What do Anto Flood, Fiona O’Sullivan and Cillian Sheridan all have in common? They’re all Irish and (as if that’s it) they all scored goals around the globe over the weekend. On Robbie Keane’s weekend off, his void was admirably filled. Good and proper.
In The Goals
Cillian Sheridan scored his sixth goal of the Cypriot season on Saturday afternoon. The Cavan man, for one brief international window the heir apparent to Ireland’s foil-for-Robbie Keane-role back in 2010, bagged the second of APOEL Nicosia’s 3-0 win over Apollon Limassol early in the second half (below at 2.22).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-vMBptkr94
His 90 minutes at the weekend follows a start last weekend as APOEL began their end of season phase after the league split and Sheridan impressed once more with his link up play and threat. APOEL lie three points off leaders AEL with six games to play.
In Germany, another Republic of Ireland senior cap was getting on the scoresheet in a 3-0 win, as WNT striker Fiona O’Sullivan helped SC Freiburg see off Sindelfingen in the Frauen Bundesliga.
Bottom of the table Sindelfingen proved no match for O’Sullivan and co as the forward, a second half substitute, tapped in from close range in the 80th minute for her fourth goal of the season (below at 4.22).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBKy7aEX98k
The California born striker signed off with that strike ahead of flying into Dublin for Saturday’s crucial World Cup qualifier with Germany, who have three of O’Sullivan’s Freiburg teammates in their ranks.
There was a familiar League of Ireland favourite at the double in Australia on Saturday afternoon. Anto ‘Bisto’ Flood scored twice for new club Dunbar Rovers in a 2-1 win over Phoenix FC.
The striker, who fired St. Pats to the league title last year, signed for the Sydney based side last month and joins fellow League of Ireland alumni Clive Delaney and Thomas Crawley at Dunbar.
After a hat-trick in a pre-season debut and then a brace on Saturday, the Flood-gates have well and truly opened for Bisto down under. See what we did th…nevermind.
Moving On Up
If you think the Premier League title race is exciting, you should check out the Dutch second division! Anybody? No? Okay, as unlikely as that is, allow me to talk you through it. FC Den Bosch and their Dutch-Irish midfielder Barry Maguire beat FC Oss 3-0 on Sunday and with Maguire central to their performance once more, they moved from 14th in the table up to the heady heights of 7th.
Now with a game in hand on many of their playoff rivals, Den Bosch will move within three points of third this week should they win their rearranged match with MVV Maastricht. Having rose to prominence as a teenager and established himself as a potential Eredivisie star before relegation last year, Maguire could be back among Holland’s elite come May.
Back in Germany, former Republic of Ireland Under 21 defender Patrick Kohlmann was a 74th minute substitute as Union Berlin beat Energie Cottbus 2-0 on Monday evening. The win leaves Union, hideously out of form of late, seven points off the final Bundesliga playoff spot with six games to play.
Unlikely, yes. But stranger things have happened. Kudos to anyone who can tell us the last Irish player to play in the German top flight…
Andy O’Brien is a name that has fallen off Irish and English football radars of late. After an injury hit campaign last year, O’Brien has started all four of Vancouver Whitecaps MLS games to date this season.
The former Newcastle United stopper has formed a veteran partnership with Jay Demerit and the dup helped Whitecaps to a 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo, with O’Brien claiming an assist for the first. Unbeaten in four, they sit just two points off the Western Conference summit.
And The Rest…
Anderlect defender Robin Wright started the second of three elite qualifying games as Republic of Ireland Under 17s lost out on a place at this summer’s European Championships after defeats to Germany and Serbia.
Darren O’Dea sat out Metalurh Donetsk’s disappointing 1-3 home defeat to Volyn in Ukraine’s Premier League with a thigh injury. The 27 year old is expected to return to action this week.
Republic of Ireland Under 21 goalkeeper Sean McDermott was an unused substitute as Sandnes Ulf kicked off their Tippeligaen season with a 1-1 draw with Odd.
In Australia, ten man Brisbane Roar came from behind to beat Melbourne Heart 2-1. Liam Miller played 70 minutes.
A stunning injury time save denied Roy O’Donovan the winner in Brunei DPMM’s 1-1 draw with Geylang International on Saturday. His former Cork City teammate Joe Gamble also featured for Brunei.
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