Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all want to sign Ilaix Moriba from Barcelona with only one year left on his contract
The 18-year-old Moriba is a product of Barcelona’s famous la Masia youth academy and is very highly rated at the club.
Barcelona have been in financial trouble for the last few years and are unable to meet the demands of the young player to sign him to a long-term contract.
The Catalan giants may have to sell the player this summer instead of letting him go on a free next year to help keep star Lionel Messi at the club for longer.
Three of England’s ‘big six’ clubs have already shown some interest in signing the midfielder with Man City as the favourites after narrowly missing out on signing the player in 2019
❗Ilaix Moriba’s renewal will be complicated. His new agency is asking for an unrealistic fee, and Barça have already informed them that they will not be willing to get to that figure.
— FC Barcelona Fans Nation (@fcbfn_live) June 3, 2021
The teenager contributed three goal involvements in 14 matches in Barcelona’s disappointing third place finish in the league but played three matches in their Copa del Rey victory.
The young Spaniard has shown to be a physical presence with the ability for neat dribbling, he seems to be as capable in a defensive position as he is at attacking.
Barcelona may have to accept less than his release clause of £86 million if they want to sell him this summer.
Moriba would be a very interesting and eye-catching addition to any Premier League team looking to sign him.
18-year-old Ilaix Moriba bags his first ever goal for Barcelona 🤩
Judy Reynolds has announced the retirement of her long-time partner Vancouver K, owned by her parents Joe and Kathleen.
Vancouver K is the greatest horse to represent Ireland on the international Dressage stage and has inspired a new generation of Irish Dressage riders with his record-breaking performances around the world.
Reynolds and the now 19-year-old Vancouver K, better known as JP, reached heights never before seen by an Irish Dressage combination. The pair represented Ireland in an Olympic Final, a World Championship Final, a European Championship Final and three World Cup Finals. Vancouver K regularly smashed Irish Dressage records. He currently holds all three Irish International record scores in Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle To Music.
A breath-taking performance of Vancouver K and Judy Reynolds at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam was key to helping the Irish team to make history and qualify for the Olympic Games for the very first time. Though Vancouver K will not now compete in Tokyo, Ireland will still have a Dressage team at the Olympics.
Emotional Tribute
Speaking after announcing the retirement of Vancouver K, Judy Reynolds paid an emotional tribute to her horse of a lifetime:
“I know I have always said that JP would decide when it was time to retire but I’ve had to make that decision for him. This horse has more heart than anyone can imagine and at 19 he still tries to give me everything. I’ve decided that it’s time to stop asking. What a trip it’s been. A good horse can carry you all around the world and back again. 1 Olympic Final, 3 World Cup Finals, 1 WEG Final, 1 European Championship Final. A good record for any horse but a great one for a horse that many thought wasn’t good enough.
“Many people may ask why I’ve waited until now to make this decision but the fact is JP still wants to work. We have given him every chance to be able to perform on the world’s biggest stage one more time but alas it is not to be. It has been a massive team effort over the years to allow JP and I to perform, my Parents, Patrick, Libby, Johann, farrier Errol, my vets the late Dr Stihl, Dr Hülsey, Dr Beeke, Marcus & Davide and many many more people along the way. JP you legend.”
Vancouver K also scored major international wins at Achleiten and Fritzens-Schindlhof in Austria, Dortmund in Germany, and at Pennsylvania and New York in the USA.
Two goals from Troy Parrott saw the Republic of Ireland come from behind to clinch a 4-1 victory over Andorra at the Estadi Nacional on Thursday.
The result saw manager Stephen Kenny claim his first victory as Republic of Ireland boss, as two further goals from Jason Knight and Daryl Horgan ensured a comfortable first win for the Dubliner.
In a disappointing opening half, the Irish side produced only one decent chance when an excellent passing move saw a Josh Cullen’s cross finding James Collins, but the latter disappointingly sent his headed effort wide of the mark.
The home side took the lead on 51 minutes through Marc Vales, who rose highest of all to head home from a set-piece.
Parrott brace
Shortly afterwards a response came from Kenny’s side when 19-year-old Troy Parrott equalised on 58 minutes. With Parrott finding space, he drove at the Andorran defence, before turning to create space and then finding the bottom corner.
