Matt Doherty is the best right back in English football at the moment, and it is becoming more obvious with each passing game. He starred for Wolves yet again at the weekend, helping them to advance to the FA Cup quarter finals.
Elsewhere, John Egan continues to stake his claim for a place alongside Shane Duffy in the heart of the Irish defence. It was not a good week for Conor Hourihane, however, with the Villa Park crowd cheering when he was substituted at the weekend.
Take a look at the full roundup of the exploits of our internationals below.
Irish Player Ratings
Shane Duffy played the full 90 minutes for Brighton as they defeated Derby to advance to the FA Cup quarter finals. He was rated at 7/10 by the Brighton & Hove Independent, displaying his usual dominancne in the air in what was a solid performance.
Richard Keogh was given a 6/10 by the Derbyshire Telegraph, struggling slightly as his side conceded two goals.
Aiden O'Brien and Shaun Williams both started for Millwall in their 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon, with neither enjoying the best of matches. Football.London gave Williams a 6/10, while O'Brien was rated at 5/10 for a 'very quiet afternoon'.
Wolves also advanced to the last eight of the competition, with Matt Doherty putting in yet another stunning display. The former Bohs man registered an assist and almost got on the scoresheet himself when he rattled the bar.
🐺 | @Ivancavaleiro17 fires @Wolves into the lead! pic.twitter.com/vkM80DcFyJ
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 17, 2019
The Birmingham Mail gave him an 8/10, saying this about his showing:
Doherty is an early contender for player of the tournament - if there is such an award,
The wing-back didn’t play against Liverpool in the third round but he’s been a colossus in rounds four and five.
The Irishman has either scored or assisted Wolves’ last five goals in the FA Cup. His cutback for Cavaleiro’s winner at Ashton Gate was perfectly weighted and Doherty nearly added to his three-goal tally in this season’s competition after fine link-up with Jimenez.
Bristol City's run of nine consecutive wins ended in that game, and Callum O'Dowda was given 6/10 by the Bristol Post for a decent showing.
In the Championship, Richie Towell scored for Rotherham as they drew 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday, booting the corner flag in celebration. He was given a 7/10 by the Yorkshire Post.
Alan Browne and Sean Maguire both had uncharacteristically quiet games for Preston in their 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest, with the pair each rated at 6/10 by the Lancashire Evening Post.
Alan Judge put in yet another fantastic display as Ipswich drew 1-1 with Stoke, being named man-of-the-match by the East Anglian Daily Times (8/10):
Once again the man who made Ipswich tick. He’s always available, always driven and looking to make things happen. Rattled the bar with a free-kick and delivered the corner which led to the equaliser. An excellent display.
Ipswich need to tie him down for next season as soon as possible.
James McClean scored for Stoke in that game, coming up with a goal of the season contender (not really). It was a tap in, but they all count. The Stoke Sentinel were impressed with his work rate, giving him an 8/10.
Goal: #SCFC 1-0 #ITFC
⚽️ McClean
🅰️ Jonas Knudsen - Another woeful defensive mistake. pic.twitter.com/D0AQQPrwib— The Tractor Boys (@TTBITFC) February 16, 2019
Aston Villa's mixed recent form continued at the weekend, losing 2-0 at home to West Brom. Conor Hourihane started for Villa, and was not one of his better performances. According to the Birmingham Mail (who gave him a paltry 4.5/10) 'fans cheered as he was taken off on 60 minutes'. Ouch.
Sheffield United's promotion push was given another boost on Saturday, with a 4-0 demolition of Bolton. John Egan, Enda Stevens and Scott Hogan all started the game, with Hogan making his debut for the club.
All three players were rated at 8/10 by The Star, with Stevens lining up in a unfamiliar position alongside Egan as part of a three-man defence. Both of those players are making a strong case for a starting berth with Ireland next month, with Egan perhaps the front runner to partner Shane Duffy in the centre of defence.
Derrick Williams received a straight red card for Blackburn in their 1-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough. It may have been a slightly harsh decision, but Williams cost him team dearly in the end.
Darren Randolph was in goal for the visitors, keeping his 14th clean sheet of the season, which is the most in the division. He was rated at 7/10 by the Teeside Gazette, producing a brilliant save late on to secure the win.
