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Ireland’s Women set for decisive game against group leaders Germany

What’s at stake?

Germany travel to Dublin to take on Ireland this evening at Tallaght Stadium. Ireland currently sit in second place in the group, one point ahead of Ukraine. Unlike Ireland, Ukraine face the easier task of playing Montenegro who have failed to pick up a point so far, conceding 26 goals along the way.

Meanwhile, Ireland host group leaders Germany, who have yet to concede a goal. The game finished 3-0 to the Germans the last time the teams met in September.

Therefore the Girls in Green need results to go their way this evening in order to secure a qualification play-off spot for the upcoming 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships.

Team News

All players and members of staff have tested negative for COVID-19 heading into Tuesday’s tie. Manchester City defender Megan Campbell and West Ham United’s Leanne Kirnan will both miss the match. Hayley Nolan, Megan Connolly, Kyra Carusa and Alli Murphy are also unavailable.

Vera Pauw’s team were unbeaten until the defeat to Germany in September, and the Ireland manager will be hoping her side can find that form again as they head into this decisive game against Germany.

Where to watch the match?

Ireland v Germany kicks off at 5pm on Tuesday 1st, with build up to the game starting at 4.30pm on RTE2. Alternatively, you can catch the game on RTE Player and the RTE News app.

Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher keeps clean sheet on Champions League debut

He was the first Irishman to play in the Champions League since Eoghan O’Connell in 2016.

Ringmahon man Caoimhin Kelleher was named as Liverpool’s starting keeper for their Champions League group stage fixture against Ajax tonight. Tonight marked the young goalkeeper’s Champions League debut, having previously played a handful of domestic cup competitions.

Liverpool’s first choice keeper, Alisson, was ruled out with a tight leg muscle thus giving the youngster an opportunity. Nevertheless, Klopp shown remarkable trust in Kelleher. Regular backup keeper, Adrian, only sat on the bench for tonight’s encounter.

The game itself was a crucial tie. A Liverpool loss would have meant a drop to 2nd in the group, at least.

In the end, Liverpool came out of Anfield with a 1-0 win – with thanks to a solid Caoimhin Kelleher performance. The Irishman kept Ajax out on a number of occasions, including a instinctive reflex save towards the end of the match. He commanded his area like a seasoned pro and looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Once the final whistle blew, an elated Jurgen Klopp ran straight towards Caoimhin Kelleher as he and a number of the first team heaped praise on the young keeper.

Liverpool have now qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, finishing top of their group. Atalanta and Ajax will now battle it out next week for a place in the Champions League last 16.

Liverpool face a tough challenge at the weekend against Wolves and with Alisson ruled out for that game, there’s a chance Caoimhin Kelleher could be in for his Premier League debut. His performance tonight will be hard for Klopp to ignore in terms of his selection. He will, however, face stiff competition from Adrian.

Johann van Graan makes changes for tonight’s visit of Zebre

Munster Rugby will hope to maintain their unbeaten start to the season when they host Zebre tonight at Thomond Park, (kick off 8.15pm).

Head Coach Johann van Graan has included five Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players in his match day 23 for the Guinness PRO14 Round 8 game.

Prop Josh Wycherley will make his second start of the campaign while Thomas Ahern, Jack Daly, Ben Healy and Seán French are all named among the replacements.

Van Graan makes eight changes

In total, van Graan makes eight changes to the side that claimed an away bonus point win against Glasgow a week ago.

Chris Cloete returns to the starting line-up following a neck injury and will make his second start of the season. The South African along with Waterford’s Jack O’Donoghue and last weekend’s Player of the Match, Gavin Coombes, make up the back row. The young Number 8 makes his fifth start in a row after some highly impressive performances this season.

Fineen Wycherley makes the positional change to the second row alongside captain Billy Holland while younger brother Josh and hooker Rhys Marshall join Stephen Archer in the front row.

The half back pairing changes this week with Nick McCarthy making his first start of the season alongside JJ Hanrahan, who returns to the number ten jersey.

Munster Rugby’s centre pairing tonight with be Dan Goggin and Damian de Allende.