Three minutes later Parrott doubled his international goals tally. Conor Hourihane, advanced down the right side, dug out a cross to the far post and the keeper couldn’t keep out Parrott’s powerful downward header.
Ireland had found their groove at this point and would go on to score a further two goals in the final 10 minutes.
Substitute Daryl Horgan found an inch-perfect cross to Knight who deceived the defender at the back-post to tap home his first international goal six minutes from time.
Knight returned the favour four minutes later with a fantastic cross, this time from the right, found Horgan and his diving header found the net to round off an impressive victory.
Kenny happy with response
“We were disappointed with the first-half and to go behind, but the response from that point was really impressive,” said manager Stephen Kenny.
“I’m delighted for Troy. He has had a tough season but we believe in his talent and ability, and he took his two goals brilliantly which told us a lot about his character.
“Hungary will be a much tougher test so we’ll have to raise our performance levels for that match on Tuesday but we’re delighted to come away with a win.”
Andorra:
12 Iker (GK) (13 Francisco Pires (GK) 76), 3 Marc Vales, 4 Marc Rebes (24 Christian Garcia 72), 8 Marcio Vieira (C), 10 Ludovic Clemente (2 Cristian Martinez 59), 14 Jordi Alaez, 15 Moises San Nicolas, 16 Alex Martinez (6 Ildefons Lima 76), 17 Joan Cervos, 19 Ricard Fernandez (9 Aaron Sanchez 59), 20 Max Llovera.
Subs not used: 1 Josep Gomes (GK), 5 Albert Alavedera, 7 Marc Pujol, 11 Sergi Moreno, 21 Marc Garcia, 22 Victor Bernat, 23 Eric De Pablos.
Republic of Ireland
1 Gavin Bazunu, 2 Matt Doherty, 20 Dara O’Shea (4 Shane Duffy 86), 5 John Egan, 11 James McClean (3 Ryan Manning 86), 6 Josh Cullen, 8 Conor Hourihane (12 Harry Arter 86), 10 Troy Parrott (18 Jamie McGrath 82), 7 Ronan Curtis (15 Daryl Horgan 66), 14 Jason Knight, 19 James Collins (9 Adam Idah 66).
Subs not used: 16 Caoimhin Kelleher (GK), 23 Mark Travers (GK), 17 Jayson Molumby, 21 Daniel Mandroiu, 22 Chiedozie Ogbene, 24 Lee O’Connor.
An own goal and a late Ross Tierney winner helped Jim Crawford’s side to victory.
Ireland under-21s came out on top in Marbella this afternoon against the Australian Olympic (under-23s) side, securing a 2-1 win thanks to a late Ross Tierney winner.
There were six changes in the Ireland side after suffering a 2-0 loss to Switzerland’s under-21s last Sunday. Andy Lyons, Gavin Kilkenny, Conor Noß, Jonathan Afolabi, Will Ferry and Luca Connell all came into the starting XI having started on the bench in the previous fixture.
There wasn’t much to discuss from an Irish perspective in the first-half. The flow of the half was very much stop-start, but Australia undoubtedly had the better opportunities.
Panos Armenakas came closest in the first half, hitting the post from inside the box which would of surely been the opener had it been just a few inches to the right.
Australia had a handful of other half-chances, none of which truly troubled St Pat’s man Brian Maher in the Ireland goal.
The first-half ended scoreless in what was a scrappy encounter to that point.
Celtic striker Jonathan Afolabi looked isolated up front throughout the half which likely resulted in his substitution going into the second half, on came Rotherham United frontman JJ Kayode who had started against Switzerland.
Noticeable changes were immediate from the restart with Ireland playing with more intensity and urgency as well as looking more assured in possession of the ball.
Their new-found confidence paid off in the 57th minute as they got the opening. Australian defender Jay Rich put the ball into his own net after some good work from Ireland. The combination of Conor Noß’s dangerous low cross and JJ Kayode’s looming presence behind him forced the defender to stick out a leg which ended up in the back of the net.
Two of Ireland’s best players against Switzerland, Ryan Johansson and Tyreik Wright, came on for Gavin Kilkenny and Louie Watson just minutes later.
Johansson’s quality on the ball was immediately evident, but his work off the ball very well could have resulted in another Ireland goal. His pressing created momentary panic for the Australian ‘keeper but he managed to get it out of his feet just before Johansson could close in and potentially get his first goal for Ireland.
