IRISH TEENAGERS EVAN Ferguson and Andrew Moran both made their first-team debuts for Premier League side Brighton tonight as they defeated Cardiff City 2-0 in the Carabao Cup.
Graham Potter’s Brighton team have made a strong start to the season with full points from their opening two games, Shane Duffy scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 success over Watford while fellow Ireland international Aaron Connolly came on as a half-time substitute.
Potter made 11 changes from the side which beat Watford 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, with every outfield player aged 23 or under.
It proved a momentous evening for Irish players with 16-year-old Ferguson, 17-year-old Moran and 19-year-old James Furlong all making the bench against Mick McCarthy’s Cardiff side.
While Brighton boasted an average age of 21, McCarthy plumped for a mixture of experience and youth with Cardiff on the back of an unbeaten start in the Championship.
Moran joined Brighton from Bray Wanderers in the summer of 2020 and came on in the 68th minute of tonight’s game at the Cardiff City Stadium. He was joined on the pitch towards the end by Ferguson, introduced in the 81st minute.
The talented young striker joined from Bohemians’ last January with Ferguson having previously become the youngster player to feature for the first team in the Dalymount Park club’s history, when he played as a 14-year-old against Derry City in September 2019.
Brighton won tonight’s game 2-0, both goals arriving before the Irish youngsters took to the field, courtesy of Jakub Moder after nine minutes and Andi Zeqiri early in the second half.
🔴⚫️🟠 Congratulations @Evan_Ferguson9 from all at Bohemians on your first-team Brighton debut. 👏
— Bohemian Football Club (@bfcdublin) August 24, 2021
Evan made his first-team league debut for Bohs in September 2019, having come thorough at St Kevin’s and Bohs-SKB. https://t.co/cnrX7Uoo3V
67': Marc Leonard and Taylor Richards make way for two Albion debutants: Andrew Moran and Odel Offiah! 🔁
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 24, 2021
[0-2] 📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv ✘ #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/eYyBaAufDY
Elsewhere there was Irish interest tonight with Aiden O’Brien scoring a hat-trick in Sunderland’s 3-2 win over Blackpool.
Aiden O’Brien’s first hat-trick since September 2015 saw Sunderland stun Championship Blackpool 3-2 and book a place in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Shayne Lavery opened the scoring for Blackpool before O’Brien did the damage for the League One visitors at Bloomfield Road.
Josh Bowler seemingly sent the game to penalties before O’Brien’s dramatic winner in added time.
Lavery gave Neil Critchley’s side an early lead when he poked home Tyreece John-Jules’ cross in the ninth minute.
But the hosts’ advantage did not last long as O’Brien met Dan Neil’s pinpoint ball three minutes later. The Irishman got his deserved second just before the hour after Alex Pritchard’s corner fell to the 27-year-old at the back post.
When Bowler bundled the ball home with two minutes to go to level proceedings it looked as though spot kicks were on the cards.
Instead, Patterson denied Richard Keogh from winning it late on for Blackpool before O’Brien sent the travelling fans home happy when he fired home from Jack Diamond’s cross.
Conor Hourihane captained Aston Villa to a 6-0 success over Barrow, while Daryl Horgan scored his penalty as Wycombe Wanderers won 5-3 in their shootout victory over Stevenage, after the game had finished 2-2 at full-time.
- Additional reporting by PA
Spot on Farrell. This isn’t mind games, Wales are a great side and the game could really go either way this Sunday. Tightest game of the round by a long stretch.
@Ultan Corcoran: this is the worst Welsh team in 15 years.
@Chris Mc: completely untrue.. they managed two wins and a draw over two championships finishing 5th both in 2006 and 2007 six nations and were eliminated from the group stages in the 2007 WC. This welsh team is made up predominantly of players who have been to a world Cup semi final, some having been to two, and as recently as 2019 won the GS. Even Ger Gilroys lobsidded moustache knows this
@PScald: ger Gilroy from off the ball is always stoking the fire, looking for a reaction. Wales may of been playing very poorly but cannot be written off. Wreckon it will be a tight game. COYBIG!!!
@Anthony O Connell: GG is a self serving POS and a complete hack..
@PScald: agreed. I like off the ball besides him
@Chris Mc: Is there really such a thing as ‘worst’ in test rugby? I don’t think so anyway. I would really really hate it now if the Welsh were to beat us, and that isn’t sarcasm, it would just be painful for all those dismissing Wales on here in recent posts and their ability, in a 2-horse race over 80mins. Anything can happen. Again…tight game and hoping Ireland will get the win by 3-7pts.
@PScald: so worst team in 14 years then
@PScald: since gatland finished they have been poor. They do have some good players but like their club sides lack any direction and show very little substance. It the Ireland 23 want to win and dont shoot themselves in the foot we will win handy enough.
@Chris Mc: sure, I dont necessarily disagree but it’s not what you said originally.
@Patrick Breen: how about make these judgements on a team 2 years on from a grand slam and WC semi final after the tournament
@PScald: form changes quick, and they’ve had a very poor season, in a similar way to us in 2019, but worse
Ireland are at their absolute worst when we’re heavy favourites, and Wales have something to prove. We’ve also won four in a row against them, so there’s no way they’re not going to show up, especially at home.
@Anthony James McLaughlin: Heavy favorites? I think we’re 2 or 3 point favorites
@Ricky Wright: Oh I wasn’t going off the bookies odds, more just the tone of the rugby press and people on social media.
I hope sexton has the Corona vaccine. A man of his age is in the vulnerable bracket!!!!
@Kevin O’brien: good one…
@Kevin O’brien: Painfully unfunny, even by your standards kEvInNnNn
Whatever we think of Ger Gilroy, it is ridiculous to see so much energy wasted getting all pissed off about it. Radio show host makes comment most people disagree with. People getting irate over nothing. He made the headlines. Job done.
@Ricky Wright: his job is to make headlines? Sorry, I thought he was a sports presenter
@Ricky Wright: it was tongue in cheek they were slagging themselves over the same comment they made back in 2019 about
There is no doubt that wales are in a bad run of form and the coach is under serious pressure to keep his job for the future.
This is why he has gone back to his experienced players but I believe that those players are just past their sell by date.
They are still very good players but I think there best days are past them and their age has to be catching up with them
I’d like to see an improvement with the line out , maul and defence. Even if we don’t win the game tomorrow you could take comfort if you saw these areas improve.
I’m still sticking with my original comment , Ireland to win by a one score game .