Darren Sweetnam is chosen on the left wing with Calvin Nash on the opposite side, while
Matt Gallagher moves to full back.

Prop Liam O’Connor returns from a calf injury to take his place on the bench for his first inclusion since December 2019.

Both Jack Daly and Seán French will likely make their Guinness PRO14 debuts off the bench tonight.

Munster Rugby Team:

15. Matt Gallagher, 14. Calvin Nash, 13. Dan Goggin, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Darren Sweetnam, 10. JJ Hanrahan, 9. Nick McCarthy.

1. Josh Wycherley, 2. Rhys Marshall, 3. Stephen Archer, 4. Fineen Wycherley, 5. Billy Holland (captain), 6. Jack O’Donoghue, 7. Chris Cloete, 8. Gavin Coombes.

Munster Rugby Replacements:

16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Liam O’Connor, 18. Keynan Knox, 19. Thomas Ahern, 20. Jack Daly, 21. Craig Casey, 22. Ben Healy, 23. Seán French.

Tonight’s Round 8 Guinness PRO14 game against Zebre at Thomond Park is live on eir Sport, with an 8.15pm kick-off.

Shamrock Rovers set to face Dundalk in FAI Cup final

The two teams also contended last year’s final.

Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk were victorious in their respective FAI Cup semi-finals today, meaning they will compete against each other in the final. The two teams also faced each other in last year’s final. That game finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time before Shamrock Rovers won on penalties.

Shamrock Rovers faced Sligo Rovers in their FAI Cup semi-final earlier today. Aaron McEneff scored twice in Tallaght Stadium as they comfortably dispatched of the Bit O’ Red.

Dundalk faced unlikely semi-finalists Athlone town as they travelled to the midlands. Athlone Town sprung a surprise in their quarter-final as they eased past (former) Premier Division club Shelbourne in a 4-1 victory. There was no such upset tonight though as Dundalk achieved a record breaking 11-0 victory. Michael Duffy, Andy Boyle, Patrick McEleney, Sean Murray, John Mountney, Jordan Flores, Nathan Oduwa, Chris Shields and David McMillan all scored in the comprehensive win.

MATCH PREVIEW

Shamrock Rovers won their previous two fixtures against Dundalk this season, one of which ended with a 4-0 scoreline. They also finished the league season unbeaten on their way to the Premier Division title meaning they’ll be the favourites going into the game.

That doesn’t mean the match won’t be tightly contested, however. Dundalk appear to be improving game by game, having endured a horrific start to the season.

There will also be an abundance of individual quality on display. Jack Byrne will be the name of most people’s lips – as he has been for much of the season – going into the final. The midfielder has been nothing short of incredible this season, consistently defying his naysayers. His performances this season have earned him several inclusions in Ireland senior squads which have led to a handful of cameos. Aaron McEneff and Graham Burke were also included in the latest Ireland squad to accompany their Shamrock Rovers teammate.

Dundalk are also not short of individual quality. Michael Duffy is arguably their best player. The explosive winger has been one of the league’s most consistent and dangerous players since joining from Celtic in 2017. The Derry man probably would have been included in Stephen Kenny’s last squad only for issues out of his control. Chris Shields always provides adequate defensive cover in midfield so he should also limit Shamrock Rover’s attacking options. Patrick Hoban is another one of Dundalk’s dangermen. The striker has been named top scorer in the last 3 Irish Premier Division seasons; however he will miss the FAI Cup final due to injury.

The match will take place next Sunday as the finalists will travel to the Aviva Stadium. It will no doubt be a strange cup final in the absence of fans, but nevertheless it should provide an exciting affair to close the curtains on the domestic League of Ireland season.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Fantasy Advice, Prediction & Betting

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Fantasy Advice, Prediction & Betting for the game at 9:25pm.

