Fern Mc Costigan

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Six years away from Premiership, Wolverhampton readies for its return

The joy of winning your first trophy in the EFL Championship, it is a grand feat for first year manager Nuno Espiritu Santo. After his Wolves displaying a one of kind and amazing campaign, that will earn them their automatic pass and proclaimed Champions of Championship League.

The all-around excitement of Premiership retuning to Wolverhampton colossus of Molineaux Stadium is somehow a glorious chapter for the Portuguese managerial career in his first year in the helm of this club.

That after its relegation 2011-12, this team has waited for six years for this day to finally come.

With six matches left in the campaign one point we can state that will make the Wanderers league champions, followed by Welsh side Cardiff City to be the two squads that will net their direct Premiership promotion.

After their recent tie against Hull City where they were looking for three valuable points, the Wolves had to settle for a tie to a hard pushing Tigers squad and at the end had to rally to rescue at least a point.

Still this is not over as the West Midlands side looking to close the campaign with a notable run and on the positive side, with a strong match against Cardiff City in a match that will played with all the elements of a final.

As the man in the Wolves states as being ready to compete despite the short time of rest his team has, but still the man’s resolve of his squad with his character will make his squad prevailed in what seems to be a difficult match.

Followed by Derby County, Birmingham, Bolton, Sheffield Wednesday and closing against low-key Sunderland destined to League One relegation, the Wolves have their hands full and in need to close with a plus.

Still the Wolves after their recent draw in Hull, they are aware of the upcoming competition and against squads looking to assure their pass among the top four squads looking to seize the last promotion spot and the competition heating up.

In the case of manager Espiritu Santo, recent draw claiming fatigue being this the reason for his side draw recently, still he needs to pull from his bunch a sort of miraculous run. Still their result in Hull of 2-2 in the end shows off a fighting Wolves squad not giving up or surrendering that easily.

For Manager Espiritu Santo is too early to start planning for his upcoming challenge of managing in one of the best associations in the world and seeing who of his current squad players will stay and what will he be in need to front a contested 2018-19 campaign.

Without any further review, an advanced set of congratulations to this West Midlands squad bringing back the thrill, agony and competition of England’s top circuit of Premiership, for now hail for their upcoming accomplishment of EFL Championship winners.

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright English Football League. com 2018

A new race to follow in Premiership, relegation

Forget who will win the league in this edition of Premiership, with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City already in the driver’s seat, now we are set to follow another race. The relegation or salvation of who will go down or stay put in the big circuit of Premiership.

So far, we have a sure candidate that is prone for doom and this is the lads of West Brom Albion struggling ever since the start of the campaign and with two men taking over its helm and not being able of preventing its fall.

With just 20 points and six matches left in the campaign, and to add to its woes the likes of Alan Pardew calling it quits, I believe this move by the club was a little too late for someone that just won one match and lost twelve. Situated in the bottom of the table not even a miraculous comeback can save the Baggies of their next campaign destinies in the ranks of Championship.

Atop Albion is another squad that saw its luck down in the campaign until their move in the helm of letting go of Mark Hughes after a failed stint in Britannia and substituted by Paul lambert that little this man has done to leveled or revive the Potters. Still the Staffordshire side can see a glimpse of hope with its 27 points and six matches left to see a sort of revival to assure its permanency in EPL.

In eighteenth place, we have one of my favorite clubs that once use to display one of the best academies in the English Premier League in its amazing and promising initials eleven. After this squad, sell the majority of its stellar players to several of the so-called league giants, leaving them with just scraps.

For a squad of the likes of the Saints, by being a small entity to lure big name players and depending on young players purchased to be developed but with no blueprint anymore for their formation. The arrival of Mark Hughes to St. Mary’s little hope awakens after his dismissal from Stoke City.

Still situated in a positon with a little room for improvement and 28 points trailing Crystal Palace with thirty points and Huddersfield with thirty-one, the outlook of salvation can be within reach but with positive results versus this weekend losing to the West Ham bunch.

As they state is not over until is over, with seven matches left in the whole campaign to see an end to this edition of the English Premier League coming to its conclusion, there is an opportunity for the Potters or Saints of making a sort of comeback.

However, the race for relegation not only involves three squads but also goes to eight as the Magpies, Gulls and Hammers nearing the amount of points for their salvation, but with the risk of still becoming prime targets for the abyss.

Red-hot- you bet as this campaign will see in the end who will be the candidates at the end to go down to the ranks of Championship, as the heat is on for some squads to deliver positive results in the end.

At the end with West Brom Albion going down thanks to the indifference of its directives, the question raised is what other squads will be following the unfortunate destinies of Albion.

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2018

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Recap of activities in the League of Ireland

Red-hot is the ideal term to describe how in this edition of the Airtricity League of Ireland is turning into an all-around contest. With the defending champions, Cork City netting an important win over a hapless and troubled Bray Wanderers but still their lead at the top is just by a point.

So far, with nineteen points in their favor, the Leesiders have to work hard after the likes of Dundalk playing a one of a kind game of football and recently promoted Waterford being behind and despite these, two tied with eight points.

