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Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Familiar Shelbourne failings allow Bobby Burns to rescue point for Galway
But Joey O'Brien and his players will travel home from Galway wondering how they failed to emerge from Eamonn Deacy Park with a victory that would put a badly-needed smile on faces. Damien Duff's stand-in will take comfort from aspects of their display considering what's coming around the corner in European competition. He is set to be given the opportunity to lead the Reds into that campaign once he gets the relevant sign-off from authorities and he does appear to be getting a response from the group. The reality, though, is that they have drawn 11 of their 24 matches this season because of an inability to be clinical in both boxes. In a game where their goalscorer Mipo Odubeko could easily have bagged a hat-trick, a late fumble from Conor Kearns allowed Galway United substitute Bobby Burns to rescue a point that looked unlikely for reasonable spells of this encounter. John Caulfield will be satisfied with that after a tricky week highlighted by the loss of top scorer Moses Dyer to a big-money deal in Cambodia. Mind you, that drama pales in comparison to what the visitors have been going through. At least Dyer's release clause had given United some preparation for what might be around the corner. Shelbourne had finished on a high in Waterford on Monday, with the opposing boss John Coleman admitting his players were blessed to survive a late rally. They brought the momentum into the opening quarter here, although O'Brien did opt to conserve the energy levels of several key players with Mark Coyle, Paddy Barrett and Evan Caffrey amongst those to drop to the bench. Linfield are around the corner, with the Irish League champions represented by a delegation that included manager David Healy. They might face different personnel in their eagerly-anticipated Champions League tie, but they did see a side that looks to have responded quite well to the drama of the last week. Healy will certainly have noted that they had a few difficult moments from crosses and defensive set pieces, an area where Galway are potent at asking questions. But there was a spark in attacking areas, the best example being the danger presented by Odubeko, the winter arrival who has failed to live up to expectations. His contribution here showed why he can both excite and frustrate. Odubeko broke the deadlock with a precise first half header from a JJ Lunney cross, a moment that the front man would have enjoyed as it allowed him to forget the anguish of a brilliant Garry Buckley goalline clearance that had denied him just beforehand. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more But from there, his contribution was a highlight reel of thrills and spills. He was a constant threat on the counter, with Shels going more direct on occasion to bring out the best in the ex-Man City and Manchester United attacker. He kept finding time and space but, when it came to the crunch, his finishing consistently let him down. O'Brien's exasperation on the sideline was evident, especially when the theme continued into the second half. Odubeko was Shelbourne's best route to putting the outcome beyond doubt, but also the reason they were unable to do so. United were off colour for the opening half hour, with the unavailability of Patrick Hickey adding to the natural loss of Dyer. Galway tried new arrival Malcolm Shaw in place of Dyer and he was busy while showing signs of lacking match sharpness. The natives did have a decent spell before the interval but Caulfield changed to a back four in the second half, a recognition of the need to be more compact in midfield where Harry Wood was enjoying a lot of freedom. However, Shels continued to create the better chances, with Odubeko's evening taking a tragicomic turn with the 22-year-old botching a gilt-edged opportunity from a clever free before looping a header wide under no pressure. It left Shels with no margin for error and that point was proven when Kearns lost control and O'Brien saw two points slip away. Boyd was inches away from a stoppage-time winner but the draw specialists were condemned to a familiar fate. Shelbourne: Kearns, Gannon, Temple, Ledwidge; Kelly (Caffrey 63), Wood (McInroy 63) , Lunney (Coyle 75), Chapman (Coote 89), Norris (Wilson 63); Boyd, Odubeko (Martin 90).