Preview

The evening game see’s the consensus best there is go head to head with the consensus best there was as the NFL’s Golden Boy Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs meet the NFL’s Golden Girl Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (I don’t care what you say, that’s a great 80’s/90’s TV reference and I’m sticking to it) The 9-1 Chiefs are marching towards another playoff run while the Buccaneers are locked in a battle for NFC South dominance with the New Orleans Saints. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games and another poor performance here could see the wheels officially come off the wagon and the Buccs hit crisis stage. The Chiefs’ path of destruction grows week by week and we are no closer to seeing any major deficiencies that teams can target. Can Brady and the Buccs star studded roster expose any weaknesses in the Chiefs?

Betpack
Money line: Chiefs 1/2 Buccaneers 8/5
Points Spread: Chiefs -3.5
Over/Under: 56.5

I think the overs is a good bet here. I can see both teams putting up 30+ points. Obviously it’s slightly risky given how the Buccs offense has played recently but I think we will see a hungrier Buccs and Tom Brady then we have seen in a while.

Fantasy Football Outlook:
Kansas City Chiefs:
If you’re looking for fantasy options in the Chiefs starting offense there are just 3 word. All of them. This offense is beyond anything I can ever remember seeing before. Obviously, they won’t all put up massive scores every week, but they are all big-time threats on any given day. Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are all in the top 2 of their respective positions, with Hill and Kelce both leading the way in theirs. And Sammy Watkins is scheduled to return from injury. The arrival of Le’Veon Bell was supposed to hit the fantasy value of Clyde Edwards-Hilaire, but so far, he has still held his own.


It’s hard to see any bargain pick-ups among the Chiefs roster because it is so top loaded.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Much like the Chiefs, the Buccaneers have an array of offensive talent that defies belief. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are possibly the best receiving combination in the NFL and with the enigmatic Antonio Brown and the very underrated Scotty Miller in the mix too, there are lots of options, possibly too many given Brady’s more reserved nature.

The run game is something the Buccs need to improve on, however. Both on the usage, and execution. They have abandoned it far to early in games when it hasn’t gotten off to a good start and that hasn’t been a recipe for success. Ronald Jones would appear to be the clear lead back at this stage as Leonard Fournette has shown too many times he can’t be relied on. I would think Jones is a good one to have this week as I think the Buccs should know they stand no hope of winning if they don’t get him going.

 

My Prediction:
The doubters of the Buccaneers have been mounting in the last few weeks but beware of a wounded animal. While Brady has been showing some of the signs of father time catching up to him, he’s still Tom Brady and that shouldn’t be forgotten too easily. And on the days when everything is clicking, there is enough talent on this team to be a match for anyone. Except, maybe, one team. Kansas City are easily the best team in the NFL. People might argue their defense isn’t great but it’s definitely good enough to compliment a ridiculous offense. No way I’m calling anything other than a Chiefs win though I think the Buccs will give them a good test.

Kansas City by 8

Tottenham go top of the Premier League after London derby draw

On the other hand, Chelsea find themselves in 3rd.

Stamford Bridge was the venue this evening as Chelsea took on Tottenham Hotspur in a potential title deciding London derby. Both teams have had exceptional starts to the season. The winner of the game would go top of the table, meaning there was plenty at stake. Alternatively, a draw would propel Spurs to the top on goal difference after Liverpool’s disappointing draw yesterday.

FIRST HALF

Steven Bergwijn conjured the first opportunity of the match with 8 minutes gone. Serge Aurier initially did well to recover the ball before Tottenham broke with pace, Bergwijn drove through the middle before offloading the ball which made its way back to the Dutch forward after a Harry Kane pass. He then showed quick feet to make half an inch of space before unleashing a shot which went just wide.

Timo Werner had the ball in the net at the other end just moments later after a Chelsea break. Unfortunately for him, though, the goal was ruled out for offside after an exquisite finish.

Edouard Mendy has been ever present for Chelsea between the sticks since he joined during the transfer window. He was called into action with 14 minutes gone as effective link up play between Eric Dier and Serge Aurier opened up space for the latter to shoot, he did just that as he attempted to power one into the corner. Mendy denied the Ivorian international with a good – if not expected – save, though.

A succession of half chances followed for both teams but neither converted as the first half finished scoreless. The matchup was firmly in the balance heading into the second, it had the air of a game which could be separated by one moment of brilliance.

