Latest news with #Rovers
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'He is definitely a student of the game': Bradley wishes Andrews well in Brentford gaffer role
'I'm sure he's cursing me' joked a jovial Stephen Bradley when speaking about his match winner from Friday night, Rory Gafffney. The 35-year old sprung from the bench to net a crucial winner against a stubborn and talented Waterford side, showing reactions of a player half his age to capitalise on a Stephen McMullan error as the Northern Irish man failed to gather Danny Mandroiu's stinging effort, allowing Gaffney to tap home. And his gaffer is fully aware of the frustration his experienced and reliable front man justifiably feels. ''He should have started tonight, I'm sure he feels the same,' admitted Bradley. 'He was brilliant here against Cork City last Friday. He played 90 minutes so you leave him out of Monday's squad obviously. I know he's really annoyed he doesn't start tonight and that's the hardest part of this job is leaving good people like that out of the squad, obviously good players, but good people too out of the team and out of the squad and I knew he was annoyed, rightly so. 'But he's played at the level he's played at for such a long time because of his character and how professional he is and I knew once you call upon him he'll be ready. And he was tonight, I thought he played like he has done all year to be fair, so I'm sure he's cursing me but he comes on and wins us the game.' That huge win restored Rovers ominous lead at the top back to 11-points over Bohemians and Derry City in the title race, with the gap nine points prior to kick off, and The Hoops boss feels his side are in a good place with an healthy lead going into what promises to be a crazy July, adding: 'That's why it (Friday's) win was an important one, it was important we got three points. "We go to Sligo Rovers, FAI Cup and then into Europe so we're in a position that i would have taken your hand off at the start of the year so it's important that you push as hard as you can coming into this period because you have a little break that allows you to fully focus on what's to come and not looking at what's around the corner. They were excellent tonight and its a nice lead to have.' Bradley was quick to praise his players who bounced back from Monday's Dublin derby defeat that brought an end to their 11-game unbeaten run but insists, as always, that its just about themselves. 'The thing that disappointed me on Monday was not losing the game, but our performance in the game.' said the 40-year-old. 'We've been that good this year, but we were miles off our levels and that's what annoyed us. You can win and lose games, that's football. It was more just get back to our levels, get back to what we do. "So if Waterford had left Tallaght with a draw, we can't complain about our performance, it was really high level and you take that, but we don't accept Monday. "We asked the players to respond from Monday in terms of our performance levels and they did that, I thought they were excellent all over the pitch, in and out of possession, showed a real hunger to get back to our levels and we get a really important win.' "So it wasn't about extending the lead, it was just about getting back to our performance levels and everything after that takes care of itself.' On the same day Rovers stretched their lead at the summit, a fellow Dubliner was handed the reigns in the Premier League at Brentford in a somewhat surprising move, but did not come as a shock to Bradley who had started his pro-licence with Andrews before the latter having to defer to the following year due to work commitments. 'Yeah it's great. I really, really hope he does well. I got to have a lot of discussions with him on tactics and football in general. You can see he is definitely a student of the game and thinks about it. I'm absolutely delighted, a young Irish manager in the Premier League and I just really, really want it to go well for him. I texted him today, and I hope it goes really well. That's what we want, we want our managers managing at the highest level, and in England, that's the highest level. As well as being proud of a fellow Irish manager at the top table in English football - the first Irish Premier League manager since Chris Hughton in 2019 - he was insistent that the former set-piece coach got the job on merit, adding: 'I think Brentford have always been bold and brave in what they've done. "We all look at Frank now as an established, really good manager but he wasn't always. He was an assistant, he was involved in the B team. The Sparta manager we played against last year, he was B team manager as well and was the next one to come in and then got the Sparta offer. They do that quite regularly. 'We had a really good relationship with Rob Rowan (Brentford technical director who died aged just 28 in 2018) who sadly passed a few years back and he was the one who set all that in motion and they have stuck to their plan. If Brentford have given Keith that job, they've given it to him because they really believe in what he does and how he does it. "They don't look to me like a club that makes rash decisions. They buy well, they sell well, they recruit good players, they recruit good managers and coaches. I think they have made this decision with their eyes open and that should fill you with confidence if you're Keith. "I can only imagine the amount of managers who would have wanted that job, so the fact they have gone straight for him is a massive vote of confidence. They have obviously seen something that they really, really like which is good."
