Updated at 09.13
Goalkeeper
Dean Delany (Bohemians) – He saved Killian Brennan’s 70th-minute penalty to keep his team in the game and also couldn’t be blamed for the only goal of the contest, having denied Conan Byrne when he was through on goal. Bohs finished the game empty-handed but Delany certainly wasn’t to blame.
Defence
John Kavanagh (Cork City) – The Cork City right back could have scored two first half goals had it not been for the heroics of Micheal Schlingermann in Drogheda’s goal. A constant menance going forward, he also put in some vital blocks at the back.
Derek Pender (Bohemians) – Reliable as always, the Bohemians captain was his side’s best player on the night. Pender got forward at every available opportunity and sent in a couple of good crosses. He also made a crucial first-half interception with a brilliant tackle to deny Ciaran Kilduff what would almost certainly have been a goal.
Alan McNally (Bray) - The veteran centre-back has played a key role in the Seagulls’ recent revival as he adds experience to the defence. Derry didn’t threaten the Bray rearguard too often on Friday but McNally marshalled the troops to a hard-earned away point.
Midfield
Ryan McEvoy (Bray) - The Bray midfielder did superbly in breaking up the play and for much of the game he hounded and frustrated Derry’s midfield duo of Barry McNamee and Philip Lowry. Put in a superb shift protecting the Bray back four and was always willing to venture forward on the break.
Chris Shields (Dundalk) – Marshalled the area in front of the Dundalk back four and helped to keep Rovers’ chances to the bare minimum until Rogers’ dismissal early in the second half.
Greg Bolger (St Pat’s) - He was ruled out of the draw with Cork City due to illness, but Bolger didn’t take long to remind Pat’s fans what they were missing against the Leesiders. A typically faultless display from the midfielder, who regularly broke up the play when Pat’s were on the defensive, and was creative in attack when his team were in possession. Seldom puts a foot wrong and will be crucial to the Saints’ hopes of success this season.
Billy Dennehy (Cork City) - Having scored the opener and provided the delivery for the decisive second, the elder Dennehy brother proved the difference between the sides at United Park. He linked up well with Ross Gaynor down the left and much of Cork’s good play went through him. His goal continues an excellent scoring record since his return to Leeside.
Forwards
Mark Timlin (Derry City) - The Buncrana man was Derry’s main threat throughout and although his constant runs down the left wing and crosses into the box came to nothing in the end, he was a nuisance for the Bray defence. His performance deserved better and he can’t be faulted for his maximum effort.
Mikey Drennan (Shamrock Rovers) - Have Rovers finally found the man to replace Gary Twigg? Drennan’s double earned Rovers a point and took his league tally to five goals in six starts. His second was a beaut, but he was still left kicking himself after missing a sitter for his hat-trick late on.
Enda Curran (Galway United) - The striker scored a crucial brace as Tommy Dunne’s side picked up a priceless win over fellow strugglers Limerick. The 22-year-old calmly converted from the spot in the first-half and then restored the hosts’ lead in the final quarter.
Watch Royal Rumble 2003. Around the 8 minute mark Edge and Rey Mysterio give him a double dropkick but Edge goes right across his face and breaks his nose!
The worst one pat. Remember m n m? When the guy got the ladder right in the face. Complete botch. His nose spread across his face
Joey hasn’t been the same since and is effectively retired (training in nxt now). One of the worst injuries I’ve witnessed.
Oh God. Yeh, that one is foul!
I love watching NFL, but the number of former players committing suicide because of the CTE-related dementia is scary and really needs to be addressed.
It’s not just just the older guys suffering symptoms either, linebacker Jovan Belcher who was only 26 and still playing for the KC Chiefs last year, murdered the mother of his child and committed suicide.
How long before they wake up and change the rules?
Where is it claimed that this had to do with cte? The reasoning behind that particular tragedy says he had a row with his gf over whether their daughter was his or not.
I think it’s really admirable what chris is doing but other tragedies shouldn’t be cited to push an agenda…
Belcher was a 3 time All America wrestler as well as a crunching linebacker whose job it is to crash head first repeatedly into 250lb+ blockers and running backs… head trauma much?
It is also well documented by close colleagues and friends that he displayed all the early stage signs of cte, e.g. depression, memory loss, confusion, aggressive behaviour etc…
…but hey if you think shooting his girlfriend 9 times and then himself was a perfectly sane, rational response to a row over the daughter then fair enough.
Like I said I love watching nfl, but it doesn’t take a genius to realise that repeatedly leading with their helmets, as they are taught to do from a young age, causes major problems later in life.
Was the same story with the Chris Benoit murder suicide. Everyone put it down to roid rage or personal issues with his wife but Nowinski worked with Benoits father closely and when they did an autopsy on the brain of Chris Benoit they discovered that due to the number of concussions Chris Benoit suffered he had a brain the equivalent to an elderly person suffering dementia. It was then argued how many dementia sufferers kill their family but I would argue back how many are physically capable of doing so.
After this was high lighted WWE took steps to prevent this. Unprotected chair shots to the head are banned, certain moved such as piledrivers and top rope head butts (incidentally one of Benoits finishers) are banned. On the other hand American Football associations have stuck their head in the sand.
Billy Korgan.
Karl Pilkingtons twin. :)
I agree that the NFL has to do more to
protect players – the constant impact to the brain in the sport is definitely related to depression later in a players life, as seen with linebacker Junior Seau. I also think that the NFL isn’t strict enough in regards to PEDs – so many players nowadays are on HGH and other banned substances – the combination of both brain trauma and dangerous substances does even more damage to the body. No wonder ex players are suing.
Interesting piece, but the link on Twitter was called “We’re putting our kids at too much risk by letting them play certain contact sports. Here’s how we can change that:”
This doesn’t really come close to addressing that…