SECOND HALF

Chelsea had a real chance to take the lead just minutes after the second half started. Good interplay between a number of Chelsea players resulted in a pinpoint Reece James cross into Tammy Abraham and despite connecting, he couldn’t get his header on target. He should have done better with the chance.

Moments later and James produced yet another fantastic cross for Abraham, but again, he failed to connect with his header. Perhaps the aerial prowess of Olivier Giroud would have been better suited to those chances.

Abraham was presented with yet another opportunity in the 64th minute after a dangerous cross into the 6-yard box by Timo Werner. He failed to position his body in a way which allowed him to connect with the ball. Another wasted opportunity from the England international.

Olivier Giroud eventually entered the fray in the 78th minute, replacing the aforementioned Tammy Abraham. The striker scored the winning goal against Rennes midweek and it was looking like he may have to do similar to decide this game.

It was Mason Mount, however, who very nearly made the breakthrough with 80 minutes gone. After some good footwork in which he evaded defenders and made space, he let fly from just outside the box. The ball was heading towards the bottom right corner and it took Hugo Lloris’s fingertips to deny Chelsea a deserved goal.

Giroud got his chance to break the deadlock in injury time after a misplaced Joe Rodon header, but he scuffed his shot into the palms of Hugo Lloris.

Despite Chelsea’s second half domination, they were unable to make the breakthrough. The match finished scoreless to the discontent of Chelsea.

Spurs are now top of the table on goal difference, Chelsea on the other hand sit in 3rd.

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts – Preview, Fantasy Advice & Prediction

Sunday’s live games on Sky begins with a huge game for control of the AFC North as the Indianapolis Colts welcome the Tennessee Titans to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Preview

This is, of course, the reverse fixture of the game 2 weeks ago between these team in which Indianapolis came away with an impressive 34-17 win in Nashville. With both sides sitting on 7-3 records this is what is known as a ‘6-pointer’ in soccer terms and will be a major factor in determining the winner of this division. The Colts will have the psychological advantage from winning 2 weeks ago and will surely be confident of wrapping up the series sweep but Tennessee will feel they didn’t do themselves justice in that game and be out to prove a point. This one could be fireworks!

Betpat Betting:
Money line: Tennessee 11/8 Indianapolis 6/10
Points Spread: Indianapolis -3
Over/Under: 51.5

I wouldn’t go near 6/10 on Indy especially if I don’t know for definite if Quenton Nelson is playing. If he gets ruled out, expect those odds to change significantly, so I’d take that gamble on Tennessee at 11/8 while I can get them. Even if Nelson does play, they still have a really good shot to win this game.



Fantasy Football Outlook:


Tennessee Titans:
As per usual, the Tennessee game-plan offensively will revolve largely around Derrick Henry. Their formula of establishing Henry’s ultra-physical brand of running and slicing in play-action off it has proven to be very difficult for teams to handle. Expect Henry to deliver his usual high performance, even against an extremely stingy Colts defense.

Ryan Tannehill will be one of those players who will feel his performance needs to improve on the last game if Tennessee are to reverse their fortunes this time out.  He was held to 15/27 for a pedestrian 147 yards and a TD in that game, and while they’re not terrible stats (The Titans have won playoff games with him doing much less) he wasn’t able to make big plays when needed to keep the Titans in real contention to win that game. But Tannehill has more ability than he is generally given credit for so don’t count him out of this one.

Their game breakers in the passing game are WR AJ Brown and Tight End Jonnu Smith. Smith in particular has put his name in the conversation of elite fantasy TE’s this year and is actually still available to be picked up in over 10% of NFL.com fantasy leagues. I find that staggering.

Looking further down their roster, it’s tough to see anyone I would be confident of having a good day against the Colts. They run a lot of 2 Tight End stuff so Anthony Firkser could be one. He has shown he can be a factor, especially in the red zone, so if you are stuck at TE, he could be a shout. But that would be a brave call. And I was a big believer in D’onta Foreman coming out of college. His career hasn’t panned out thus far, but he has enough ability to get the job done. Just don’t expect his carry count to be high while Derrick Henry is healthy.


