Following on from James McCarthy's rambunctious performance at Anfield and Richard Keogh's battling resistance at Old Trafford last night, there were a myriad of Irish players in action across the FA Cup third round this afternoon.
Here's how they fared.
Jeff Hendrick and Kevin Long both started Burnley's 4-1 defeat against Manchester City, with Jon Walters coming off the bench to play the final 15 minutes.
Aidan O'Brien had a superb afternoon for Millwall, scoring twice and setting up another in a 4-1 rout of Barnsley.
It was a fantastic day for Preston's Irish contingent. Alan Browne scored twice and Daryl Horgan in Preston's 5-1 battering of Wycombe Wanderers. Further to that, Greg Cunningham assisted the fifth goal, on an afternoon that saw Andy Boyle make an appearance off the bench. Kevin O'Connor was an unused substitute following his million-pound lottery win this week, but he was serenaded by supporters:
Kev O’Connor warming up to a chorus of “Pay Off My Overdraft.......Pay Off My Overdraft”............& “Kevin Kevin buy us a pint”.........#pnefc 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/XpzkPRPXui
— PNE Police (@PNEPolice) January 6, 2018
Former Irish under-21 international Cian Bolger impressed at the heart of Fleetwood's defence as they held out for a 0-0 draw against Leicester City. He may have to face Jamie Vardy in the replay, however, with the erstwhile Fleetwood striker absent this afternoon through injury.
Not to damn him with faint praise, but Darren Randolph kept a clean sheet against Sunderland in a 2-0 win for 'Boro at the Riverside. Cyrus Christie got all of one minute of action from the bench. Both John O'Shea and Marc Wilson were in action for the Black Cats, who will now give the grim struggle at the foot of the championship table.
Conor Hourihane and Chris Forrester were occupying the same midfield as Aston Villa blew a lead to lose 2-1 against Peterborough. The latter accidentally (we assume) ensured one of the linesmen won't forget his performance any time soon...
David Meyler played the final ten minutes of Hull's 1-0 win away to Blackburn.
After 21 months after his horror leg break, Alan Judge made his return to football by coming off the bench for Brentford at home to Notts County, who won the game with a goal from the long-forgotten, Jon Stead.
Like Judge, Stephen Ireland made his return today from a horror leg break, starting their tie with Coventry City after 20 months out. He failed to arrest Stoke's decline under Mark Hughes, as the Potters were shocked 2-1 by a Coventry City side captained by 36-year-old Irishman Michael Doyle.
James McClean played all of West Brom's comfortable 2-0 win against Exeter City, a game in which both Albion strikers scored for the first time since 2015. Similarly, Shane Long played 86 minutes of Southampton's 1-0 win against Fulham, although failed to add to his drought-ending goal earlier this week, while Ciaran Clark played all of Newcastle's 3-1 win against Luton Town.
Mick McCarthy's Ipswich, featuring David McGoldrick from the start and new signing Aaron Drinan on the bench lost 1-0 to Sheffield United, who kept Enda Stevens on the bench throughout.
