘Today wasn’t my perfect competition but regardless of all that I am absolutely over the moon to be able to make final. I was smiling for the entire competition. I’m extremely happy with how I have done and onwards and upwards from here!’

Speaking after this evening’s competition, Sally Johnson, Gymnastics Ireland Performance & Technical Manager said:

‘It’s been great to finally compete after such a strange year… This event has been very different to anything we have competed at before however it has been very well run. We have all been very confident and comfortable with the new Covid19 protocols in place. All our gymnasts have been so adaptable while focussing on their training and competition. The great preparation by the gymnast’s support team has not gone unnoticed either! I would like to thank our coaches & Sport Ireland Institute support team.

These all-around finals for both Emma and Adam are the first time we have made the finals and shows the remarkable work & commitment they have put in to produce these great qualification performances. The finals have given them the chance to show off their routines and perform to the TV audience back home with enjoyment and excitement! A very proud Europeans for Ireland!

It was also a great surprise to see Rhys win the Shooting Star Award tonight, he has certainly been the star for the new generation of gymnasts coming through in our system.’

Speaking of the results, Mr Ciaran Gallagher, CEO of Gymnastics Ireland said:

‘To have Irish competitors for the first time in both the Men’s & Women’s European All-Around Finals and for it to be aired live on RTE meant today really was great day for our sport. Emma & Adam displayed quality performances as part of Europe’s best! Their results represent a superb achievement for them both personally but also gives all the young gymnasts following in their footsteps, & who they train along-side in our national squad programme, great role models to follow as All-Around gymnasts! On behalf of all at Gymnastics Ireland huge congratulations to Emma & Adam plus our support team including coaches Sally Batley & Will Banthorpe, our Performance & Technical Manager Sally Johnson and physio Julianne Ryan. We now look forward to Rhys McClenaghan stepping out into the Men’s Pommel Top-8 Final tomorrow which will be live on RTE One from 1pm – 3.15pm!’

Just before the All-Around medal ceremony Irish fans had a pleasant surprise when Rhys McClenaghan was brought out into the arena and presented with the ‘Smartscoring Shooting Star Award’. This award was started in 2018 by European Gymnastics sponsor Smartscoring and ‘aims to put a gymnast with an exceptional story in the spotlight, someone who is an inspiration for the future generation of gymnasts and the general public alike’.

McClenaghan will compete in the Pommel Horse Top-8 Final tomorrow, Saturday 24th April from 1pm – 3.15pm (Irish time) live on RTE One.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s finals Rhys McClenaghan said “I am very happy to be back competing. I can improve my routine so much more in every aspect. Looking forward to showing it in the finals.”

Finn McGeever Surprises Himself and the Country with New Irish Record

Finn McGeever came into the 400m freestyle final with the slowest time but left a big mark at the Irish National Swimming Championships on Thursday.

“I knew I could do a lot better than what my PB was but no can’t say I was expecting that”

The Irish National Swimming trials in Dublin this week has brought some surprises with records broken and people qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic games.

But the biggest surprise may have come in the men’s 400m freestyle final. 17-year-old Liam Custer came in as favourite with Dean Power next and then Finn McGeever.

Finn, a 20-year-old University of Limerick student, started fast but was expected to fade off towards the end of the race.

To the small crowds surprise the lead kept growing until he finished in first breaking the Irish record for the event in a time of 5.52.83.

In his post-race interview he shared what spurred him on: “Between you and me, what got me through the race was that this was the last (400m freestyle) that I was going to do for a while like, you know, I’ve just got (100m freestyle) tomorrow, it’s all down hill from here, I’m just delighted with that.”

Finn is already part of the 4x200m freestyle relay that is on the cusp of qualifying for Tokyo. The record that he broke belonged to his teammate Jack McMillan for three years.

The young Tipperary swimmer came into the final as the slowest of the three, but he managed to knock almost a whopping 15 seconds off his preliminary time.

Although he managed to set a new Irish record with his nearest competitor Custer coming in seven seconds behind him, he would need to cut another six seconds from his time to make the Olympic qualifying time.

Life seems to be coming fast for the young athlete, but he remains down to earth saying that he won’t be relaxing or celebrating the new record.

“Well I’ve actually got a lab report due tomorrow at 5pm so I got to hack away at that.”

Rainbow Cup Rugby – Connacht beat Ulster after captains challenge

Rainbow Cup Rugby, Connacht best Ulster with an 85min TRY by Peter O’Sullivan after they called a captain challenge.