Indianapolis Colts:
The Colts offense had a really good day against Tennessee the last time and Philip Rivers looked very comfortable in that game. Rivers is listed as questionable for this game but is expected to play. He has been inconsistent throughout his career so it will be interesting to see if he can have another solid outing here.
The Colts run game has been dealt a blow with impressive Rookie RB Jonathan Taylor has being ruled out so the combination of Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins will carry that load. Hines recent form has been quite good, and he gashed the Titans for 115 total yards and 2 TD’s last time out. Expect him to see the field often, but the tough running will be left to Wilkins.

Outside, we may be starting to see the emergence of rookie Michael Pittman as a legit go-to receiver. With Tennessee’s defense being fairly meagre at defending receivers, Pittman and veteran TY Hilton are both solid options at wide receiver. Trey Burton, Mo-Allie Cox and Jack Doyle make up the TE trio but none of these stand out to me as a quality option in this game to be honest.

One thing with noting is the injury report on their offensive line. Centre Ryan Kelly is out and star Guard Quenton Nelson is questionable. Both would be huge losses and could severely affect their offensive output with a strong Titans defensive front waiting in the wings.

 

My Prediction:


I genuinely think this game could be decided by whether Quenton Nelson plays or not. With Centre Ryan Kelly already out, if Nelson doesn’t play, I can’t see anything other than a Titans victory. If he does, they still have a tough task on their hands but it’s not impossible. Their defense is rock solid and can keep them in the game for as long as needs be. But if they can’t get any rhythm on offense, and with DT DeForest Bucker missing for the Colts, Derrick Henry will take this game over without needing to be asked twice. It’s a much closer game if the Colts offense can mount a threat but Tennessee are my favourites for this game.

Tennessee by 4 (much more if Q is out)

Video Highlights – Waterford beat Kilkenny to reach All-Ireland Final

WATERFORD got the perfect result as they won the All-Ireland hurling semi-final by 4pts to reach All-Ireland Final on Sunday 13th December.  

Kilkenny 2-23 2-27 Waterford, Result

Kilkenny had the perfect start with goals from TJ Reid and Martin Keoghan in the first 20 minutes. Waterford hit nine wides in the first half and trailed by 7pts. It was Kilkenny 2-11 0-10 Waterford at the break.

man of the match Stephen Bennett hit a great goal and some lovely free pucks in the second half as Waterford ran riot on a punch drunk Kilkenny team. Austin Gleeson was super and hit 5pts. Daragh Lyons superb goal probably sealed victory for the Deise.

The second half was Waterford 2-17 to 0-12 Kilkenny, It was the first semi-final Kilkenny have lost in 15years and only the third time Waterford have beaten the Cats in the championship.

