Thomas Tuchel won over the Chelsea faithful by rejuvenating their squad after the departure of Frank Lampard. He led them to a third place finish in the league and even more impressively, they beat Manchester City to win the Champions League final in May.

Now, Tuchel may have won the hearts of the Chelsea fans in Ireland too. A video on the  social media platform TikTok has shown the German manager swinging around a hurley given to him by a local.

Although he did not puck the ball, he showed a good, short grip of the hurl that would impress many players.

#Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is fitting in with the locals in Dublin as he tries his hand at hurling.

[via @swearimnotpaul]

pic.twitter.com/ThreNfFKKE

— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) July 21, 2021

The manager was clearly prepared for the sun, dressed in a long sleeve top, given the heat wave the country is experiencing.

The friendly against Drogheda will be played behind closed doors. Some of Chelsea’s main star will be missing as they are still on holidays from playing Euro 2020 earlier this month.

It is known that players such as Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley and Christian Pulisic will still be available to play the match.

Although the squad is weakened and would be expected to try out some youngsters, they would still likely beat the League of Ireland side.

Drogheda United currently sit in fifth place in the league eight  points off the European qualifier places with only six games left to play.

Their next competitive match will be against Derry City in the FAI Cup at 15:00 on Saturday, 24^th of July.

Pre season friendly against Drogheda United this evening. Kick-off 6.30pm in Dublin. pic.twitter.com/ErLtK8CvPF

— Neil (@NWolstenholme) July 22, 2021

Chelsea begins their league campaign on the 14^th of August at home to Crystal Palace. It will be interesting to see if Tuchel borrows any tactics from the GAA to help his side next season.

The post Chelsea manager Tuchel practices hurling while in Ireland appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

All ten teams kicked off at the same time tonight to draw the 2020 First Division season to a close. There was no lack of drama as there was plenty at stake, particularly for clubs at the top half of the division.

Drogheda vs. Cabinteely

Drogheda took on Cabinteely at Stradbrook Road in one of tonight’s most decisive fixtures. There was far-reaching implications for both teams based on the result. Drogheda ran out winners which ultimately meant they claimed the league title and automatic promotion to the Premier Division. Goals from James Brown and Luke Heeney ensured their victory. On the other side of things, Cabinteely missed out on a promotion play-off place as a result of their defeat at the hands of Drogheda and fixtures elsewhere. Both teams met last season in the promotion/relegation play-off semi-final. Like tonight, Drogheda came out on top as they ran away with a 6-2 aggregate win before they lost to Finn Harps in the final. Losing a play-off final can be demoralising for any team but Drogheda showed their heart and determination throughout the season. They battled for promotion until the penultimate day of the season where they made their dreams a reality.

| 2020 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION CHAMPIONS!!!!!#OnOurWay pic.twitter.com/5a8F0A25pM

— Drogheda United F.C. (@DroghedaUnited) OCTOBER 27, 2020

Bray Wanderers vs. Athlone Town

Bray Wanderers managed to pick up a victory against Athlone, but they’ll be disappointed after Drogheda picked up a result. Before the match, one point separated 2^nd placed Bray from Drogheda. That remains the same after tonight as both teams managed to win. If Drogheda had lost – or even drew – against Cabinteely, Bray would be celebrating promotion to the Premier Division tonight. Unfortunately for them, that was not the case. Their season is far from over yet, though. Finishing 2^nd means they await a play-off semi-final against the winners of the play-off quarter finals. If they can come out of the semi-final with a win, they’ll then face the 2^nd team from last in the Premier Division to determine if they go up or stay down.

Elsewhere in the division, there were no less than five teams battling for a promotion play-off place. The teams in question were; UCD, Longford Town, Cabinteely, Galway United and Cobh Ramblers. As mentioned previously, Cabinteely missed out on a spot due to their result against Drogheda.

Longford Town vs. Wexford FC

Longford Town were in the most enviable position prior to kick off as they took on league strugglers Wexford FC. Wexford picked up just 5 points all season before tonight. However, in a shock result Wexford managed to defeat Longford by 2-1. Goals from Karl Fitzsimmons and former Longford man Jack Doherty secured a win for Wexford. Despite their loss, Longford still managed to secure a play-off spot due to UCD’s draw against Galway. This is the second year in a row that Longford have reached the play-offs after tonight. Last season they were cruelly knocked out on penalties at the hands of Cabinteely. They’ll be anticipating they can get further than the quarter finals this time. Although, they’re going to have to put in a better performance than they did tonight if they wish to do so.

Full Time

Wexford 2-1 Longford Town

We escape with a playoff spot by the skin of our teeth!!!#Town2020 pic.twitter.com/1ytlf6rjyC

— Longford Town FC (@LongfordTownFC) OCTOBER 27, 2020

UCD vs. Galway United

UCD could only manage a draw at Eamonn Deacy Park against fellow play-off chasers Galway United, but it would be enough for them to clinch a play-off spot. UCD were 3 points ahead of Galway and Cobh Ramblers pre match, meaning a draw would be sufficient as long as either Longford or Cabinteely drew or lost. They just about managed a draw in the end as Galway were leading until the 81^st minute when UCD pulled one back. They would score a further goal in the 89^th minute before Galway drew level again in the 93^rd minute from a 30-yard Shane Duggan screamer. Galway will be cursing their luck as they had a play-off spot secured until the 81^st minute, but they needed to win the game in order to have any chance of getting a play-off spot. UCD will now face Longford Town in the play-off quarter finals in their next fixture. They were relegated from the Premier Division last season so they’ll be hoping they can right their wrongs and gain promotion back to the division at the first time of asking.

First Division – FULL TIME | Evan Weir’s second half double secures our play off spot! We will confirm details of the playoff as soon as we have them! #COYBIB pic.twitter.com/tHbMrbF86F

— UCD AFC (@UCDAFC) OCTOBER 27, 2020

Cobh Ramblers vs. Shamrock Rovers II

Cobh Ramblers played Shamrock Rovers II in what was the least dramatic match of the night. Cobh Ramblers still had a *slim* chance of promotion before the match but they failed to capitalize as they played out a 0-0 draw. Good result for Shamrock Rovers II as they fielded several young players including Kevin Zefi (15) and Sam Curtis (14).

Drogheda United can look forward to playing in the Premier Division next season. Longford, UCD and Bray, on the other hand, will be planning for their upcoming play-off games.

Longford and UCD will play each other first and the winner of that game will play Bray in the play-off semi-final. The victor of the semi-final will be involved in a relegation/promotion play-off final against the 2^nd last team in the Premier Division – which is yet to be decided.

The post Drogheda United clinch Irish First Division title after last day drama appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.