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Gaffney the hero as Shamrock Rovers extend lead at summit
Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers 1 Waterford 0 Supersub Rory Gaffney proved the hero as he was in the right place at the right time to notch a valuable winner and extend his side 11-point clear at the summit. Rovers could have been in front within the first five minutes when Graham Burke stood up an inviting cross to the back post that found Danny Grant. The wingback, under some pressure, showed good composure to chest the ball down but saw his low strike somehow hit the foot of the near post before rolling across goal and eventually cleared. Waterford's Jesse Demspey found some space down the left and smartly teed up James Olayinka, who burst forward from midfield and saw his sweeping strike was sharply turned away by Ed McGinty. Both sides started to sense blood as the game began to open, with chances coming at both ends. Firstly, Josh Honohan cut inside from the left, and bent a lovely effort to the far post but was denied by Stephen McMullan at full stretch. The visitors went straight down the other end and Olayinka turned two men before unleashing a powerful effort straight into McGinty's midriff. Waterford then spurned one of the clearest openings of the evening when Tommy Lonergan got in behind the Rovers rearguard and looked to be in on goal. On the cover, Dan Cleary forced the front man slightly wide, leaving Padraig Amond free in the process, but his strike partner selfishly went for goal with the angle against him and shot straight at McGinty. The hosts continued to be patient in their search to break the deadlock but were met by a well-organized sea of blue. The introduction of two former PFAI award winners in Jack Byrne and Rory Gaffney showed the strength in depth at the disposal of the Bradley and lifted the crowd in the process. The 35-year-old Gaffney reacted quickest to a spill by McMullan - who had initially failed to hold a stinging Danny Mandroiu strike from 25-yards, and tapped home with just 15 minutes remaining. Rovers pushed for a second and fellow substitute Maxim Kovalevskis showed great feet to cut inside and square to Gaffney, but he saw his thunderous effort bravely blocked. Rovers saw out the remaining minutes in what could prove a pivotal victory in the title race as his side's attention now turns to both another European adventure and the start of an FAI Cup tilt. Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Dan Cleary, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace; Danny Grant (Maxim Kovalevskis, 76'), Dylan Watts (Rory Gaffney, 65'), Matt Healy, Danny Madroiu (Darragh Nugent, 87'), Josh Honohan; Graham Burke (Jack Byrne, 65'), Michael Noonan (Gary O'Neill, 87'). Waterford: Stephen McMullan; Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy, Ryan Burke (Trae Bailey Coyle, 80'); Grant Horton, Rowan McDonald (Dean McMenamy, 69'), Sam Glenfield, James Olayinka, Jesse Dempsey (Kyle White, 71'): Tommy Lonergan, Padraig Amond. Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin).
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Rory Gaffney comes off the bench to secure three vital points for Shamrock Rovers
This clash was heading towards a stalemate as Stephen Bradley's side looked like they may miss out on the chance to extend their lead out to 11 points, but a howler from Waterford 'keeper Stephen McMullan gifted Rory Gaffney the winner and gave the leaders the win they craved to take a big step towards the 2025 league title. Bradley got exactly the response he wanted from his side after Monday's derby humbling at the hands of Bohs, as Rovers secured a fifth successive win over the men from the south east, but more importantly, extended their lead at the summit by another two points and out to 11 with just 12 games remaining. After beating Bohemians and drawing with Shelbourne, Waterford's third game in seven days against Dublin opposition ended in a defeat, although John Coleman's side were well in this contest and twice went close to a first-half opener through Olujimi Olayinka and Tommy Lonergan. They remain in eighth and eight points above ninth-placed Sligo Rovers. The crowd of 4,014 at Tallaght Stadium was the Hoops' lowest home league attendance so far this year and around 300 fewer than last week's win against Cork City, with the clash also Rovers' final league game at home until August, on account of next month's Conference League and FAI Cup campaigns both beginning. The hosts started on the front foot and were inches from taking an early lead inside five minutes as the post denied Danny Grant a first goal since March 7, after a fine cross from Graham Burke. Blues centre-half Andy Boyle, making his first start since April 25 after recovering from a calf injury, was perhaps fortunate to escape a straight red card when he appeared to take Michael Noonan down just behind the halfway line, Rovers appealing that the four-time league winner with Dundalk was the last man back at the time. The Rovers teenage star would have been through on goal courtesy of Burke's through ball, but referee Paul Norton brandished a yellow card. The visitors came forward minutes later as Jesse Dempsey's excellent cross found Olayinka, with the former Arsenal academy midfielder seeing his shot saved by Hoops number one McGinty. But the ball fell kindly towards Pádraig Amond at the back post, who looked certain to score had recent Ireland call-up Josh Honohan not held off the Blues skipper superbly before diverting the ball to safety when he realised Sam Glenfield was also hot on his heels. Honohan then broke forward on 21 minutes from left wing-back, cut back inside on to his right foot and unleashed a curling shot that looked destined for the far corner, but Blues 'keeper McMullan was equal to it with a superb stop. Rovers midfielder Mandroiu should have done better to hit the target after being teed up by Burke's short free-kick routine, before Olayinka saw his piledriver stopped by McGinty for the second time in the space of 15 minutes, in a lively opening half-hour in Dublin 24. Both sides continued to search for the opener as Mandroiu and Ireland U-21 striker Lonergan both saw efforts saved, with the latter opting to go himself rather than squaring across to an unmarked Amond, who was in disbelief that it wasn't put on a plate for him yards from goal, but neither could find a breakthrough with the teams going into the break scoreless. ADVERTISEMENT Noonan was finding his long runs forward towards balls over the top snuffed out by Blues 'keeper McMullan, who was doing a good job of keeping a high line to keep the Ireland U-19 international at bay. Waterford's Rowan McDonald found a pocket of space just before the hour mark but McGinty was again equal to it, on a night where both men between the sticks were on the top of their games. Noonan again went close on 72 minutes, this time with a header from Mandroiu's deft cross, but moments later, the breakthrough finally arrived. Mandroiu's shot from distance looked to be routine for the Waterford shotstopper, but he spilled it and allowed substitute Gaffney to pounce and fire into an empty net for his sixth of the season. Job done for the leaders, who take another step towards the title they have their eyes set on reclaiming. Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Grant (Kovalevskis 76), Healy, Watts (Byrne 65), Mandroiu (Nugent 88), Honohan; Burke (Gaffney 65), Noonan (O'Neill 88).