MORE TO FOLLOW

  • 75′

    Kilkenny 2-23 2-27 Waterford, Result

     
  • 74′

    Austin Gleeson point to put Waterford 4pts up

     
  • 74′

    Tadhg De Burca, Waterford lead by 3pts

     
  • 73′

    Paddy Deegan point

     
  • 72′

    Iarlaith Daly point

     
  • 70′

    TJ Reid point, there are 4min injury time

     
  • 69′

    Point of the day from Austin Gleeson

     
  • 68′

    TJ Reid from play, two in it

     
  • 67′

    TJ Reid free and its only 3pts in it

     
  • 66′

    It’s Kilkenny 2-19 to Waterford 2-23 with five min plus injury time to play

     
  • 65′

    John Donnelly with a lovely score

     
  • 64′

    Super point by Stephen Bennett

     
  • 62′

    TJ Reid free, Kilkenny trail by 4pts

     
  • 60′

    Darragh Lyons GOAL

     
  • 61′

    Jack Fagan and TJ trade scores

     
  • 58′

    Bennett free goes wide

     
  • 55′

    Neil Montgomery and TJ Reid trade scores

     
  • 54′

    Dessie Hutchinson puts Waterford 2pts up

     
  • 52′

    Neil Montgomery point puts Waterford 1pt up

     
  • 51′

    Auston Gleeson point, its all level

     
  • 50′

    Jamie Barron gets Waterford within a point

     
  • 43′

    Bennett free, only two in it

     
  • 42′

    Bennett gets Waterford back to within 3pts

     
  • 38′

    Bennett from play and TJ Reid from a free

     
  • 37′

    Stephen Bennett GOAL

     
  • 36′

    Neil Montgomery wide, thats ten wides for Waterford

     
  • 35′

    Kilkenny 2-11 0-10 Waterford, Half time in Croke Park

     
  • 35′

    Stephen Bennett free

     
  • 35′

    TJ Reid free

     
  • 34′

    Neil Montgomery

     
  • 34′

    Lovely score from Bennett

     
  • 33′

    Stephen Bennett point

     
  • 32′

    John Donnelly point

     
  • 28′

    TJ Reid free, another Austin Gleeson wide

     
  • 29′

    Dessie Hutchinson point

     
  • 26′

    TJ Reid GOAL, Kilkenny 8pts up

     
  • 25′

    Stephen Bennett free

     
  • 25′

    Stephen Bennett free

     
  • 25′

    Conor Browne

     
  • 25′

    Eoin Cody point

     
  • 23′

    Another TJ Reid free

     
  • 22′

    Two poor wides from Austin Gleeson

     
  • 20′

    Calum Lyons point

     
  • 17′

    It’s been all Kilkenny, they could be 10pts up. They have hit four wides.

     
  • 14′

    Stephen Bennett point free and TJ Reid free

     
  • 12′

    Martin Keoghan GOAL for Kilkenny

     
  • 10′

    Jack Prendergast point for Waterford

     
  • 6′

    Martin Keoghan score, Richie Hogan score, they now lead by 4pts

     
  • 3′

    TJ Reid point

     
  • 1′

    TJ Reid free

     

Teams

  • Waterford : Stephen O’Keeffe; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty; Calum Lyons, Tadhg De Burca, Kevin Moran; Jamie Barron, Jake Dillon; Jack Fagan, Kieran Bennett, Stephen Bennett; Dessie Hutchinson, Austin Gleeson, Jack Prendergast. Subs: Billy Nolan, Peter Hogan, Mark O’Brien, Mikey Kearney, Patrick Curran, Colin Dunford, Conor Gleeson, Darragh Lyons, Neil Montgomery, Iarlaith Daly, Billy Power.

     

  • Kilkenny : Eoin Murphy; Conor Delaney, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Padraig Walsh, Cillian Buckley, Paddy Deegan; Conor Browne, Conor Fogarty; John Donnelly, TJ Reid, Martin Keoghan; Billy Ryan, Richie Hogan, Eoin Cody. Subs: Darren Brennan, Paul Murphy, Joey Holden, Ciaran Wallace, Richie Reid, Alan Murphy, Colin Fennelly, Walter Walsh, Liam Blanchfield, Ger Aylward, Niall Brassil.

Ireland Showjumping team third in Spanish Nations Cup

The Irish Showjumping team finished in third place in FEI Nations Cup at Vejer De La Frontera in Spain today.

Seventeen teams competed at the Spanish venue with the Irish side managed by Michael Blake.

Ireland started brilliantly and shared the lead at the halfway stage. Three clear rounds from Mark McAuley with Jasco VD Bisschop, Michael G Duffy with Lapuccino 2 (ISH) and Cameron Hanley with his own ESI Toulouse (ISH) meant Denis Lynch didn’t need to jump in the first round with Cristello.

The top eight teams at the end of round one advanced to round two.

Ireland and Egypt started the second round on zero faults, with Denmark on 2 faults, and Germany and Sweden on four faults. Morocco, Portugal and Brazil also make it through to the second round on five faults.

Britain, The Netherlands, France, Italy and the home team from Spain all missed out on the second round of the competition.

Ireland’s lead slips in round two

In round two, Mark McAuley completed an excellent double clear and it looked at that stage that Ireland could be set for victory.

Four fault rounds from both Michael G Duffy and Cameron Hanley, along with three clear rounds from the Germany team, put the pressure on Ireland’s anchor rider Denis Lynch.