Ulster 24-26 Connacht Full Time

Connacht could have taken the draw with an easy penalty but after winning the captains challenge they went for the corner, they won the line out and threw the ball across the line, a lovely grubber kick into the corner by Conor Fitzgerald and Peter O’Sullivan got the  TRY for a 2pt win.

Preview

Ulster narrowly missed out on the Guinness Pro14 final but should have plenty of confidence to take into their Rainbow Cup campaign.

Fourteen wins from their 16 matches were not quite enough to pip eventual champions Leinster to top spot in Conference A, while Connacht also claimed runners-up spot in their group but suffered eight defeats.

Connacht ended the Pro14 season with three straight defeats so will be keen to stop the rot but they were beaten 32-19 when these teams last met in December at The Sportsground, while Ulster will also take confidence from winning seven of their last eight home games in the Pro14.

Ulster

The Ulster match-day squad to play Connacht in Friday’s opening round of the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup has been named (kick-off 8.15pm, Kingspan Stadium).

Iain Henderson makes his return to lead the side and will be partnered by Kieran Treadwell in the second row. Andrew Warwick comes in to start at loosehead prop, with Tom O’Toole at tighthead and Rob Herring selected to start at hooker. In the back row, Matty Rea comes in at blindside flanker, with Sean Reidy at openside, and Nick Timoney completing the pack at Number Eight.

Jacob Stockdale makes a positional switch to full-back, and will be joined by Ethan McIlroy and Robert Baloucoune in the back three. Stewart Moore will form the midfield partnership with James Hume, and John Cooney and Billy Burns are named as the starting half-backs.

Will Addison is set to make his return from a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he is named among the Ulster back line replacements alongside David Shanahan and Michael Lowry. John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor and Greg Jones are the forward options on the bench.

Ulster team to play Connacht Rugby, Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Round 1, Friday 23 April at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 8.15pm, live on Premier Sports):

(15-9) Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matty Rea, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Michael Lowry, Will Addison.

Connacht

Two changes come in the backs, where Caolin Blade is promoted to the number 9 shirt and Ben O’Donnell is named on the wing. The final change is in the front row where Jordan Duggan starts at loosehead.

Otherwise the team is as selected against Leicester in the Challenge Cup, with the experienced duo of Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham joining Duggan in the front row, a second row duo of Ultan Dillane and Gavin Thornbury, and a back row consisting of flankers Eoghan Masterson and Conor Oliver, and captain Paul Boyle at number 8.

Jack Carty partners Blade at out-half, Tom Daly and Sean O’Brien continue their centre partnership, and winger Matt Healy and full-back John Porch form the back three with O’Donnell.

Commenting on the team selection, Head Coach Andy Friend says:

“There is still huge disappointment with our Challenge Cup exit and our last few performances, so this is a game where I’m fully expecting a reaction from the players. This is a new competition for us but as with competition we play in, we’re going out to win it. Our team selection reflects that and if we play the way I know we can, we’ll give ourselves a great chance of making a positive start to the Rainbow Cup.”

CONNACHT MATCHDAY 23 VS ULSTER RUGBY
Friday 23rd April, Kingspan Stadium, kick-off 8.15pm

Name/Number/Caps
15. John Porch (36)
14. Ben O’Donnell (4)
13. Sean O’Brien (Acad) (7)
12. Tom Daly (44)
11. Matt Healy (148)
10. Jack Carty (155)
9. Caolin Blade (127)
1. Jordan Duggan (11)
2. Dave Heffernan (140)
3. Finlay Bealham (155)
4. Ultan Dillane (110)
5. Gavin Thornbury (56)
6. Eoghan Masterson (107)
7. Conor Oliver (17)
8. Paul Boyle (55) (C)

Replacements
16. Shane Delahunt (96)
17. Matthew Burke (20)
18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (63)
19. Niall Murray (13)
20. Abraham Papali’i (10)
21. Kieran Marmion (182)
22. Conor Fitzgerald (32)
23. Peter Sullivan (12)

European Gymnastics – McClenaghan, Steele & Slevin – TV Coverage & Results

Rhys McClenaghan and Adam Steele have joined Emma Slevin in qualifying for finals at the 2021 European Gymnastics Championships. 