There was a water break around the 70-minute mark, and maybe one which Ireland could have done without. The Irish side switched off after the break and a lapse in concentration allowed Australia to steal the ball before Ramy Najjarine accurately placed the ball into the top left-hand corner, nothing Brian Maher could do about it.
Bohemians’ man Ross Tierney came on with just minutes left and his contribution would be telling. After some brilliant running down the left-flank and a pinpoint cross by Tyreik Wright, the Bohs’ man applied the finishing touches with a bullet header into the top of the net. It was Tierney’s first touch as an Ireland under-21 player, and what a touch it proved to be.
Ireland won the game 2-1 after Tierney’s late winner. Although just a friendly match, this result will give the under-21s confidence going into their final game against Denmark under-21s on Saturday.
Ross Tierney heads in Tyreik Wright's cross for a DRAMATIC late winner for Ireland! 😱🇮🇪
Tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams have spoken out about their troubles with mental health and dealing with the press after Naomi Osaka pulled out of Open
The Japanese tennis player, Naomi Osaka, announced that she would be withdrawing from the French Open on the 31st of May due to struggles with her mental health through a post on Twitter.
Osaka chose to leave the tournament after she was fined $15,000 and told she may be banned if she did not complete her contractual obligation of speaking to journalists.
A wave of support has been shown to world number two throughout social media and fellow tennis players have spoken on the issue in press conference interviews today.
American competitor, Venus Williams says: “How I deal with it is that I know every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can. And never will. So, no matter what you say, or what you write, you’ll never hold a candle to me.”
Venus Williams on how she deals with media: “I know every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can. And never will. So, no matter what you say, or what you write, you’ll never hold a candle to me.That’s how I deal with it” #NaomiOsakapic.twitter.com/Hm8cBQ2Rbc
Grand Slams have since made a statement offering support to Osaka and pledged to improve the experience of players competing in their competitions.
Interestingly the tennis community seemed to be mixed after the 23-year-olds first decision to not partake in interviews but after her withdrawal, widespread encouragement has been shown for her standing up for her mental health.
The men’s world number one, Novak Djokovic has spoken about Osaka’s boldness and bravery in stepping away from the competition.
“I empathize with her and I understand her very well. I was on the wrong edge of the sword many times in my career. I support her; she was very brave to do that.”
Djokovic supporting Naomi “I empathize with her and I understand her very well. I was on the wrong edge of the sword many times in my career. I support her; she was very brave to do that.” ❤️
Credit: https://t.co/IBf6WvUkEfpic.twitter.com/Elfm1wYf5D
Irish men’s coach Mark Tumilty will kickstart a new era for the Green Machine next week as he looks set to hand 14 players their first taste of senior international hockey.
Ireland will face Scotland in an uncapped three-game series with games on June 10th, 12th and 13th at the recently redeveloped pitch at University of Ulster, Jordanstown.
These will be the first games for the side since October 2019’s Olympic qualifiers in Vancouver and it offers the side a chance to give new faces a chance to stake a claim for a place in Tumilty’s plans for the next cycle.
It comes ahead of a busy summer with the European Hockey Federation confirming on Monday the second tier of continental competition has been cleared to go ahead in Poland in August. There is also a potential World Cup qualifier in October on the horizon.
With this in mind, Tumilty has sought to significantly widen his playing options over the past nine months, working in regional hubs with a host of rising talent.
In defence, former Under-21 internationals Kyle Marshall, Mark Samuel and Matthew Walker and ex-Under-18 star Fergus Gibson included along with Mark McNellis. The uncapped midfielders are Lisnagarvey Jonny Lynch and YMCA’s Sam Hyland while the forward line is augmented by newcomers Troy Chambers, Simon Wolfe, Ollie Kidd, Ian Stewart, Ben Nelson and Conor Empey.
James Milliken completes the uncapped group having previously been part of the panel that went to Vancouver in 2019.
They are joined by 11 more senior players and Tumilty is excited by what the future holds,
“We have a very young group, an exciting group and one that has worked extremely hard over the last year,” he said.