The Tipperary native needed to jump clear to force a jump-off and he left all the fences standing with Cristello, however a foot in the water ended Ireland’s hopes of a win.

It was a second victory in the space of a week for the Germans after they had also won at Vilamoura in Portugal.

They finished on a score of four faults while Denmark finished as runners-up on six faults and Ireland third on eight faults.

Ireland team manager Michael Blake said of today’s competition:

“We again tried out a couple of new horses and a completely different team to the one from last week in Portugal. It was disappointing that our lead ebbed away in the second round.”

Blake continued:

“We again finished on the podium and that means we have finished on the podium five times from the six Nations Cups during a year in which we had huge disruption to the Nations Cup calendar.”

Liverpool undone by late VAR controversy at The Amex

Brighton scored a late equaliser after an injury time penalty was awarded.

Liverpool travelled to The Amex this afternoon for their meeting with Brighton. A win – or draw – for Liverpool would mean they go top of the table momentarily, with Tottenham still to play. They only managed a draw in the end after a late Brighton penalty to the displeasure of Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans alike.

Brighton manager Graham Potter has his side playing fast, progressive football. They have, however, struggled for goals despite retaining possession well and creating chances. That was the same story today as they squandered a number of opportunities to take the lead, they will, however, be satisfied with the end result.

Liverpool had a succession of half chances early in the match but failed to capitalize.

Brighton were the ones to fashion the first big chance of the match. Neal Maupay did well on the halfway line to turn his defender before playing Aaron Connolly through on goal. The Irish striker had the goal at his mercy but he dragged his shot wide. A brilliant chance for Brighton to take the lead.

Connolly caused Liverpool yet more problems in the 19th minute as he was upended by Neco Williams in the Liverpool box. He turned provider for Maupay on this occasion as the French striker stepped up to take the penalty. He sent Alisson the wrong way, but shot wide of the post while doing so.

Just minutes after the striker walked straight down the tunnel while clutching his hamstring. A nightmare few minutes for him.

Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah thought he gave his side the lead in the 35th minute as he was played in behind before finishing past Matt Ryan. After a lengthy check by VAR though, the Egyptian was adjudged to be slightly offside which in turn ruled the goal out.

A small number of half chances for both sides followed before the referee sounded for the break. Brighton might have felt hard done by not to be in the lead.

Brighton’s hard luck in front of goal eventually came back to haunt them in the 60th minute. It was that man again, Diogo Jota, who put his side in the lead. After a good run in which he made space for himself, the Portuguese international finished sharply into the bottom left corner.

Connolly and Salah were taken off within minutes of each other shortly after the goal. Neither were happy with their manager’s decision to make the substitution – and rightly so. Although Salah has had better games, he still looked dangerous on occasion and being a key player for the team, would have expected to last the full 90. The substitution was likely taken as a fitness precaution given the Egyptian’s recent positive Covid-19 test, but he obviously felt up to the mark based on the reaction. Aaron Connolly was equally bemused and frustrated with his substitution. After a string of matches where the Irish striker started on the bench, he got his chance in the starting XI today. Although he missed an early opportunity to take the lead, he caused serious problems for Liverpool on occasion.

Liverpool thought they had the game wrapped up in the 84th minute after Sadio Mane headed in from a Fabinho free kick. Upon review, however, the Senegalese forward had strayed offside meaning the goal would be disallowed.

Liverpool looked fairly comfortable despite Brighton’s refusal to lay down and probably thought they were good value for the lead. VAR would strike again, though, as another penalty was awarded in injury time after Brighton forward Danny Welbeck was fouled in the area. Referee Stuart Attwell was called over to the monitor to review the incident after a VAR check and controversially pointed to the spot after some thought.

Pascal Gross stepped up to take the penalty this time. He made no mistake as he sent the keeper the wrong way and into the back of the net. Jurgen Klopp wasn’t too pleased with the decision as he sarcastically applauded the officials from the sideline.

There was to be no further contentious issues as the match finished as a 1-1 draw. Liverpool can feel hard done by given the number of VAR incidents against them during the match, but a Brighton loss would have equally been harsh.

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