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool line up £70m COLOSSUS to replace Ibrahima Konate
Liverpool looking at Guehi and Branthwaite The imminent loss of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen in a £30m deal already leaves the club light on numbers - necessitating a new signing sooner rather than later. Advertisement While Marc Guehi has been the player most strongly linked, there is another defender closer to home who fits the bill. The Reds reportedly have their eye on centre-backs aged 24 or under - and given they are losing Quansah - one with homegrown status would help. That's why Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite is so intriguing. Moving from the Bramley Moore Dock Stadium to Anfield wouldn't be without its controversy - but surely a sizeable bid from the Reds would tempt their city neighbours into selling. Everton plot Branthwaite talks A new report in Caught Offside now claims that Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham AND Liverpool have all got their eye on Branthwaite - who is valued at around the £70m mark. Advertisement As such, the Toffees are planning contract talks with their star defender - who is currently tied to the club until 2027. But should no new deal be agreed for the 23-year-old, then Liverpool would be in a good position to pounce. 'No concrete talks have taken place,' the report continues. 'But the admiration for Branthwaite is there, so it could be one to watch.' © IMAGO Could Liverpool use Doak to sign Branthwaite? David Moyes' side are reported to admire Ben Doak and by adding the Scotland winger to any potential deal, Liverpool could significantly reduce the upfront costs. With Quansah being sold, Konate seemingly heading out the door and Van Dijk contracted until 2027 - Liverpool will soon need to conduct a serious transfer overhaul at centre-back. Maybe Guehi and fellow England international Branthwaite will be the ones leading the club into the new era.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Chandler Simpson, Noelvi Marte and Austin Hays
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Chandler Simpson (OF Rays): Rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues Simpson earned a surprisingly quick recall to the majors this week after hitting .366/.416/.465 with 11 steals in 16 games for Triple-A Durham and has started all three games since his return. The Rays seem committed to giving him a lengthier look this time, and he'll probably be the league's leading basestealer while playing regularly. Advertisement There's nothing really unknown about Simpson at this point. He's one of professional baseball's fastest players, and he makes a great deal of contact at the plate. Although he's a little stronger physically than some would suspect, he offers no in-game power, with his one professional homer being an inside-the-parker. Even doubles are something of a rarity for him. A middle infielder in college, he still has issues defensively in the outfield, which was the biggest reason the Rays sent him down at the end of May. For Simpson to be a viable major league regular, he simply has to become an above average defensive center fielder. It's quite possible he'll get there, and it looks like the Rays are going to leave him alone in that spot now after using him in left field about half of the time during his first stint in the majors. They might eventually decide again that they need more defense in that spot, but for now, Simpson's steals and batting average should make him a top-40 fantasy outfielder. Noelvi Marte (3B Reds): Rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues With three homers, 17 RBI and four steals, Marte was very helpful in fantasy leagues over 19 games before suffering an oblique strain in early May. He's nearly ready to return now after going 5-for-18 with a homer in his first five games on a rehab assignment. Advertisement Marte was a big question mark coming into this season and failed to make the Reds out of spring training. Once considered one of the game's top 20 or so prospects, he was busted for PEDs in 2024 and struggled mightily after returning from suspension, hitting just .210/.248/.301 in 66 games. He proceeded to get off to a great start with Louisville, and after barely playing in his first callup to Cincinnati, he received a real chance due to Christian Encarnacion-Strand landing on the IL and started tearing it up immediately. His biggest game was kind of a fluke; he had a grand slam and a two-run double while facing Orioles position players on Apr. 20. Still, even taking that out of the equation, he hit .280 with two homers and 10 RBI over his remaining 13 games before getting hurt. The Reds kicked Jeimer Candelario to the curb and haven't gotten much of anything from Santiago Espinal, so third base should belong to Marte once he's activated. He probably won't match his early pace, but between his ability to steal bases and him getting to play half of his games in a great park for hitters, he should offer lasting value. Austin Hays (OF Reds): Rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues