Fern Mc Costigan: May 2017

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Hail to an amazing campaign from an inspired Celtic Glasgow

What a year to close with a bang and especially a treble, including the league of Scotland and with over 106 points setting a banner and a perfection-filled campaign for these hardened Hoops.

For the Bhoys first year Boss Brendan Rodgers, this was an amazing point in his career.

Especially when you take the league by storm and its domestic competitions as the way, the Lisbon Lions did it with style and with an all-around spectacle.

Is there is more to come and expect in next campaign, you bet, as their cross town foes the Rangers with their new man at the helm in Pedro Caixhina who will try his best to elevate this club performances and competiveness of the Gers.

I hope that this will elevate levels of competitions in the Scottish Premiership.

With this, level of competitions the Scottish league will see once again that revival of the Old Firm Derbies that in this campaign were one sided and especially for the Hoops- with their one of a kind dominance.

As the question arises and the challenges mount for the Celts if they will repeat the league and continue their six years mastery of the League of Scotland championship with a consecutive one as well in the Betfred and Association Challenge Cups.

Another major task for them is Champions League and how far will they get into this Major European competition, which with a remarkable run in it and playing a final and ending it with a win.

Still this squad has to endure the always-tough task of the qualifiers to enter this competition in the knockout rounds and finalize it entry the group stage, but with the current squad and the new players to come, lookout Europe.

If this accomplishment was to happen, the man from North Ireland will complete his full circle and deliver the unthinkable of being at the top of its European foes, it can happen by the momentum and game this squad is playing.

What better way to celebrate 50 years of Lisbon Lions accomplishments and history and what better with a treble of a campaign.

At the end, Brendan Rodgers stated the continuance of his work at Celtic Park for many years to come and the glories to come for this squad, as in his first year look at the overall accomplishments he delivered.

One thing for that Brendan Rodgers brought to this squad was confidence for his players and many that looking to end their careers once again revived under the men from the Emerald Isle who deliver as a mail carrier.

Brendan Rodgers made believers of his players and made them surrender their in the field with a total excellence and poise to reach to the starts and the amazing campaign they offer in this and many campaigns to come.

After 16 years of not winning a treble, the Celtics took an extra effort and deliver in what seems to be an extraordinary campaign, congratulations Celtic Glasgow for your one of a kind campaign and accomplishments.

Photos Credit and Property of © Celtic Glasgow Football Club 2017

Photos Credit and Property of © The Scottish Professional Football League 2017

Monday, May 29, 2017

Its payday for the lads of Huddersfield Town

After 45 years of being away from the big circuit of the English Premier League, the wait is over for the Terriers of Huddersfield Town, after sealing the deal with a dramatic win over a belligerent Reading FC.

Now we have a trifecta of squads in Huddersfield Town joining the likes of Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion to play with the Boys of Premiership.

After enduring the drama of Championship playoffs, being the finalists among the Terriers, Cottagers, Royals and Owls.

At the end, the stage was set for Reading and Huddersfield Town to play their epic final at the cathedral of football Wembley.

After a contested campaign and postseason, the Terriers showed off their might and hunger by netting a spot in the overall final to play against another Premiership absentee and this coming with the label of an all-around favorite.

That was Jaap Stam Reading FC.

However, this was to be a day for the Terriers coming with a fighting spirit like no other as well shinning a positive and the sky has no limits.

With a barrage of prizes for both squads in a beautiful piece of silverware, that declares the overall winner of this contest, very well the last ticket to Premiership promotion and a hefty sum of £170 million.

Wow, now that is all in a day’s work, a nice payday like that after displaying your efforts in the field for ninety minutes and writing history for your club at the end of this match by celebrating loudly.

The need to win was exposed today in London town colossus as both squads did the ultimate of efforts to put the ball in each other’s posts but none capitalized in their opportunities that took this match to the unimaginable.

The always disputed and controversial penalties, a shootout that sees a winner by showing nerves of steel and a little luck- emerges as the absolute domination of this match.

This was the Terriers role and throughout and completely the first half and match these had an array of opportunities to open the score via Hefele missing the header, Izzy Brown missing horribly alone in the post with a wide shoot.

Nevertheless, do not count Reading out, with Waite and Evans doing the attacking part for the Royals but this match was to be for the Terriers and after both squad’s managers making their changes.