The former league champions Dundalk has a slight lead over the Blues by just a simple average.

In Dublin colossus Tallaght Stadium the locals Shamrock Rovers played host to a struggling Bit O’ Red the Sligo Rovers once again having a series of troubles and looking forward to a win in the capital to come out of their bad streak.

Unfortunately, a lone goal in the 60 minute by the local Hoops Daniel Carr was enough to bury the hopes of the visiting Rovers that with this loss they are sitting with seven points in ninth place in the relegation spots.

Shamrock Rovers 1, Sligo Rovers 0

Now let us go to Markets Field and the local Super Blues hosting the other Blues of Waterford in what seems to be a sort of blue Derby where the promoted Blues delivered a blow to the local Limerick squad.

With goals of Courtney Duffus in the 23 minute and in the second half assuring the win for the visitors was Paul Keegan in the 84 via penalty kick to assure a picture perfect afternoon of pure dominance in the whole match.

Limerick 0, Waterford 2

In Oriel Park, the super Town Boys are becoming a force not to mess with and with a rout over the visiting Dublin Boys of Bohemians FC; these recorded a picture perfect clean sheet match in eight consecutive games.

Despite seeing goalkeeper Gary Roger out the game injured, his substitute Gabriel Sava kept his cool and the clean sheet thanks to a defensive gem of his backfield. Still with goals from Patrick Hoban 24, Sean Gannon 31 and Michael Duffy 90.

Assured the win for Kenny and company as well situate themselves within a point of first place Cork City in the overall league top.

Dundalk 3, Bohemians 0

In Carlisle Grounds at Bray, the trouble stricken Gulls played host to the defending champions Cork City, as expected the visiting Leesiders did their best in trouncing the locals to a goal rout to maintain a slight lead at the league top over Dundalk.

With scores from Sean McLoughlin 8, Barry McNamee 64 and a double from Kieran Sadlier 67 and 68 were enough to seal the deal for John Caulfield in what seems to be a challenging defense of their title campaign.

Bray Wanderers 0, Cork City 4

In newly renovated Brandywell Stadium in Derry City, the local Candystripes delivered joy to their followers as well making the adage true of no place like home, after a win over the visiting Dublin side Saint Patrick’s Athletic.

As the local’s striker Aaron McEneff with a double seal the deal in the 9 and 75 minute to deliver a valuable win over the Saints after a goal in the 80 by Dean Clarke to make things interesting but at the end, the local’s persevere for the win.

Derry City 2, Saint Patrick’s Athletic 1

Dele Alli the highlight of this edition of the London Derby

Chelsea 1, Tottenham 3

Stamford Bridge, London

Whenever these two titans meet sparks fly and today after a lengthy international break, these one of a kind matchup highlighted the return of action in Premiership. As many state that defense wins games, so do players who deliver on the double.

Ask that to an inspired Spurs Dele Alli who set Stamford Bridge on fire and helped to break a longtime 28 years of a winless curse that today came to an abrupt halt by Pochettino and company.

Besides being on the double and having a superb day in the field, Alli also marked his 100^th match playing with the Spurs and what way to celebrate such a feat with a display of a grand match with a win and a couple of goals.

Still this was not an easy match for the Lilywhites as the battling Blues were not an easy prey and played with an all-around passion but luck was not on their side despite the many moves performed by manager Antonio Conte.

After that volley sent by Victor Moses in the 30 that found a well-placed Alvaro Morata heading the ball out of reach of the Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for the first score in the half to the dismay of the Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez who was beaten by the Spaniard.

As the game went on and with the locals to extend their lead as they knew the kind of foe they had in front, several attempts were made towards the posts of Lloris who after seeing the first goal fall he stood his ground proudly all day.

Ask to a disappointed Alonso in the 18 called outside and another 1 in the left stopped by Lloris and Willian being near but so far of delivering in several attempts made but yet not score.

Going to Tottenham’s first goal with a nice interception of the ball robe ball and a one two combination from Ben Davis to Christian Eriksen who set the house on fire with a phenomenal and spectacular shoot that silenced the whole of Stamford Bridge. With the exception of the north, stands were the whole of the Spurs contingent celebrated loudly.

Putting an end to a disputed first half were both squad’s elevens were really putting on a fight and the half going into intermission with a score even and the promises of a second half filled with a lot of thrills.

Indeed this was the outcome in the colossus of Fulham when the Spurs already motivated started taken seriously their role of delivering with a one of a kind match and these did, ask that to a motivated Dele Alli.

On the sixty minute of play, we had the likes of Tottenham arrivals into the Chelsea when Eric Dier passes to Alli converting a nice volley into the go-ahead goal in the 62 minute for the 2-1 lead.

Four minutes had to pass when Son started causing havoc on the goal line and after his shoot blocked by the Blues Caballero, the Argentinian little he could do to prevent the rebound taken by Alli for the definitive 3-1 in the 66 minute.

At the end the whole of Stamford Bridge and Chelsea faithful’s were to endure a tough loss and for the visiting Spurs ending their wining drought in this colossus and as well hearing their faithful’s chanting loudly of them being London unique team.