‘They are the best bunch of players we've had' – Drogheda United boss Kevin Doherty hails squad after European setback
Kevin Doherty has hailed his Drogheda United players for proving that a consolation training camp in Spain was about work rather than play.
The Boynesiders bounced back from an unwanted break to score a fourth successive victory over Bohemians last night, a result that keeps their European ambitions alive.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Brendan Cummins: 'We understand in Tipp, it's never as good or as bad as you think'
Bank Holiday Monday afternoon on the mountain and Brendan Cummins is back among familiar faces. He spent years coming to the Cooley Peninsula, often smack bang in the middle of All-Ireland campaigns with Tipperary, with one goal in mind - to chase down Ger Cunningham's record of seven All-Ireland Poc Fada titles. Cummins equalled Cunningham in 2013, stretched it out to eight and then nine titles before competing for a final time in 2019. That was until Monday when, after an invite from Martin Donnelly, in his 30th year as competition sponsor, Cummins agreed to do battle with the 5km course again. For a 15th time in total, he reckons. He finished a creditable seventh of the dozen competitors, three places ahead of Louth's Darren Geoghegan. "Would you believe he (Geoghegan) used to be carrying the flags for me and watching where the balls were landing when I was coming up here competing years ago," smiled Cummins. The fire still burns brightly in the former Tipp goalie who was frustrated that half the 5km Annaverna Mountain course was deemed unplayable due to high winds. He had a figure in mind for total pucks that he wanted to beat. Kilkenny hurler Fionan Mackessy - whom Cummins previously coached when both were involved with Kerry - recognised that the Tipp man meant business and declined to tap him up for advice beforehand, as he had done before winning in 2023 and 2024. As for taking the title, and beating the likes of Mackessy, or eventual winner Colin Ryan, an All-Ireland SHC medallist with Limerick in 2018, Cummins hadn't quite carried that level of ambition with him up the M1. "If a 50-year-old starts beating 25 and 26-year-olds in a Poc Fada competition, they'd want to have a look at themselves," he said, referencing his landmark 50th birthday at the start of the summer. Brendan Cummins competing in the Senior Hurling competition during the M. Donnelly GAA Poc Fada All-Ireland Finals at Annaverna Mountain in the Cooley Peninsula, Ravensdale, Louth. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Around 300 were in attendance in Ravensdale for the annual competition and Cummins broke about even in the request-for-a-selfie count with former world boxing champion Bernard Dunne, a regular attendee and close pal of sponsor Donnelly. It has been the best of years for him and Tipp, with two All-Ireland hurling titles tucked away, one of those thanks in a large part to Cummins. He continued as U-20s manager and, just like 2019, the underage side managed to match the seniors by winning the All-Ireland. Keeping both teams at the top now, is the next challenge. "There's no doubt that when you have a sweet spot there with fellas going well and the young brigade coming through, that you have to make the most of it," said Cummins. "And that's what we'll try to do again. It might work again for us next year, and it mightn't. But we'll keep going, next year and the year after and the year after. And we'll win again, at some stage, but there's no guarantees when it'll happen. "Like, you couldn't say that the Tipp hurlers and the Tipp U-20s are guaranteed to even get out of Munster next year. You couldn't say that. And that's what fuels us all to get going again." Cummins, just in off the punishing mountain course with its giant peaks, valleys and ravines, knows more than most about how quickly sporting fortunes can rise and fall. "We understand the situation in Tipp, that it's never as good as you think it is, and never as bad as you think," he said. "Go back to Thurles last year and Tipp were beaten handily by Cork and everyone thought, 'This thing has blown up altogether'. They turned it around. I was delighted for Liam Cahill because he got wicked stick last year. "And that's the way it works as a manager, he understands that, we all do. But to turn it around, I'm delighted for him." Darragh McCarthy, Oisin O'Donoghue and Sam O'Farrell, key figures for Cummins' U-20s this year, all made significant contributions to the senior success. Cummins, U-20 manager since the end of 2021, has monitored their development closely. He sees more young phenoms potentially following their lead. "I can see right down through the food chain, as we'd call it, and there's lots of potential there," he said. "But we have to develop them and bring them on and accelerate that progress as quick as we can by using our experience as management, that's the trick."