This game ended up in regular time dead even.

As the shootouts began, Reading scored via Yan Kermongant, Danny Williams and Liam Kelly, but in the case of Liam Moore and Jordan Obita missing.

For Huddersfield Town came Chris Lowe, Nahki Wells, Aaron Moy and the game hero Chris Schindler all of these scored for the Terriers as Michael Hefele was the only to miss for the Terriers.

Once again, the Terriers keeper Danny Ward became the hero of the match by stopping the shoot by Obita an encore of their Wednesday match were he rise to the occasion.

For now, Huddersfield Town will celebrate loudly and its top brass will decide what to do in reinforcing this squad on their upcoming Premiership campaign, so far four of their players are on loan.

With keeper Danny Ward from Liverpool, Aaron Moy from Manchester City and Chelsea Isiah Brown and Kasey Palmer, the permanency of these in this parts of Yorkshire will depend on their clubs of origin.

For now a big welcome for the Boys of Huddersfield Town and Manager David Wagner, all around achievement for getting long sought promotion to play in the ranks of Premiership and netting a big payday.

Photos Credit and Property of © Associated Newspapers LTD. 2017

Another disappointing afternoon for the Portland bunch

Just one goal is what the Seattle Sounders needed to edge a Portland Timbers squad that despite a good game put in display, at the end their efforts turn into an all-around disappointment.

As Portland Boss in his post game interview stating his frustrations for the lack of results and despite his efforts to find, a positive solution, those results are still missing.

At times, he looks like he is running out of options, despite putting his best of strategies in place and now having his initial eleven complete, the results in their favor are becoming hard to come.

If matches won with statistics, the Portland squad would be the victor today!

The tale of the tape shows off a total of nineteen shoots attempted by the Timbers over eight of their hosts, with the first half showing off fifteen, if any of these would been on target, this contest would had a different story.

I mean, overall the Portland Timbers had seven shots blocked and three on target over nine off target that tells you something not right in Rose City game as well in its top play-makers.

Many state that when Valeri or Nagbe are on the DL this club struggles; very well the absence of Chara was another burden for them, which I doubt it, as this is a team effort and not a collective one.

The need to depend on just one player should not be an issue in every match played by the PTFC doing a game without any momentum or hunger and lacking a drive to excel as done in the opening of this campaign.

As in this match the likes of Diego Valeri and Faneando Adi, totally neutralized and not allowed to display the game they are more comfortable as well, Sebastian Blanco not taking advantage of several opportunities he had.

Despite Caleb Porter moves and strategies the Cheesmaster puts in every match, at the end his results turned up to be a total failure, as well stated in the postgame interview of stating his disappointment for him, players and followers alike.

So far five matches this squad is winless and three of those are losses very ugly ones were they received eight goals sending a message of this club once again seeing a repeat of the 2016 campaign of a disastrous meltdown in its defensive backfield.

Is another encore of that campaign making a comeback, hopefully not as the club is looking forward to reinforce its most vulnerable of spots and possibly try to salvage in what looked like a stellar campaign.

There is plenty of time and for sure, manager Caleb Porter will addressee all of his squad recent series of oddities his squad is encountering lately with an immediate solution, patience is a virtue but in a campaign seen as the most contested with every match disputed.

Very well, with its foes above the red line now making a move toward the top, this squad mentality is if they are playing good, we have to do the same but better!

Losing is a hard thing to swallow, but in a Derby, that hurts and with both of your Cascadia foes behind by just two points, the pressure builds up for the Portland squad and with the most crucial part of the schedule coming.

At the end these losses are a way to build a criterion for the Portland squad, one to tight more its defense to not concede an early goal and if this happens, make it an excuse to mount up a rally to overcome the deficit.

Where is the hunger and passion the PTFC displayed in the early stages of this campaign, hopefully this returns with a bang and this club closes its campaign in the top of its conference.

With this initial eleven, this club can erase many of those disappointing afternoons and results and start making an all-around revival in the rest of this campaign.

Crest Credit and Property of Portland Timbers Football Club 2017

A Recap of a contested weekend in the League of Ireland

The league of Ireland is gaining a lot of drive entering into its fourth month of operations by witnessing an unstoppable Cork City, not acquainted to losing a match in this contested campaign.