Let's stay with Cincinnati here and try someone already back from the injured list. Hays was activated Friday after missing four weeks with a foot contusion and is expected to go right back into the middle of the lineup while splitting time between outfield and DH. Advertisement Although he's already experienced three IL stints, Hays has been a nice surprise while healthy this year, batting .303/.346/.555 with six homers in 130 plate appearances. He's driven in 25 runs and scored 23 times in 31 games. No one should expect quite that same level of production going forward -- his current 139 OPS+ is far better than his career mark of 106 -- but hitting in Cincinnati is a great help, especially for a right-handed batter who had to deal with the Camden Yards modifications while playing for the Orioles. Pulling the ball is much better rewarded in Great American Ballpark, and after posting a career-high pull rate last year, Hays has gone even a tad higher in his limited action this season. The Reds are still figuring out the second spot in their lineup (Matt McLain is back there now), but they've gotten excellent production from TJ Friedl leading off and Elly De La Cruz batting third, leaving a whole bunch of RBI opportunities for their cleanup man. That's been Hays' spot 28 of the 29 times he's been in the starting lineup. If he gets moved down at some point, maybe he'll no longer be worth rostering. For now, though, he looks like an asset. Waiver Wire Quick Hits - I'm not going to feature Ben Casparius again after just writing about him a couple of weeks ago, but it seems like people stopped picking him up because he's working as a bulk guy instead of a starter for the Dodgers. In truth, though, he's more valuable as a bulk guy than he would be as a starter, just because his chances of a victory go way up. He's 2-for-2 winning games while pitching behind Shohei Ohtani these last two weeks. Four times this year, he's entered a game in the second inning, and all four times, he's gotten a win. - The Tigers' Parker Meadows is still mostly unrostered and has been dropped by some who did pick him up because of his slow start after coming off the IL. That slow start, though, includes exit velocity numbers and a strikeout rate a little better than his career norm. Statcast says he should be batting .251 and slugging .430, rather than his actual figures of .191 and .338. He remains an intriguing outfield option going forward.
NBC Sports
4 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Chandler Simpson, Noelvi Marte and Austin Hays
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Chandler Simpson (OF Rays): Rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues Simpson earned a surprisingly quick recall to the majors this week after hitting .366/.416/.465 with 11 steals in 16 games for Triple-A Durham and has started all three games since his return. The Rays seem committed to giving him a lengthier look this time, and he'll probably be the league's leading basestealer while playing regularly. There's nothing really unknown about Simpson at this point. He's one of professional baseball's fastest players, and he makes a great deal of contact at the plate. Although he's a little stronger physically than some would suspect, he offers no in-game power, with his one professional homer being an inside-the-parker. Even doubles are something of a rarity for him. A middle infielder in college, he still has issues defensively in the outfield, which was the biggest reason the Rays sent him down at the end of May. For Simpson to be a viable major league regular, he simply has to become an above average defensive center fielder. It's quite possible he'll get there, and it looks like the Rays are going to leave him alone in that spot now after using him in left field about half of the time during his first stint in the majors. They might eventually decide again that they need more defense in that spot, but for now, Simpson's steals and batting average should make him a top-40 fantasy outfielder. Noelvi Marte (3B Reds): Rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues With three homers, 17 RBI and four steals, Marte was very helpful in fantasy leagues over 19 games before suffering an oblique strain in early May. He's nearly ready to return now after going 5-for-18 with a homer in his first five games on a rehab assignment. Marte was a big question mark coming into this season and failed to make the Reds out of spring training. Once considered one of the game's top 20 or so prospects, he was busted for PEDs in 2024 and struggled mightily after returning from suspension, hitting just .210/.248/.301 in 66 games. He proceeded to get off to a great start with Louisville, and after barely playing in his first callup to Cincinnati, he received a real chance due to Christian Encarnacion-Strand landing on the IL and started tearing it up immediately. His biggest game was kind of a fluke; he had a grand slam and a two-run double while facing Orioles position players on Apr. 20. Still, even taking that out of the equation, he hit .280 with two homers and 10 RBI over his remaining 13 