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley says Bohs defeat was a "kick up the a***"
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley feels Monday's derby defeat to Bohemians was 'a kick up the arse'. And he is calling on his Premier Division leaders to get back on track against Waterford tonight. Bohs battered the Hoops 2-0 with a first-half double whammy and Bradley accepted that Rovers deserved nothing from the game. Yesterday, he said: 'Sometimes in life and football, you need a kick up the arse, you know? Sometimes it's not a bad thing. 'Would you prefer it not to be in games like that? Of course you would. But such is life. Sometimes you think it's going right and then you get a slap in the face. Sometimes it's a good thing, but it's only a good thing if you put the wrongs right and that's up to us to do that.' But Bradley insists there was no big enquiry or overreaction to Monday's defeat to their arch rivals. 'We're not like that here - and never have been. We don't react to results and be all emotional with our week, that's not how we do things. The players still get their time off. 'The've been excellent for a large part of the season. It's more a staff point of view, and what we could have done better and why we came so far off our levels like we did.' Dylan Watts was worth his weight in goals last season, chipping in with decisive strikes at pivotal times for Shamrock Rovers. But the midfielder has yet to break his duck this year and would love to open his account against Waterford tonight. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Watts banged in four in the league as the Hoops fell short in the title race, but his European goals were priceless as Rovers banked the big bucks on their historic run. The former Leicester City man slotted home from the penalty spot in the Europa League home-leg win over Celje of Slovenia. He then came off the bench to score a rare headed, injury-time equaliser against APOEL in the Conference League league phase, before scoring in the win over TNS. Yesterday, Watts said: 'No, I've not scored yet this year. Hopefully I can start a scoring run now. I think last year was the same, I didn't score for the first lot of games and then scored a few big goals towards the end of the season. 'It's something that I'm really looking to add to my game. It's something that I'm capable of doing so hopefully I can get a few towards the end of the season. 'We're in a good position in the league, certainly in a better position than we have been in the last few years. We have Europe to look forward to as well. It's an exciting time and hopefully we'll kick on now in both.' Watts has been building his minutes off the bench of late after missing four matches with a hamstring issue. And he wants to impact tonight's clash with the Blues after Rovers were bossed by arch rivals Bohemians in Monday's 2-0 defeat at Dalymount. Watts said: 'It obviously wasn't a very good performance, we didn't play well. Bohs pressed aggressively and controlled most of the game. But one thing that's never been an issue with us is never getting too comfortable or anything like that. 'The performance and result was what it was, but so long as we bounce back tonight I think we'll be alright. We're still in a strong position. Monday wasn't good enough but we need to put it in the past and move on.' Meanwhile, Bradley has hailed teenager Victor Ozhianvuna for how he dealt with the racist incident in Waterford in May. The 16-year-old Rovers ace was warming up during the first-half of Waterford's home game with Shamrock Rovers when a Blues fan racially abused him. On Wednesday, the FAI fined Waterford following a probe into the matter but An Garda Siochána's investigation is still ongoing. Hoops boss Bradley said: 'Gardai from Tallaght have been here quite a bit with a few of our players and staff, taking statements and going over Gardai have been really good with how they have dealt with it and the sensitivity dealing with this considering Victor is a minor.' And Bradley said of the teenager, who is on Arsenal's radar: 'He's a strong fella. There's no doubt it had an effect on him. Something like that would have an effect on anyone. 'We have Mary (Larkin, club psychologist) who is working with our players on a weekly basis so they get the tools to deal with this sort of stuff. But it still doesn't make it right. He's a 16-year-old who had to hear that in his place of work, which is not acceptable. 'He's been okay but I'm quite sure it's had a negative effect on him as we're all human at the end of the day.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Steve Feeney confident Sligo Rovers have what it takes to beat DLR Waves in cup meeting
Steve Feeney is confident his Sligo Rovers side is good enough to beat DLR Waves in the Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup this weekend, but is also wary of the threat that Laura Heffernan's side can pose. DLR Waves are currently bottom of the league, but picked up their first win of the season a week-and-a-half ago when they were 1-0 winners over Rovers at The Showgrounds.
