Archive April 26, 2025

With the final kick of the game, All-Ireland champions Armagh defeated fierce rivals Tyrone 0-23 to 0-22 to advance to their third straight Ulster Senior Football final. Rory Grugan scored a free with the final kick.

Thanks to Peter Harte and Darren McCurry’s successive two-pointers in the final stages of a incredibly dramatic semi-final that came to life in the second half of Clones, Tyrone edged two clear in the closing stages.

However, after the score exchange between Conor Turbitt and Eoin McElholm, Armagh scored the game’s final three points in a heartbreaking finale at St Tiernach’s Park, which was watched by 21, 288 spectators. Jarly Og Burns, Stefan Campbell, and Grugan scored after the hooter, to break Tyrone’s hearts.

On May 11th, the winner of Donegal and Down’s provincial decider will face Armagh, who lost the penalty shootout matches in the 2023 and 2024 finals.

Armagh were the better team in the opening period of a slow-burn semi-final, which ended in an intense atmosphere. They deserved a 0-11 to 0-8 lead at half-time.

And while Armagh went five up with the first two points of the second half thanks to the impressive Oisin Conaty, two Tyrone two-pointers from Conn Kilpatrick, Harte, and McCurry made a powerful turn in the Red Hands’ favor.

When Conor Turbitt, who missed the quarter-final victory over Antrim, was made one of three last-minute adjustments, Armagh’s scoring potential was further hampered by the absence of Rian O’Neill.

However, Tyrone’s side had no trouble creating and scoring chances even with the flame-haired sharpshooter, as Oisin Conaty and Ross McQuillan each scored two points and Oisin O’Neill added two more points to put them up 0-4, 0-1, after Darragh Canavan opened the account for Tyrone.

After missing last week’s game against Cavan, Canavan was Tyrone’s main injury concern heading into the game. However, he was chosen to start and positioned alongside his younger brother Ruairi, who had taken Peter Harte’s place just before throw-in.

However, Darren McCurry (0-1) kept the scoreboard ticking over while the Canavan brothers only managed a score of 0-1 overall when Tyrone fell behind by a score of 0-6 to 0-3.

The All-Ireland champions looked set to win the final when Oisin O’Neill, Jarly Og Burns, and Ben Crealey scored an unanswered three-score surge from Oisin O’Neill, Jarly Og Burns, and Conaty, a standout for Armagh, added two more at the start of the second half to make it 0-17 to 0-11 clear.

However, Tyrone’s bench helped them take control of the game in the third quarter as they kept chipping away. After being introduced, Eoin McElholm added two points, and Harte’s two-pointer gave the Red Hand fans their biggest roar of the day.

Kieran McGeeney, Armagh manager, was booked for dissent after Harte scored by kicking a sideline flag onto the pitch.

Tyrone were 0-21 to 0-19 ahead when McCurry scored the resultant two-point free.

With six minutes left, Tyrone had to hold on, but Armagh fought back and won the match with a win as Jarly Og Burns and substitute Stefan Campbell fired over to bring the score level.

Subs: O O’Neill’s Conor Turbitt (52); Crealey’s Jemar Hall (54); McMullen’s Cian McConville (0-1) for Murnin (67); and McConville’s McGrane (71).

Subs: B Hughes, S. McPartlan, C. Turbitt, J. Hall, T. Kelly, C. McConville, A. Forker, N. Grimley, C. Mackin, G. Murphy, and S. Campbell.

Tyrone: N Morgan, C Quinn, P Teague, N Devlin, M McKernan (0-2, 1 2pt), R Brennan, K McGeary, B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-2, 1 2pt), A Donaghy, J Oguz, C Daly, D McCurry (0-10, 4f, 1 2ptf), R Canavan, D Canavan (0-4, 2f).

Seanie O’Donnell is substituted for Aodhan Donaghy (40), Ben McDonnell is substituted for Oguz (46), Eoin McElholm (47), Peter Harte (1 2pt) for Daly (54), and Padraig Hampsey for Quinn (60).

