COMPARED TO OTHERS, this weekend was a quiet one for the Irishmen in the Championship.
There wasn’t as many Irish goalscorers
on Saturday, and it was the first Saturday this season that there was more goals from Irish players in the Premiership than in the Championship.
Paddy Kenny – QPR
Helping keep the scores down was Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who looked to be heading for his 11th clean sheet of the season, when QPR defender Matthew Connolly deflected a free kick into his own net.
Kenny pulled off six saves, as his side romped home to a 3-1 win, to move themselves back to the top of the nPower Championship table. QPR have conceded just eight goals this season thanks to Kenny and his excellent back four, and have an incredible goal difference of +25 already.
Michael Doyle – Coventry City
Another Irish goalkeeper playing in the Championship is Shay Given’s international understudy, Keiren Westwood. He kept out nine shots from Burnley on Saturday, as Coventry City won 1-0 at home thanks to a stunning 25-yard strike from Dubliner Michael Doyle.
This season’s Coventry team is peppered with Ireland players, with eight in the squad. Four of those started this weekend, but it was Doyle who shone, scoring his first goal in 21 months.
Noel Hunt – Reading
Brian McDermott’s Reading side began Saturday’s evening match away to Watford with four Irish players in the starting lineup. Ian Harte is having an Indian summer this season, but had to be withdrawn at half-time due to an injury.
It was the Irishmen up front who had more successful days, with Shane Long breaking the offside trap and laying the ball off for Noel Hunt to put the Royals one up.
Watford equalised just before the break, and the second half was a dour affair, with neither side taking control of the game. Hunt and Long had a few chances, and Long was unlucky not to win a penalty near the end, but a draw was the correct result.
Owen Garvan – Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace’s Ireland U-21 international Owen Garvan picked up his fifth and sixth yellow card of the season against Sheffield United, following a heated argument with referee Anthony Taylor.
Garvan will need to be more disciplined in future, and will surely face a telling off from manager George Burley. Palace had been one up, but when Taylor gave a soft penalty to United, Garvan let his feelings be known, and was dismissed with less than 40 minutes gone on the clock.
This put them on the back foot for the rest of the match, and they were lucky to keep the match close, losing 3-2 in the end.
Now see how the Irish in the Premier League fared.
- Ronan Hunt-Murphy blogs about Irish football at Greenscene.