McClenaghan, 2018 European Champion and 2019 World bronze medallist on Pommel, today secured his place in the Pommel Horse top-8 Final qualifying in 1st position with a score of 14.766.  McClenaghan, who has his eyes firmly fixed on Tokyo 2021, will compete in the final on Saturday 24th April from 1.00pm – 3.15pm Irish Time with the final being aired live on RTE One. 

 

Following on from Emma Slevin yesterday, Adam Steele had an excellent competition competing on all 6 of the men’s apparatus and finished in 20th position with a score of 79.731. In doing so he makes history by securing Ireland’s first place in a senior men’s All-Around Top 24 European Final. 

 

The Men’s All-Around Final will take place tomorrow, Friday 22nd April from 4.00 – 7.00pm Irish Time on RTÉ Player. This will be after the Women’s All-Around Top-24 Final on RTÉ2 from 12.15 – 2.45pm Irish Time which will feature rising Irish women’s star Emma Slevin who qualified for the All-Around final yesterday. 

 

Adam scored 12.770 on rings; 14.366 on vault; 12.900 on parallel bars; 12.866 on horizontal bar; 13.566 on floor and finally 13.333 on pommel horse.  159 gymnasts competed from 35 countries in today’s event. 

 

Speaking following the competition, Gymnastics Ireland CEO Ciaran Gallagher said:  

 

‘3 gymnasts through to finals at the European Championships – a superb sporting achievement for Gymnastics Ireland & Ireland as a sporting nation! Rhys did what he does best on Pommel Horse with his qualification secured for the Pommel Final in 1st place and Adam pulled out one of his best-ever competition performances to secure his first slot in a senior All-Around European Final. With RTE covering the finals live via RTE One, RTE2 and RTE Player over the next 3 days Rhys, Adam & Emma will be on show with Europe’s best at a level of visibility to gymnastics & wider sports fans have not seen in Ireland since the coverage of the 2018 European Championships – we can’t wait! On behalf of all of us at Gymnastics Ireland I would like to wish our 3 finalists the very best of luck!’ 

 

Tomorrow will see Emma Slevin & Adam Steele compete in the All-Around Finals on Friday 23rd April.  Emma will compete in the women’s AA Final competition from 12.15pm – 2.45pm Irish time with the competition being broadcast on RTE2 while Adam will compete in the men’s AA Final from 4pm – 7pm Irish time and can be viewed on RTE player. 

 

Event info:    

 

The 24 gymnasts with the highest ranking obtained in the qualifying competition advance to the All-Around Final with a maximum of 2 gymnasts per country. The 8 highest ranked gymnasts in the qualifying competition per apparatus advance to the Apparatus Finals, again with a maximum of 2 gymnasts per country/final.    

 

2 Olympic quotas for men and 2 for women will be determined based on the results of the all-around qualification competition. For the Tokyo 2020 Qualification, the handling of eligibility and results is the responsibility of FIG.    

 

See below the schedule of the event.    

 

Friday 23rd April  

Women’s Artistic All-Around final – 12.15 – 2.45pm Irish Time on RTÉ TWO  

 

Men’s Artistic All-Around final – Friday 23rd April from 4.00 – 7.00pm Irish Time on RTÉ Player https://www.rte.ie/player/onnow  

 

Saturday 24th April   

Apparatus final Day 1 – 1.00pm – 3.15pm Irish Time on RTÉ ONE (Men’s Floor, Pommel Horse, Rings and Women’s Vault and Uneven Bars)  

 

Sunday 25th April  

Apparatus final Day 2 – 11.45am-3pm on RTÉ TWO (Men’s Vault, Parallel Bar and High Bar and Women’s Beam and Floor)  

How do Bayern Munich Play under Hansi Flick?

Hansi Flick’s time at Bayern Munich is set to come to an end when the season finishes.

The German manager announced his wish to leave the club after their 3-2 win away to Wolfsburg on Saturday. He will end his time at Germany’s most successful club with a Champions League trophy, a DFB-Pokal, a Club World Cup, a DFL-Supercup and possibly two Bundesliga Meisterschales.

Flick has amassed an incredible 2.57 points per game across 82 games, with four games left to add to that impressive stat.

But how has he achieved so much in so little time?

The former Germany assistant manager reinstated veteran players such as Thomas Muller and gave others a chance full-time like Alphonso Davies after Niko Kovac’s departure.

All these players fit together into a dominant 4-2-3-1 setup that Flick uses to let all his players’ shine. It proved much more successful than the sometimes stale 4-1-4-1 under Kovac. Neuer, now back to his best after a tough period, offers world-class goalkeeping on front of the back four and has been ever-present in the side.