games before getting hurt. The Reds kicked Jeimer Candelario to the curb and haven't gotten much of anything from Santiago Espinal, so third base should belong to Marte once he's activated. He probably won't match his early pace, but between his ability to steal bases and him getting to play half of his games in a great park for hitters, he should offer lasting value. Austin Hays (OF Reds): Rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues Let's stay with Cincinnati here and try someone already back from the injured list. Hays was activated Friday after missing four weeks with a foot contusion and is expected to go right back into the middle of the lineup while splitting time between outfield and DH. Although he's already experienced three IL stints, Hays has been a nice surprise while healthy this year, batting .303/.346/.555 with six homers in 130 plate appearances. He's driven in 25 runs and scored 23 times in 31 games. No one should expect quite that same level of production going forward -- his current 139 OPS+ is far better than his career mark of 106 -- but hitting in Cincinnati is a great help, especially for a right-handed batter who had to deal with the Camden Yards modifications while playing for the Orioles. Pulling the ball is much better rewarded in Great American Ballpark, and after posting a career-high pull rate last year, Hays has gone even a tad higher in his limited action this season. The Reds are still figuring out the second spot in their lineup (Matt McLain is back there now), but they've gotten excellent production from TJ Friedl leading off and Elly De La Cruz batting third, leaving a whole bunch of RBI opportunities for their cleanup man. That's been Hays' spot 28 of the 29 times he's been in the starting lineup. If he gets moved down at some point, maybe he'll no longer be worth rostering. For now, though, he looks like an asset. Waiver Wire Quick Hits - I'm not going to feature Ben Casparius again after just writing about him a couple of weeks ago, but it seems like people stopped picking him up because he's working as a bulk guy instead of a starter for the Dodgers. In truth, though, he's more valuable as a bulk guy than he would be as a starter, just because his chances of a victory go way up. He's 2-for-2 winning games while pitching behind Shohei Ohtani these last two weeks. Four times this year, he's entered a game in the second inning, and all four times, he's gotten a win. - The Tigers' Parker Meadows is still mostly unrostered and has been dropped by some who did pick him up because of his slow start after coming off the IL. That slow start, though, includes exit velocity numbers and a strikeout rate a little better than his career norm. Statcast says he should be batting .251 and slugging .430, rather than his actual figures of .191 and .338. He remains an intriguing outfield option going forward.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool to sign Championship star to solve growing squad issue
Freddie Woodman will join Liverpool upon the expiration of his Preston North End contract at the end of June, becoming the Reds' third-choice goalkeeper Liverpool will sign Preston North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman when the 28-year-old's contract expires at the end of this month. Former England under-21 goalkeeper Woodman will act as third-choice to Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili at Anfield, with Georgia international Mamardashvili officially joining the Reds from Valencia this summer after his move was agreed last year. Liverpool sold Alisson's long-term deputy Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford for up to £18million earlier this summer, while Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies have joined Ajax and Crawley Town on loan respectively. Hungary under-21 goalkeeper Armin Pecsi has arrived from Puskas Akademia but is expected to play for the under-23s team. London-born Woodman came through the ranks at Crystal Palace before a 2013 move to Newcastle, who sent him on loan to Hartlepool, Crawley, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Swansea and Bournemouth during his time at St James' Park. He played nine games for the Magpies before his 2022 move to Preston, where he has been No.1 for the past three seasons. Woodman's arrival will serve as a valuable addition to Liverpool's homegrown player quota, with the Reds needing to increase their number of English FA trained players in their squads for both the Premier League and Champions League. Under Premier League rules, squads can only carry a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in their squad of 25 players (over the age of 21) for the season, with a homegrown player categorised as someone of any nationality who has been registered with any club affiliated to the English FA for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday. The arrival of left-back Milos Kerkez has taken Liverpool's number of non-homegrown players to 18, although fellow new arrival Jeremie Frimpong counts as a homegrown player thanks to his time in the academy at Manchester City.