Cardiff City’s relegation to League One left an emotional mark on Aaron Ramsey, but the caretaker manager believes they can return to the Championship with minimal changes to the club’s structure.

As Cardiff’s relegation was confirmed by a goalless draw at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, Wales captain Aaron Ramsey was in charge of his second game.

The 34-year-old midfielder won’t be in a rush to make a decision as his Bluebirds contract expires at the end of this season. He also has an uncertain future ahead.

“I don’t know] about the upcoming season.” Over the next few weeks, it’s time to digest everything, according to Ramsey.

Ramsey thinks that despite their low standing, the Cardiff players are still of high quality.

“These players will give you everything,” he said, “if the right structures are in place, with coaching staff and things.”

“They are more than capable of coming straight back up if they can do that and give them the opportunities they deserve.”

That team has a lot of quality, they say. Never mind League One, they should be battling it out for the top spot in this division.

With just one game left, Cardiff, who had fallen to the bottom of the Championship table and was five points clear of safety, had long anticipated relegation.

The Welsh club’s previous three seasons had only squandered the Bluebirds’ ability to recover from the drop, which was typical for the Welsh club.

Omer Riza replaced him as manager of the season after Erol Bulut’s departure, which lasted seven months. Ramsey was their third manager of the season when he took charge of the final three games.

During owner Vincent Tan’s 15 years in charge, there have been 16 different managers in Cardiff, with eight of those coming within the last four years.

Home fans chanted for Tan’s departure after protesting against the club’s board earlier this season, but the final whistle came on Saturday.

Supporters and a number of well-known former players share the view that the Bluebirds’ biggest problems lie with the board, where there is a clear lack of football knowledge.

Tan, Mehmet Dalman, and Ken Choo, the club’s chairman, none of whom have any prior experience in the game and are rarely present at games or the training ground, are the only ones who are in charge of the club’s operations.

Things “are a little different from what I’ve had at other clubs,” I said. A head of football or a sporting director, for example, are typically in charge of everything and overseeing daily operations, according to Ramsey.

The most important thing for me is ensuring that there are the right coaching staff because they foster the right behaviors and foster a culture. Making the right choice in that regard and placing the right trust in the right person to attract the right people who are concerned about the team’s best interests is the most crucial factor.

“You can get away with a lot of other things and give these players an opportunity as long as that structure is good,” he said.

Gallagher Premiership

Bath 55 (17)

Carr-Smith, Roux, Underhill, Emens 2, Hennessey, Redpath Cons: Donoghue 4, Russell 2 Pens: Donoghue

Newcastle 19 (12)

In a dominant 55-19 victory over bottom side Newcastle Falcons, leaders Bath secured a top-tier Premiership spot and a play-off semi-final.

In a sluggish opening full of penalties, debutant Ciaran Donoghue put Newcastle in front before Cameron Neild’s drive from the maul brought them within touching distance.

Following Louis Hennessey’s break, Tom Carr-Smith crossed overuntouched before Connor Doherty responded, cutting both teams to 14 men.

With three games remaining, the home team made a strong start to ensure top spot in the Premiership with a bonus-point win.

With his debut in the top flight, Donoghue made his try-of-the-season debut by breaking through the Falcons defense and sidestepping the final defender to dot over the line for Bath’s first.

When Falcons’ hooker Jamie Blamire overthrew a line-out, allowing Redpath to capitalize, only for the center to be later declared off-side, the anticipating local crowd assumed the home side had doubled the lead just minutes later.

The Falcons forced themselves back into the game after numerous penalties, with Neild driving over after a maul to add more points.

Shortly after Bath lost Underhill to the sin bin for a high tackle, the home side were unable to extend their lead.

Before Bath draw a penalty, Donoghue slotted it through the posts, the Falcons defeated Bath in their own 22, which was a result of countless phases.

Following Louis Brown’s red card for a high, no-arms tackle on Emens, Louis Hennessey unselfishly fed Carr-Smith to add Bath’s second try before the visitors were reduced to 14 before the visitors were reduced to 14 after the visitors were reduced to 14.