The main back four is made up of Pavard, Boateng, Alaba and Davies who, while prone to defensive errors, are talented enough to hold onto their spot. Pavard, the more defensive-minded of the two full-backs, tends to stay close to the pair when they have the ball, while Alphonso Davies pushes up the field, adding an extra passing option in midfield.

Bayern’s two ball-playing centre-halves offer a unique advantage to the German side – both Boateng and Alaba’s ability to play out from the back allows Kimmich to remain in midfield when building up play.

Pavard, although less inclined to make daring runs like his opposite, looks to move the ball forward too, making Bayern’s back-three when looking to progress the ball a very fluid collective.

Wingers Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry, and full-back Davies can receive long balls and attack quicker because of this. Gnabry and Davies are a dual threat on the left with the former tending to cut inside while Davies stays out wide and offers an overload on the left flank. 

New addition Sané stays wide and receives passes from either Kimmich or the three who sit back. 

Joshua Kimmich’s vision is used in a two-man midfield pivot, usually alongside Leon Goretzka.

The 26-year-old is used to pick out Thomas Muller and the other forwards much higher up the field as well as his midfield partner.

The 52-time German national dominates Bayern’s passing statistics – over the last year, the star maintained an average of 8.63 progressive passes per 90, 0.54 assists per 90 and has completed 4.71 shot-creating actions every game.

He is the most important cog in the Bayern machine and his work allows others to thrive. The team’s ball-dominant system has seen the side lead the Bundesliga in possession with an average figure of 60.5%.

Goretzka drives forward often to add a third central threat for the opposition defenders to deal with and leave space for either Lewandowski or Muller to receive the ball.

These runs can also be crucial when the ball is near the opposition box – the industrious German becomes a goal-scoring threat in these scenarios, with eight goals and nine assists to his name this season, despite suffering from injury and coronavirus throughout the campaign.

Thomas Muller has seen himself receive many passes from Kimmich under Flick and has been racking up the assists with Robert Lewandowski on front of him, providing nine out of his personal haul of 20 for the Pole.

The Polish striker has been on fire for years at Bayern and has taken his game to the next level with Flick’s fully functioning attack.

The 32-year-old has netted 77 times in 69 appearances since Flick’s upgrade to manager in November 2019. His instinctive movement inside the 18-yard box and perennial danger have decimated sides across Europe.

The Ballon d’Or chaser rounds off a world-class starting XI once held back by Kovac.

A deep bench at full fitness includes Kingsley Coman, Lucas Hernandez, Javi Martinez and German wunderkind Jamal Musiala who have all played their part this season.

Flick has transformed a side that looked on the decline under their former boss, revitalising legends and planting the seeds for new ones.

The shackles came off for Bayern when Flick became the head coach, and they became the world’s best side once again.

Bayern can only hope it stays that way long after Flick’s departure.

 

FAI wish Ruaidhri Higgins well with Derry City role

Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, CEO Jonathan Hill and the Board of the Football Association of Ireland have wished Senior Men’s Team Chief Scout Ruaidhri Higgins the very best of luck following his appointment as the new Derry City boss.

Limavady-native Higgins will take up his new job with immediate effect and leaves his scouting and analysis role with the Irish team with the best wishes of manager Kenny who said: “I want to wish Ruaidhri the best of luck managing Derry City. He has a very bright future in the game and he’ll be delighted to manage his hometown club that he played with for nine seasons, and we wish him well.”

FAI Chief Executive Jonathan Hill added: “Ruaidhri is a very proud Derry man and a former player with the club so this is the one job in football he couldn’t refuse. We wish him the best of luck with the new position and thank him for his services to the senior Ireland team.”

Gerry McAnaney, FAI President, added: “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Ruaidhri for his time with us. A valued member of Stephen’s backroom team, I have no doubt he will enjoy this new job with Derry City and I wish them great success together.”

Are casinos more profitable than sports betting?

If you are a sports fan, whether basketball, football, hockey or horse racing, you have probably come across sports betting.

You may have seen long queues at sports betting stores with many sports fans trying their odds at predicting game scores with the hope of winning something. Several do because it takes good knowledge of sports and some luck. 