“We need to be patient with these players. There will be ups and downs and challenges along the way but I definitely think there is talent to work with. I also feel it is a great opportunity for the players who have been involved for a period of time to have a much greater influence on the team”
The coach has also been pleased to formalise his coaching staff in recent weeks. Eoin Cunniffe has been installed as physical performance lead for the side while Neill Irwin will be the team manager and nutritionist. The latter will dovetail that role with his work with the all-conquering Dublin senior footballers.
“Eoin co-ordinates the support side of the staff, the physios, the S&C and so on. He has done really well in developing the players physically. I felt this was a key area in which we needed to be much better, so I look forward to seeing how the improvement made here enable us to play a more aggressive and attacking style of play.
“Neill has made good progress in educating the players of the importance of nutrition and how it can enhance their performance. The players have engaged extremely well with him.
“For Neill, he is also involved with Dublin GAA as a nutritionist which gives him a great understanding of high performance and has been involved with a very successful and professional environment.
“Neil has also taken on the important role as manager. Ross Willis was added this week as video analyst, so it is great to finally have the management team in place now as we work towards the Euro’s and hopefully WCQ.”
Ireland men’s panel for Scotland series – Jordanstown; Thursday, June 10th to Sunday, June 13th (club, caps): Jamie Carr (KHC Leuven, 36), James Milliken (Lisnagarvey, 0), Mark Ingram (Pembroke, 26); Kyle Marshall (Beeston, 0), Mark Samuel (UCD, 0), Matthew Walker (YMCA, 0), Peter McKibbin (Lisnagarvey, 1), Fergus Gibson (Loughborough Students, 0), Sam O’Connor (Glenanne, 14), Tim Cross (Annadale, 8), Lee Cole (Monkstown, 89), Mark McNellis (Lisnagarvey, 0); Sean Murray (KHC Leuven, 78), Jonny Lynch (Lisnagarvey, 0), Neal Glassey (Crefelder HTC, 61), Daragh Walsh (Three Rock Rovers, 51), Sam Hyland (YMCA, 0), Michael Robson (Annadale, 113); Troy Chambers (Lisnagarvey, 0), Simon Wolfe (Cork C of I, 0), Ollie Kidd (Lisnagarvey, 0), Ian Stewart (Corinthian, 0), Conor Empey (UCD, 0), Ben Nelson (Lisnagarvey, 0), Ben Walker (Three Rock Rovers, 35), Jonny McKee (Crefelder HTC, 43)
Fixture schedule
Thursday, June 10th: Ireland v Scotland, 7pm, Jordanstown
Saturday, June 12th: Ireland v Scotland, 5pm, Jordanstown
Sunday, Sunday 13th: Ireland v Scotland, 11am, Jordanstown
The U21 European Championships is reaching its peak with Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, and Germany set to play the semi-finals on Thursday the 3rd of June.
Monday the 31st of May held an action-packed evening of young football talent as the quarterfinals of the competition held in Hungary and Slovenia commenced.
The four matches contained some serious prodigies in football such as Justin Kluivert and Ibrahim Konaté who were unlucky not to get the call up for their senior sides for the Euros later this month but still had a chance of winning silverware.
Over the years this competition has shown to be great steppingstone for up and coming players and has enhanced the reputations of stars like Asensio, Saul and William Carvalho in recent years.
Netherlands v France
This match began with both sides showing bright attacking sparks with French defender Dayot Upamecano leaping highest to score from a corner in the 23rd minute.
France looked the more threatening team with Leeds stopper Meslier having little to do while Dutch keeper Bijlow proved very capable at keeping out French shots.
The Dutch found an equaliser six minutes into the second half as a mishit shot landed at the feet of Boadu with acres of space to place the ball into the corner.
France went straight back on the attack with Jonathon Ikoné as a skilful threat. The French would rue the great chances missed by Aouor and Edouard to win the game.
In added time, a Dutch counterattack let Kluivert pick out Boadu from a cross, the AZ Alkmaar forward made no mistake in lofting the ball past the helpless Meslier.
The Netherlands held on for a memorable victory in Budapest as a very talented French side were knocked out.
Spain v Croatia
Spain approached the match in Maribor as clear favourites having had a team in both of the last two u21 Euro finals while the Croatian team needed a late winner against England to make it to the quarterfinals.
The Spanish quality was on full show as they dominated the majority of the game but struggled to convert chances past the Croatian keeper Semper.
