Irish involvement in the Football League playoffs

Championship Final 29 May
13/5 + 16/5 TBC V TBC
14/5 + 17/5 TBC V TBC
Reading: Liam Kelly (should start), Paul McShane (50/50), Stephen Quinn (unlikely), Josh Barrett (unlikely)
Sheff Wed: Keiren Westwood (should start)
Huddersfield: Sean Scannell (likely sub)
Fulham: Sean Kavanagh (unlikely)


League One Final 20 May
4/5 + 7/5 Millwall V Scunthorpe
Millwall: Shaun Williams (should start), Aiden O'Brien (should start), Paul Rooney (unlikely)
Scunthorpe: Stephen Dawson (should start), Paddy Madden (should start)
4/5 + 7/5 Bradford V Fleetwood
Bradford: Colin Doyle (should start), Josh Cullen (should start), Billy Clarke (likely sub), Kevin Toner (likely sub)
Fleetwood: Cian Bolger (should start), Jimmy Ryan (likely sub)

League Two Final 28 May
14/5 + 18/5 TBC V TBC
14/5 + 18/5 TBC V TBC
Luton: Glen Rea (should start), Alan Sheehan (should start)
Exeter: Pierce Sweeney (should start), Liam McAlinden (likely sub), Ryan Swan (unlikely)

Josh Cullen got MOTM. Anyone watch it?

To avoid doing any work, here's a list of promoted players. (note O'Shea, Doyle and Forde are likely out of contract so could sign permanently)

Brighton: Shane Duffy, Richie Towell
Newcastle: Rob Elliot, Ciaran Clark, Daryl Murphy

Sheff U: Samir Carruthers, Graham Kelly, Jay O'Shea....
Bolton W: Conor Wilkinson

Plymouth: Connor Smith, Graham Carey
Doncaster: Ian Lawlor, Paul Keegan,
Portsmouth: Enda Stevens, Michael Doyle, Noel Hunt, David Forde/Eoin Doyle.....

Lincoln: Sean Long, Alan Power
Conference Playoffs:
Aldershot: Shamir Fenelon
Dagenham: Shaun Donnellan, Leo Donnellan

Shaun Donnellan's on loan at Dagenham, will be back at West Brom in the summer. not sure what his contract situation is

Millwall through to play Bradford in the league one play offs.

Reading to play Fulham, and Sheffield Wednesday to play Huddersfield in the Championship play offs.

Not quite the right thread, but who is up and who is down? Duffy, Elliot, Clark and maybe Murphy up. Towell nominally. Maybe Westwood, Kelly and McShane.

Maybe relegated - Meyler. Anyone else? Meyler in the Championship won't be a disaster.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Maybe Westwood, Kelly and McShane.

---

Sean Scannell I suppose with Huddersfield. Sean Kavanagh still on the Fulham books.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Maybe relegated - Meyler. Anyone else? Meyler in the Championship won't be a disaster.

---

Looking likely alright with Gibson and O'Shea already gone. Crystal Palace not fully out of danger although Delaney obviously isn't a concern in terms of the international side.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Not quite the right thread, but who is up and who is down? Duffy, Elliot, Clark and maybe Murphy up. Towell nominally. Maybe Westwood, Kelly and McShane.

---

Seven Irish lads in Brighton's development and youth squads including current U-17 goal machine, Aaron Connolly. Although realistically it's possible that this could slow down their career development as Hughton will likely seek to improve his squad with more established players. But if a couple of them do make a breakthrough it will be at Premier League level, which would be great.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Maybe relegated - Meyler. Anyone else? Meyler in the Championship won't be a disaster.

---

Brian Lenihan would go down also as well as Will Keane (assuming he follows through on his stated interest in playing for us and gets back in the team after injury). In a mirror of the prospects of the Brighton youngsters, Hull being relegated might open up opportunities for Lenihan and Keane if Hull sell off some of their big earners.

Liam Kelly not in Reading's squad. Injured?

Just checked on one of their forums and he's missed out through illness. McShane just got a straight red for a bad tackle having been heavily involved in the goal to put them ahead earlier. 1-1 now though with ten mins left.