The sports betting industry is very lucrative boasting worth of close to $85 billion in 2019. In the US, online gambling boasts $306.5 billion in 2018. These revenues across the world are due to the 1.6 billion gamblers worldwide and 4.2 billion people who at least gamble once a year. This is largely because people take home winnings and convenience of modern technology, and the fact that many online casinos are launching daily. While there is no guarantee of which is more profitable with each having its pros and cons, it boils down to preference and considering some of these factors.

Bonuses to consider

Bonuses are a major part of gambling because they act as an incentive for both new gamblers and existing gamblers. They entice new gamblers into signing up while giving existing ones a reason to stay. Sports betting offers free bets where they allow a bettor the chance to place a wager without risk and receive payment for their winnings. Taking advantage of free bets only requires a bettor to register a new account with an online bookmaker. 

Casinos are also popular for their bonuses including welcome, sign-up, matched, no deposit and deposit bonuses that work to entice new players. Choosing the best casino though is very important, as some are fraudulent, and some have wagering requirements that are very difficult to meet. Casino Reviews recommends quite a few casinos and lists their bonuses, such as Jackpot City free credits that can be received when signing up. Matched bonuses, for example, will match the deposit made by a bettor to a certain percentage. A deposit of $50 could be matched with a bonus of $50. The most beneficial bonuses may include free spins, no deposit bonuses and matched bonuses. The purpose of all bonuses is often to lure new players and keep old ones. 

The odds are different 

One of the keys to gambling no matter what industry is the value of understanding odds. Both sports betting and online casinos have different odds that gamblers need to get well acquainted with before making a decision. In sports betting, knowledge is power. A bettor needs to know a lot about teams, players and their history in order to make an informed bet. Odds at casino games are much lower considering the house always wins. Some games with low odds include slots where you may win 2-10 percent of the time. While the odds for sports betting are dependant on knowledge, the ones for casino games are mostly based on luck and often some little skills. The odds for the latter are usually in the house’s favour.

Are you good at strategy?

Casinos always have the upper hand in their games especially for strategy games. Irrespective of your statistics prowess, the chances of winning are still minimal. Despite this, strategy is still helpful with some casino games so gamblers should be aware of where it may work to their favour. Some games where strategy is helpful include roulette, blackjack and craps. In craps, “pass line” and “don’t pass line” bets are a good strategy to help your odds while avoiding chasing after lucrative odds. In blackjack, getting a basic strategy card from the fit store reduces the house edge. In roulette, the best bets are odd/even and black/red while avoiding big board bets. Another strategy that may help with slots is understanding what the RTP of the specific slot is. The higher it is, the better the odds.  Using good strategies will not guarantee a win but it will help reduce your losses and if you are lucky, get you a win or two. Every gambler should be aware of the strategies that could work in their favour.

Conclusion 

Sports betting and online casinos are a major part of the gambling industry. Everybody loves a fun and entertaining activity that could potentially bring a return. Understanding the differences between the two is important for any bettor before deciding which to engage to maximise your fun and enjoyment. It is helpful to understand that the odds are different, different bonuses and the strategies that play in your favour. In most cases, even with this information, the choice still remains with what best suits the bettor’s taste and preference.

Kevin Sheedy resigns as Waterford United manager, or does he?

Earlier reports suggested he and his assistant departed, however the club have since dismissed those rumours.

Former Republic of Ireland international was appointed Waterford United manager at the end of 2020, bringing in Premier League winner Mike Newell as his assistant. The role marked his first full-time senior managerial role having previously coached underage football at Everton and Al-Shabab FC, as well as being assistant manager at Hartlepool United and Tranmere Rovers – the latter of which included a short stint as caretaker manager.

However, it now appears that his time at the club may be coming to an end. The Waterford News and Star reported earlier that Waterford United had begun a search for a new management team after Kevin Sheedy and Mike Newell left the club.

However, Waterford United have since denied those rumours as reported by WLR FM, claiming that Sheedy and Newell are in fact still at the club. The same report suggested that the pair are understood to have been involved in a row during training this morning which seen them leave the ground, but they haven’t resigned as of yet.

Their time at the club hasn’t exactly gone to plan, losing five of their six league games in charge. If their tenure at the club is to end soon, nobody can say it wasn’t eventful, though.

Mike Newell, in particular, has caused quite the stir since entering the League of Ireland. He’s only took charge for three games and been sent off in two of them.

The first sending off occurred on Waterford’s first match of the season, where he was sent off for his part in an argument with Drogheda United midfielder Gary Deegan.