It took until after the hour mark for Spanish substitute Puado to capitalise on a poorly cleared cross to give Spain the lead.
The game became slow as Spain felt they had the victory secured until in the fourth minute of added time when Croatian winger Majer went down in the box to a tug from Guillamon.
The referee signalled for a penalty which Croatian captain Ivanusec powered into the top left corner sending the game to extra time.
As the players grew tired in extra time, a long ball from Cucurella put Puado through on goal as he rounded the keeper and defenders to get his second goal and Spain’s winner.
Denmark v Germany
One of the games of the tournament took until the 69th minute before the deadlock was broken with 17-year-old Danish substitute Faghir finishing from a cross.
Germany were able to level the scoring with two minutes to play as Nmecha’s acrobatic shot beat Denmark’s keeper and the game went to extra time.
Burkardt gave Germany the lead 10 minutes into extra time as he chested down a cross and bolted a shot past Christensen.
After the restart, a mazy run from Danish forward Isaksen led to him being fouled in the Germany box and Nelsson blasting home the resulting penalty.
Both teams had great chances to win the game in the last few moments, but the game would be decided by penalties.
After 14 penalties were taken, Dahmen proved decisive saving two penalties for Germany and Paul Jaeckel scoring the winning kick to send the Germans to another U21 Euro’s semi-finals.
Portugal v Italy
The scoring was opened in this eight-goal thriller by a wonderful bicycle kick shot by Dany Mota for Portugal in the 6th minute.
After half an hour Portugal doubled their lead with Mota’s second goal, powering a shot into the net after a corner kick routine.
Italy fought back just before half time as Pobega tapped home with Portugal sat flat footed for a corner.
Ramos extended Portugal’s lead before the hour mark calmly placing a volley passed the outstretched Carnesecchi.
The match became a game of ping pong as within a minute Scamacca found a goal back for Italy, passing the ball into the net from a low cross.
Italy were desperate for an equaliser which came with two minutes left in play by Valencia striker, Patrick Cutrone, redirecting a cross passed the keeper’s near post.
Within a minute of extra time, Italy were down to ten men when Lovato was shown a second yellow for an elbow that forced Scamacca off the pitch injured.
Portugal remained the dominant side for the rest of the game with Jota and Conceicao finding the winning goals to send the Italy home and Portugal to the semi-finals.
There is still a chance of a repeat of the 2019 and 2017 competitions as Spain and Germany have contested both finals. Spain have entered this competition as reigning champions.
The semi-finals are set to be played on Thursday the 3rd of June with Spain facing off against Portugal and the Netherlands playing Germany.
Euro 2020 will begin in June 2021, which sounds absurd. Even though the prestigious football tournament was postponed last year because of the global pandemic, UEFA decided to keep the tournament’s name.
Presumably, they’d ordered and paid for too much merchandise to justify scrapping and replacing it with something that bears the correct date. We know that Ireland won’t be there after missing out on a place through the agony of a penalty shoot-out, and Northern Ireland won’t be there either. England, Scotland, and Wales have all made the cut, though. Could one of them walk away with the trophy, or will the winners come from further afield?
With most players suffering the after-effects of effectively playing two domestic seasons back-to-back because of pandemic restrictions, and those same restrictions still playing havoc with the preparations of many countries, this looks like being the hardest Euros to predict in history. We’d probably feel safer betting our money on the “Football Star Deluxe” casino game than we would on betting on any of the entrants, such is the unpredictable nature of this year’s tournament. At least you know you’re putting your chances into the hands of fate when you are playing at popular online casinos. The problem with betting on football matches is that you can kid yourself that your knowledge might prove useful. Does it have to be that way, though? Can we give ourselves better odds of victory than the average casino player by taking a closer look at the leading contenders? Let’s give it a try, you can find some of the best UK betting sites reviewed at sistersite.co.uk
England
We’ll start with England just because they’re a home nation and their fans always like to believe they have a chance. With this squad, they genuinely might. England’s forward line ought to scare any defence in the world. Nobody in their right mind would relish the prospect of Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Mason Greenwood, and Phil Foden lining up against them. Foden, in particular, might be the best young player in the world right now. The question is whether manager Gareth Southgate will play to the team’s strengths. Southgate is a defensively-minded coach, and England’s defence is their weakness. The team doesn’t have a settled goalkeeper, and an injury to Harry Maguire has made a shaky backline even shakier. If England pushes forward, they could beat just about anybody if luck is on their side. If they hang back – which history tells us is what Southgate will want them to do – they’re unlikely to fulfil their potential.