Doherty cutting in on the arc following a line-out throw over the top from Blamire, giving Newcastle a surprise lead shortly after the restart, leaving the Bath defenders fumbling.

However, Bath’s first riposte appeared to have stoked the momentum, which included a flurry of second-half tries.

The fly-half broke through a gap in the middle of the field, sending the second row scurrying towards the line with Falcons defenders helpless in his wake after Donoghue had dictated things in midfield.

After another Donoghue break, Underhill fired his way over for a bonus point try before Emens was only inches away from adding a fifth.

The full-back then scored two tries in succession to finish off his all-action effort.

After Bath’s replacements had slashed into the Falcons’ half, the second came a diving effort in the corner following Donoghue’s downward-wing charge.

Hennessey sprinted up the touchline before diving flamboyantly over the line before being fed by Josh Bayliss, who scored Bath’s seventh try.

Johann van Graan, the head of rugby at Bath, stated to BBC Radio Bristol:

“I believed the 23 today produced some magic moments. Although it wasn’t perfect, it gave us five points and placed us in an unaffordable home semi-final position on the weekend of June 7.

We’ll enjoy tonight and then go back to zero, the club’s proud moment. There are still a lot of things to do between now and then, but I’m proud of everyone involved.

The final defensive set, which defended our line, turned the ball over, saw an opportunity to come and score 100 yards down the other end, was the one he was most proud of during the match. That, in my opinion, sums up this team’s toughness. It’s never finished until it’s finished.

Alan Dickens, the senior coach for the Newcastle Falcons, stated to BBC Radio Newcastle:

Coming here is a challenge we’ll look forward to, enjoy, and relish the week, as I said after the game last week.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t quite win that fourth try.”

The response they gave the next 15 minutes to actually go in front was excellent, even though we were 17-5 down and had the red card.

Replacements: Du Toit, Griffin, Bayliss, Pepper, Schreuder, Russell, and Tuipolotu.

Underhill, Redpath, and Bayliss receive the yellow card.

Newcastle: Brown, Hearle, Doherty, Clark, Clark, Stevenson, Connon, Stuart, Brocklebank, Blamire, Palframan, Hawkins, De Chaves, Lockwood, Neild, Chick, and others.

Fletcher, Rewcastle, McCallum, Usher, Leatherbarrow, Pepper, Spencer, and Arnold are the replacements.

Brown receives a red card.

Eni Aluko’s apology, which suggested the former England striker was putting pressure on women journalists to be given broadcasting opportunities, is accepted by Ian Wright, who says he “cannot accept” it.

The ex-England forward’s apology was acknowledged by Wright, who is a pundit for various outlets covering the men’s and women’s games. Wright said he had seen it but wanted to get past it.

The 61-year-old Arsenal legend said, “I’m very disappointed by what Eni has said. She is aware of my public support and assistance for her.

Wright has worked regularly as a pundit on the topic of women’s football, with a particular emphasis on Lionesses games. He has long been a proponent of women’s football.

Aluko, who has worked alongside Wright as a pundit, said in her interview with BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Wednesday that there are only “a finite amount of opportunities” for women because she needed to be aware of how much she was involved in the women’s game.

Her comments, made by the former Chelsea player, have drawn criticism.

She apologized on Friday on Instagram, saying, “Ian Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women’s game has been significant.

I made a wider point about the lack of opportunities for women in football, whether it was in coaching, broadcasting, or business, and the need to make more space for them both on and off the field in my interview with Woman’s Hour this week.

Wright thanked the public for their support for him, but added that more needs to be done to promote the development of women’s sports.

The game has serious systemic challenges, he continued, adding that it will take everyone to help solve it because of the past, when men had been preventing women’s play for 50 years.

We have a responsibility to set the standard for women’s football because we are the nation that created modern football.

“I will always contribute to the game,” I declare. I’ve gotten a lot from it.