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Drogheda United boss Kevin Doherty wary of Waterford FC qualities
The Blues lie seven points clear of second-bottom Sligo Rovers and trail fourth-placed Drogheda by eight, but Doherty doesn't accept that they'll journey up the M1 with nothing to pride to play for. Speaking on Tuesday, he said: 'There's 10 games left and still 30 points to play for and a couple of wins and they're right there (in the battle for European places), particularly when they're playing us. It's a bit early to be talking about having nothing to play for, it really is, so I think they're very much alive. 'I watched their game at the weekend (against St Pat's) and they had a really, really strong performance, and a really good result in Galway the week before. Who else has gone down there and scored four goals? 'They will bring a lot of challenges. Everyone talks about Padraig Amond and Tommy Lonergan up front, but they've got Conan Noonan in behind as well and they brought in (Jordan) Rossiter. Andy Boyle will be coming back as well, so they'll have their strongest backline available, and they've a very experienced manager who knows how to get results. 'Every game in this league is so, so difficult, but we're going into Friday confident after winning three in a row and playing well. 'I could not have been happier with the performance on Friday (against Bohemians) and I think it was very, very evident what we were doing on that training camp in Spain the week before.' 'The big thing for me is the availability of players, which is a massive difference compared to a month ago. Paul Doyle did his first full training session yesterday, so it's only Elicha Ahui, Zishim Bawa and Scott Brady who aren't available now.' Warren Davis and Darragh Markey scored the goals in a 2-0 win the last time Waterford visited Drogheda, but in the reverse fixture in the RSC it took a stoppage-time strike from Conor Keeley to rescue a 2-2 draw.
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Katie Mullan eyes semi spot for Ireland ahead of EuroHockey Championships
Katie Mullan and her Ireland team-mates have set themselves a goal of reaching the semi-finals stage at the upcoming EuroHockey Championships in Germany. Ireland, who have been drawn in Pool A in Monchengladbach, get the eight-team tournament under way with an arduous opener against the Netherlands on Saturday (Live on RTÉ). After facing the side at the summit of the world rankings, fixtures against France (world ranking 19) and Germany (world ranking 6) follow for Gareth Grundie's charges, who themselves are 11th in the global standings. The 31-year-old Mullan, who made her international debut back in 2012 against Wales, recognises the rigours in achieving a semi-final berth but believes a last-four place is obtainable. "This is going to be Europeans number six for me," the Coleraine native told RTÉ Sport. "We've never cracked it, the highest we've finished is fifth, but we've never made that semi-final so that's a big motivator for me and for the rest of the team. "I was just explaining that to the girls the other day, the journey we've gone on each Europeans, it's the hardest continental games by far because of the standard of hockey. "You've got so many top-10 teams on the European continent and then the other thing is the set-up of the tournament – you have to finish top two in your pool. "For us, it means beating a nation ranked a good bit higher than us. That's a challenge, but we're ready for it now and we've had a lot of practice games and we're just looking forward to getting going now." Mikayla Power's late, late winner last Friday at the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin secured the home side a 2-1 series win over a Spain outfit ranked seventh in the world, delighting fans and buoying confidence ahead of the Euros. "It's huge, and do you know what? It's been the greatest pleasure to play these games here in Dublin," Mullan explained. "I can't remember the last time Spain came over and played us. "It's been brilliant to have these games here on home soil, get a bit of a crowd around the pitch, just to drum up momentum going into next week, and it's fantastic that RTÉ is showing the games live throughout the Europeans tournament. It's so important for our sport and for the growth of our sport. The encounter against the Netherlands is likely one where Ireland will come up short, while the France fixture has to be regarded as one of the must-win variety, meaning there is a strong likelihood that pool finale against Germany will decide Ireland's knockouts fate. "I think Germany is a really important game for us," Mullan acknowledged. "We used to play the Germans quite a lot and we haven't played them in the last 18 months so much. "They've had a lot of retirements, their team is very, very different, so we've been watching them closely in the Pro League. "I think there is opportunity. "One thing I've noticed is the Europeans immediately after the Olympics is always an exciting one because people don't know one another as well. "There have been retirements, there are new players, there are changes of coaches, there are all these different variables that you find within 12 months of an Olympics. "It won't disappoint, I can guarantee you that!"