He was also sent off on Tuesday, when Pat’s beat Waterford, for an even more bizarre reason. He got into a heated argument (at least on his side) with an official over a player’s socks. More specifically, how one of the Pat’s players had cut their socks leaving the colour white to be shown.

Controversy has seemingly followed Newell throughout his career – at least in management, anyways.

In one of many incidents, he made sexist comments directed towards female assistant referee Amy Fearn following a match between his Luton Town side and Queens Park Rangers.

“She should not be here,” he started off by saying.

“I know that sounds sexist, but I am sexist, so I am not going to be anything other than that.

“We have a problem in this country with political correctness, and bringing women into the game is not the way to improve refereeing.

“It is absolutely beyond belief. When do we reach a stage when all officials are women, then we are in trouble.

“It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have, but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems.

“It is tokenism, for the politically correct idiots.”

Waterford United find themselves second bottom of the league after six games, collecting just one solitary win. Just below them in Derry City, who have two draws to their name an no wins. They sacked their manager, Declan Devine, earlier today.

Waterford United’s next game comes against Longford Town on Saturday.

 

Shamrock Rover’s Stephen Bradley quotes ahead of Bohs clash

Some quotes from Stephen Bradley in advance of Fridays night’s game v Bohemians at Tallaght Stadium, kick off 7.45pm, live on RTÉ2

It was another late win in Drogheda on Tuesday. How happy were you to get that goal right at the end?

“Obviously we were delighted to get the goal and the win. It’s a tough place to go and on the whole game I thought we deserved it. We had a few chances and again it just shows the mentality in the group, the way they never stop believing which is really important.”

It was a great delivery and header for the winning goal. Was that straight off the training ground?

“We know Dylan’s delivery is always on point. It’s about making sure that the runners and the players in the box find their lanes and make sure they hit them. The delivery is always there. I think on the night we had three chances from set plays, corners and free kicks from which we should have done better. ”

What did you think of our general play overall? What was good and what could have been better?

“In the first we half we probably got dragged into their type of game a bit too often. But in the second half we settled and played more like ourselves and created some chances. Their keeper made one or two good saves. There’s definitely still stuff to improve on but overall I thought we were good.”

We’re making a habit of these late goals now. Do the players believe the goal will eventually come if they remain patient?

“I think they’ve shown that over a period of time. They believe in what we do and they don’t stop believing until the final whistle is blown. They keep probing and keep looking for the opening and it takes a lot of courage and bravery to do that because you can get sucked into just kicking it long when it comes to the latter stages of the game. But the players don’t, they keep probing and they get their rewards.”

You spoke about the pitch being a leveller. How did the players find the surface and the size in terms of finding spaces on it?

“We knew before we went there it’s a small pitch and obviously when you put that in with how firm the pitch was, it makes it a difficult venue to come play in. They’re going to take a lot of points off teams up there this year because they work extremely hard for each other and they’re well organised. I can see it being a difficult game for most teams.”

Chris McCann played very well in midfield when he came on. How much did he influence the game in the second half?

“I thought Chris was excellent when he came on but I think that’s the way the squad has been. Every player that’s either started or come on has made an impact and that’s really important because the squad is obviously going to be key to what we do this year. Right now it’s proven to be the case.”

Are you happy with our points tally after six games played?

“Yes we’re really happy with the points. We know we’ll get better and stronger as the season goes on but we’re really happy with where we are at this moment in time.”

What do you make of Bohemians this season?

“I only watched their game against Sligo and it was a pretty even game. Both teams had chances and there wasn’t much in the game. It was a really competitive game and of course we expect the same tomorrow.”

Is Rovers v Bohs a game everyone looks for in the fixture list when it comes out at the start of the season?

“Not for players or staff. We concentrate on the next game and like any game it’s about concentrating on the next one and being ready to play and win it. I’m sure the fans look for the derby straight away but for players and staff it’s all about the next opponent.”

The first derby behind closed doors last year was quite a strange experience but Rovers did get the 1-0 win. Do you think the two sets of players are able to bring their own level of intensity to the game even without the fans there making noise?

“I think that’s natural between two good teams and rivals in a derby. That intensity will always be there. It’s just obviously not the same without the fans. That’s every game but more so in a Dublin derby. The natural rivalry will be there but it’s definitely not the same without the fans.”

What’s the latest with injuries in the squad?

“Neil Farrugia is still a bit away and we’ll have to check on Joey O’Brien but he’s been doing well. Sean Kavanagh picked up a knock in Drogheda so we’ll have to see how that is.”

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