France
The French team that won the 2018 World Cup only appears to have got better since then. Kylian Mbappe, who was one of the stars of that tournament, has another three years of experience and looks deadly. Karim Benzema has finally returned to the fold and offers even more of a threat upfront. Paul Pogba always seems to turn up for France in a way that he struggles to emulate in England with Manchester United. There’s a question mark about Hugo Lloris in goal after a bad season with Spurs, but he’s got Raphael Varane in front of them. It will take a very, very good team to stop France winning the tournament. Perhaps nobody can.
Portugal
The last time the Euros were held – which was five years ago now – Portugal finished as winners. The general perception of Portugal is that the team isn’t as strong as it was then. That’s not the same as saying they’re no longer a threat, though. They still have Cristiano Ronaldo, and even at 36, he’s still one of the best players on the planet. They also have Bruno Fernandes, who almost single-handedly dragged Manchester United into a Europa League Final and Champions League qualification this season. Although nobody really values the Nations League as a competition, Portugal has also won that trophy since its Euros triumph. They’re probably dark horses this time around, but dark horses sometimes win.
Belgium
We all know how good Belgium are. They were semi-finalists at the 2018 World Cup and were probably unlucky not to make the final. This is a team that contains both Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. You can’t fail to score goals with de Bruyne putting the ball at Lukaku’s feet or on his head. Let’s not forget that they also have Eden Hazard, although both his form and his fitness appear to have deserted him since he left Chelsea for Real Madrid. Courtois is a reliable goalkeeper, too. Belgium has an astonishing amount of strength in depth for such a small country and is overdue to win major international honours. This could be the tournament in which their time finally comes.
Italy
Never, ever, write off the Italians. They might have dropped off a little – perhaps more than a little – in the past decade, but this squad still contains Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, and Marco Verratti. They still have Bonucci and Chiellini at the back. Gianluigi Donnarumma is unlikely to give much away between the posts. Italian teams have a long history of winning when it matters most, and there’s only one tournament in the world that’s bigger than the Euros. More importantly, they’re coming into the tournament on the back of an unbeaten run that stretches back 25 games. They might not be as exciting to watch as the great Italian teams of the past, but they still pose a threat, and it’s one that ought to be taken seriously.
Surprises are always possible at this tournament. We learned that when Greece famously went all the way in 2004. That being said, we’d be surprised if anyone other than one of the five teams we’ve named ends up victorious. You’ll notice that we’ve left Spain and Germany out, and with good reason. The Spanish team that won the World Cup in 2010 has gone backwards at speed since then, with no real goal threat and a squad that doesn’t contain a single Real Madrid player. Germany recently lost to Macedonia and appear to be out of both time and ideas under departing boss Joachim Low. If either of them wins it, we’ll look like fools, but stranger things have happened. Soon, though, the talking will be over. The tournament is upon us, and we can’t wait to get started!
Considering it seems the Toronto Maple Leafs have been around since the invention of electricity it’s hard to fathom that Joe Thornton just became the franchise’s all-time oldest goalscorer. He entered the team’s record book on April 24th by finding the back of the net in a 4-1 away victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the ripe old age of 41 years and 296 days. This broke the previous record set by Allan Stanley in 1967-68 when the relative youngster was 41 years and 252 days of age.
Scoring goals and racking up assists is nothing new for Thornton though as he’s currently the active NHL scoring leader with 424 goals and 1,524 points in 1,673 regular-season games to rank 14th all-time. In fact, he reached another milestone during a 4-1 win in Montreal over the Canadiens on April 28th when he earned his 1,100th assist to help the Leafs clinch a playoff spot. He became just the seventh NHL’er to reach the milestone alongside Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier and Ray Bourque.
This isn’t to say the oldtimer is burning up the league this season as he had four goals and 15 points in 37 games and had missed several weeks of action due to injury. Still, he’s doing the job he was acquired to do when the Leafs signed him to a one-year $700,000 deal as a free agent before the season began. Thornton was basically brought into the fold to provide some veteran leadership and to contribute while playing limited minutes per night.
