There were some cracking performances from our internationals at the weekend, with Shane Duffy and Conor Hourihane both putting in man-of-the-match displays.
Elsewhere, Mick McCarthy was on hand on to see Luton Town striker James Collins score his 20th goal of the season, signalling that an international call-up may be on the horizon. Take a look at the ratings in full:
Irish Player Ratings
Jeff Hendrick continued his recent stint on the right of midfield for Burnley on Saturday afternoon, but they fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace. It wasn't a great day for the Irishman, as he was hauled off at halftime, being given a 6/10 by the Lancashire Telegraph. Robbie Brady came off the bench for the last 20 minutes of that one.
Shane Duffy earned man-of-the-match honours as Brighton returned to winning ways against Huddersfield. The Brighton & Hove Independent gave him an 8/10, saying that he was 'dominant in the air' and came close to grabbing a goal of his own.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo had decided to rest Matt Doherty in their 2-0 win over Cardiff, but the right back was introduced just after halftime due to an injury to Jota. Despite only featuring in the second half, his performance impressed the Express & Star, who gave him a 7/10 and had this to say:
Did the simple things well, particularly defensively. Almost provided an assist when setting up Jimenez for a golden chance. Even produced a Zidane-style pirouette.
Seamus Coleman put in a decent display as Everton got a surprise draw at home to Liverpool. The Liverpool Echo gave him a 6/10, saying he had a bit of a mixed afternoon:
Spent much of the game in a tussle with Divock Origi which, for the most part, the Liverpool man won. When Firmino came on, however, Coleman found a little more freedom to roam forward down the flank – although his final delivery when getting into that final third wasn't good enough on the whole.
Shaun Williams scored for Millwall against league leaders Norwich City, but it was not enough for the home side who fell to a 3-1 defeat. He was given a 6/10 by Football.London for a battling performance in midfield.
1-1 (Williams) Millwall equalizer.
Millwall Vs Norwich #NCFC #OTBC #Norwich #Millwall #goingup #canaries #NOR #MIL #Championship #EFL #Video pic.twitter.com/qR8H13Djc6— Luke (@Norwich_Canary) March 2, 2019
Ipswich's relegation to League One was all but confirmed after their 3-1 loss at home to Reading, with Alan Judge continuing his run in the side. Judge has perhaps been their best player since his loan move from Brentford, but it is unclear if he will continue with Ipswich in a lower division next season.
Sean Maguire and Alan Browne both started for Preston as they hosted play-off chasing Bristol City, as their own unlikely promotion push took a bit of hit in a 1-1 draw. Browne, who nearly snatched a winner late on, was given a 7/10 by the Lancashire Evening Post, while they had this to say about Maguire's 6/10 display:
Led the attack and worked hard but got little joy at the end of it. Fitness improving with every game, this another 90 minutes under his belt.
Callum O'Dowda was playing in that game for the visitors, and he was given a 6/10 by the Bristol Post as his side consolidated their place in the top six in the division.
Middlesbrough drew 0-0 at Wigan, with Darren Randolph keeping yet another clean sheet. He tops the division's clean sheet chart with 16 from 35 games, and the Teeside Gazette rated him at 7/10 after he came up with a big save for his side.
James McClean saw half an hour of action off the bench in Stoke's 2-0 win over Martin O'Neill's Nottingham Forest. Roy Keane stole the headlines in that one, somehow manning to get himself booked.
Roy Keane received a yellow card this afternoon at the bet365 Stadium... #nffc
Pic: @DanWestwell pic.twitter.com/8IkIAcqHbJ— BBC Nottingham Sport (@BBCRNS) March 2, 2019
Richie Towell started for Rotherham in their win over Blackburn, with the 3-2 victory keeping them within touching distance of Championship safety.
Conor Hourihane was on fire for Aston Villa in their 4-0 victory over Derby County, netting a brace. The Birmingham Mail named him as man-of-the-match, giving him a 9/10 rating:
Has really turned it round after being cheered off against West Brom and took some of the spotlight from Grealish. Looked so much more at home in his attacking midfield role, took his second goal particularly well and was running up and down the field all game.
It is also worth noting that Glenn Whelan had a stormer, and he is really starting to grow on Aston Villa supporters.
I don't want to exaggerate here but that's the greatest 45 minutes of football I've ever witnessed, Glenn Whelan is Pirlo and Grealish is the best player on the planet.
— Adam Wheeler (@wheeler_avfc19) March 2, 2019
It was not such a good afternoon for Richard Keogh, who was given a 5/10 by the Derby Telegraph.
Mick McCarthy was on hand to watch Luton Town striker James Collins grab his 20th goal of the season in the win over Rochdale. The 28-year old has 12 caps for the Ireland u21s, and has been on absolute fire this season.
He is obviously seen as a genuine option by McCarthy, and it would not be a shock to see him included in the squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 Qualifiers.