With the defending champions, Dundalk FC gaining its lost touch and winning back-to-back matches and with the way, they knew to close their matches, with sheer style.

By playing in Richmond Park the colossus of Inchicore, the local Pats were to entertain the Lilywhites of Stephen Kenny looking to score another win in this campaign, but facing the Saints this was not an easy affair for them.

Still the champions only needed a couple of scores to leave Inchicore with a valuable win and leaving a whole venue in shock of seeing how their St Pats could not stage a comeback after seeing how the De Town Michael Duffy 21 and David McMillan 68 scored the winners.

As this win returns the Lilywhites to sole possession of second place and within 15 points of Cork City, whom they play next week at home in Oriel Park in what many have dubbed this as an all-around Derby.

One thing for sure, for Kenny and his bunch their levels of confidence being up, next week match at home will be one out of this world.

For third place Bray Wanderers, hosting a struggling Bit O’ Red Sligo Rovers squad trying to keep away from the relegation spots, this match at home looked a bit easy for the Gulls.

Wrong they were as the visitors proved to be a tough test for the renewed local, seeing a series of odd results and with a recovered Candystripes squad recovering, the Bray squad lead in third place seems to be getting within these latter ones.

As two points separates both squads, despite both netting draws in their compromises, the Gulls Boss Harry Kenny is in need of seeing his bunch deliver positive results if not losing the last spot for Europe in the SSE.

With the local Bray Boys putting, the score ahead with goals in the fifth minute via Aaron Greene and Dyan Connolly in the thirteen, looking like the go-ahead goal.

The visitors not done and by putting it even in the 10 and the 63 with an inspired Michael Leahy who dispatched himself with a double and seal the match even to two goals per squad.

In United Park were the local Drogheda United squad received a resurgent Derry City, this match looked like the visiting Boys from the North coming with the label of favorites to take it all.

After all the Candystripes are back in playing their one of a kind football and with some positive results lately these had all the elements of delivering a blow to a troubled Droghs squad.

With a match stopped after a strange situation on the field that saw the locals keeper Stephen McGuinness substituted by Ryan Coulter after the starter got off after something like a projectile landed on him.

Still this match became a dull one and ended tied at zero goals and both squads sharing the points.

Finn Park is where the local Harps delivered a fatal blow to the visiting Limerick Blues that saw their efforts come short after seeing how a battling local bunch inspired by its faithful that put the final touch for the win.

A win that proves valuable for the Harps as every match and points considered vital in their quest of not getting involved in the relegation spots and for the Blues with their new Boss its back to the drawing board.

With early goals in the first half the Blue and White Army did the feat and getting a boost in their confidence into next week match as well moving up in the overall table.

As goals from Ciaran O’ Connor 7, Daniel Morrissey 22 and Caolan McAleer 40 were enough to save the win despite the visitor’s scores from Lee Lynch 9 and Paul O’Connor 87 for the final score of 3-2.

In the case of the Tribesmen at times looking like they are ready for a revival, these hosted a combative Bohemians squads looking forward to put away for good the relegation spots.

Coming to Eamonn Deacy Park and play a troubled Galway United with the locals seeing their luck dwindling in every match, despite a nice goal from Ronan Murray in the 55, the Tribesmen could not stage a comeback.

As for the Gypsies with scores from Daniel Corcoran 5 and Lorcan Fitzgerald 36, this assured the Phisborough Boys three points of gold and in a good situation in the overall table with nineteen points and solidly standing in seventh place.

Lastly, the Cork City crew looking unbeatable and invincible with a solid fifteen points led over their arch rivals and next week foes Dundalk FC, this time these did not had any mercy over a visiting Shamrock Rovers squad.

With the visitors scoring early with a Trevor Clarke goal in the 16, the City chaps, draw before halftime in the 45 with an inspired Ryan Delaney who did it again with another double for the winning side.

As the Hoops did not anticipate, the fury of the Rebel Army and playing at home were these are the most inspired and aggressive team to beat so far in this campaign.

The barrage of goals came in via Gearoid Morrissey 82, Ryan Delaney 82 and John Dunleavy 90, leaving Cork City with a perfect mark and without seeing a loss.