Thornton realizes he’s past his peak when it comes to accumulating points as his goal against Winnipeg was his first in 28 games. But he still has a lot to offer both on and off the ice. And if any team is in need of leadership it could be argued that the Leafs rank right at the top. This is a club that features some of the NHL’s brightest young stars in Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner and also boasts veteran presence and scoring in John Tavares. However, the franchise hasn’t won a playoff round since 2003-04.
In case you haven’t heard, the Leafs, who were founded in 1917, last won the Stanley Cup in 1966-67 and currently possess the longest cup-winning drought in the NHL. The squad failed to make the postseason last year as they were downed in the maximum five games by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the qualifying round. However, they did reach the postseason the previous three seasons, only to be sent golfing after the very first round, much the same as what happened in 2012-13 when they blew a 4-1 lead in Boston in game seven with 10 minutes to play.
It might be a stretch to say if it wasn’t for bad luck the Leafs would have no luck at all. But the franchise can only blame itself for its shortcomings over the years. The lack of leadership was meant to be addressed by the addition of Thornton and fellow veteran forward Jason Spezza and so far it’s paid off. Spezza has been contributing offensively and also leads by example and has chipped in with 10 goals and 26 points in 47 games. Spezza recently picked up his 966th career regular-season point to tie the legendary Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard to rank number 100 on the league’s all-time scoring list.
But even though Thornton and Spezza are meant to push the Leafs over the edge in the race to the Stanley Cup, they’ve yet to taste champagne from the famous mug themselves as of yet. Neither of them has skated on a cup-winning team but Thornton has posted 31 goals and 133 points in 179 career playoff contests while Spezza has registered 25 goals and 70 points in 85 outings. Spezza was one of the best Leafs in last season’s postseason disappointment and the 6-foot-4-inch, 220 lb Thornton typically provides a physical edge to his game in the playoffs.
With Thornton and Spezza typically playing together on the team’s third or fourth line, Leafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe is hoping they can raise the squad’s emotion and effort level once the postseason arrives. The club also added more physical presence in the offseason by signing fellow veteran forward Wayne Simmonds and recently acquired forward Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets but it still may not be enough if the youngsters don’t follow their lead.
Even with the additions to the lineup the team ranks 28th out of 31 when it comes to hits per game at just 17.23. It’s an improvement over last season when they ranked 29th with 16.72 hits per outing but it’s probably not going to cut it once the playoffs start. Unless the team’s young stars can raise their game to a more determined physical level and play with more energy the Stanley Cup drought will likely continue.
The team’s goaltending situation will also determine how far Toronto goes in the playoffs as regular-starter Frederik Andersen is still sidelined with an injury. But even when he has played he’s often been blamed by the club’s fans for their early postseason exits. Jack Campbell has been filling in admirably in the regular season but has never played an NHL playoff game while fellow goalies Dave Rittich and Michael Hutchinson have appeared in just one and four respectively.
The road to the Stanley Cup isn’t paved with gold for the Leafs this season but it is the easiest it’s been in years. The team is playing in arguably the weakest division in the NHL in 2020-21 as it consists of the seven Canadian-based franchises. The team which emerges from the North Division will already be halfway to the cup and in the semifinals.
But only time will tell how much of an effect Thornton, Spezza, Simmonds and Foligno actually had on the rest of the team.
Given the truncated nature of this season’s league a win for either side would seal a place in the semi-finals. For Dublin a draw would suffice after last weeks shoutout against Kerry. While a defeat would send the loser into a relegation play-off against Armagh or Monaghan.
Prior to the game Galway were dealt a blow when It was revealed that Daimen Comer is set for another spell on the sidelines after picking up a hand injury. Finian Ó Laoi started in the no.26 shirt and Tom Flynn was promoted to the bench. Kieran Molloy started instead of Eammon Brannigan.
Dublin named just a single change in the team announced earlier in the week. Jonny Copper coming into the side for John Small. However, there were more alterations before the ball was thrown in. Michael Sheil started between the posts, while further out the field Pedar O’Coffey Byrne started as did Colm Basquel.
First-Half
Galway elected to play against a strong wind in the opening half. Peter Cooke got Galway off to a fine start and a Paul Conway effort extended their lead to two. Points from Cormac Costello and a Brain Fenton mark levelled things up. Shortly after Galway spurned a great goal opportunity. Matthew Tieney’s initial effort was blocked and Sean Kelly’s tame effortwas stopped on line by Eoin Murchan. Subsequently Niall Scully won a turn-over in midfield and a few phases later Colm Basqual level the game at two apiece.
Robert Finnerty and Ciaran Kilkenny exchanged scores, before a Shane Walsh 45’ gave Galway a single point lead at the first water break.
Water break: Galway 0-04 Dublin 0-03
Paul Conroy with a fine point off his left. Photo credit: Shane Tighe
Cormac Costello levelled things up again on the restart. Colm Basquel’s second of the day edged Dublin ahead for the first time. Galway, however, responded quickly, to restore parity with a Shane Walsh free. It just crept over the bar, off the hands of Dublin keeper Michael Sheil.
A super point from the left hand side from Kilkenny nudged the Dubs back in front once more. Then Jonny Cooper dragged a shot across the face of goal for an uncharacteristic wide. Con O’Callaghan extended Dublin’s lead, as the black clouds descended in Tuam. However, a few light drops of rain never developed into the shower that threatened.
The same could be said of the game, as when Dublin eased into a two point lead, they failed to kick-on. A Shane Walsh 45′ after Robert Finnerty’s initial effort was blocked cut the gap to a single score. Afine turnover from Jack Glynn led to a sparkling break from Shane Walsh. The Kilkerrin/Clonberne man took the ball from deep and ran 40 yards, to kick a fine score to level matters. Cormac Costello edged Dublin ahead again after a disputed point. The Tuam venue lacked the technology to verify Bernard Powers vocal claims that the ball had sailed wide. No hawk eye here Sham!
Referee Brendan Cawley of Kildare brandished the first yellow of the day to Peadar O’Coffey Byrne for a frontal foul on Peter Cooke. Shane Walsh’s free levelled it up again at the break.
Half-time:Galway 0-08 Dublin 0-08
Dublin, as they have done so many times before, took over in the third quarter. From the restart the held the ball around the edge of the 45’ yard line for almost three minutes. They poked and probed for an opening, before Cormac Costello kicked them back in front. That slender lead soon grew to four points. As from the resulting kick-out Bernard Power failed to find a Galway shirt. The ball was worked back in to Niall Scully. His initial effort was stopped by Power, however, Con O’Callaghan was on hand to tap home.
Galway tried to cut the arrears. Cormac Costello and Shane Walsh traded scores twice. Costello fisted over one of those, while both of Walsh’s came from placed balls. Con O’Callaghan landed another score prior to the water break.
Second water break: Galway 0-11 Dublin 1-13
On resumption of play Dylan McHugh and Brian Fenton exchanged scores. Galway found an avenue back into the game with a lightning quick counter-attack goal. A Ciarán Kilkenny fisted effort came back off the upright at the Tierboy end of the ground. Kieran Molloy reacted quickest and carried the ball out to the left sideline, a swift kick pass found Paul Conroy. Who, in turn, boomed the ball into the edge of the square at the town end. Matthew Tierney got in behind Jonny Cooper and flicked the ball past Sheil in the Dublin goal.
A Cormac Costello free at the other end made the margin three points again. A ninth point from Walsh narrowed that lead. Then Ciarán Kilkenny fisted over again to restore Dublin’s margin again with ten to go.
Cormac Costello kicking his sixth point of the day. Photo credit: Shane Tighe
Kieran Molloy was booked for a drag back on the almost un-markable Kilkenny. Cormac Costello uncharacteristically blazed the free wide.Peter Cooke kicked a fine point to give Galway hope with five to go. It was Cooke’s last act, as Tom Flynn was introduced off the bench before the kickout.
Both managers introduced plenty of fresh legs for the last five minutes. Possession was squandered by both teams before late in injury time one of the Dublin subs, Aaron Byrne rifled a bullet of a shot from the lefthand side into the top right-hand corner of the net to add a gloss to the scoreline from a Dublin perspective. A Shane Walsh free left the final margin at four points. Dublin now advance to a semi-final against Donegal, while Galway must travel to Inniskean to face Monaghan in a relegation decider.
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