No place for Sean Scannell in Huddersfield's starting line-up or on their bench for the play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday today.

Westwood keeping a clean sheet in the Wednesday goal with the latest score still 0-0.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BBC Sport

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experi...3509a64906.png

Ladies and gentleman, here's a snapshot of the only shot on target so far.

Nahki Wells' clever lob was turned over by Owls keeper Keiren Westwood 10 minutes after the break.

25 minutes to go - can we get two attempts between the sticks?!

---

Edit: Westwood keeping Wednesday in it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BBC Sport

Huddersfield again in with a great chance and Wednesday are indebted to their goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

He's off his line in flash to prevent Nahki Wells stealing in after some indecision at the back by the Wednesday defenders.

He knew little about it, but Westwood gets it behind for a corner that comes to nothing.

---

Saw most of the second half. Huddersfield played some nice football but rarely looked like opening Wednesday up, although they did get in behind the sleepy full backs a couple of times. The Huddersfield keeper had nothing to do but a good result for Wednesday. Themselves and Reading probably hold a slender advantage now in terms of making the final, the best outcome from an Irish perspective too I would say.

McShane was somewhat hard done by events which led to his straight red card. He dispossessed a Fulham player who then threw him a bit off balance, just as he was trying to get at the loose ball and it turned into a lost cause red card lunge.
The commentator said he left his leg in on McDonald in a nasty way as if there was intent, but afaics McShane's only intent was to get at the ball. His honest pro tag should not be stained:)

https://youtu.be/lFtjPd3Rlsw?t=104

Fair dues to any of you who watched the Huddersfield v Sheff Wed game. A snooze fest for the neutral I suspect with neither keeper being seriously troubled. For those who say the away goal rule should be abolished, they should watch that game as Wednesday made next or no little attempt to score - just like some of the European games of yore. I viewed the game in an almost empty pub in Oughterard, having persuaded a bemused barman to switch over from the horse-racing to the game. The only other person was a guy sitting behind me who kept asking the barman what time "the Liverpool game" was on at.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

For those who say the away goal rule should be abolished, they should watch that game as Wednesday made next or no little attempt to score - just like some of the European games of yore.

---

I think the playoffs in general would support the argument that the away goals rule should be scrapped, as they're usually the most exciting games of the season. I think the away team is generally reasonably satisfied with a 0-0 away from home anyway, even when it is in place.

Yep, I'd agree with Dolly. I think the Madrid derby was ruined more by the away goal rule was than by SWFC's game being damaged as a spectacle by its absence.

In the League Cup semi finals (and also the play-offs?) I think away goals only come in as a differentiator after extra time in the second leg. That'd be better in my opinion. It gives the home team in the second leg 30 minutes more at home than the other team but that's just the luck of the draw.

In the League Cup they come into play after extra time. In the playoffs, extra time is played if the scores are level but the away goals still don't count at any stage, just penalties if the sides are level.

I think anyway.

Kieren Westwood involved in semi final shootout now....

The Championship play-off semi-final between Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield has just gone to a penalty shoot-out in order to decide who will meet Reading in the final. Huge few minutes ahead for Westwood.

Stream here for anyone who wants to follow the drama: http://crichd.tv/update/skys3.php

Westwood saves Huddersfield's fifth penalty to keep Wednesday in it. Amazing.

Forestieri also misses Wednesday's fifth meaning they lose 4-3 as they also missed their first. Wednesday (and possibly Westwood, unless he gets a move) will stay in the Championship for another season.

Sickened for him, did so well to get close to the others too that were almost freakishly brilliantly struck. Pity Hutchinson didn't pick up a second yellow late on that he probably deserved.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Sickened for him, did so well to get close to the others too that were almost freakishly brilliantly struck.

---

He was very unfortunate alright. He came so close to saving each of the four other penalties. He really deserves to be playing at a higher level than the Championship.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

He was very unfortunate alright. He came so close to saving each of the four other penalties. He really deserves to be playing at a higher level than the Championship.

---

Yes, but Wednesday were the only ones who were prepared to take a punt on an injury prone keeper. I think he went the wrong way for one of them though. The 17 year wait continues but to be honest the Championship is probably more interesting than the EPL where, Leicester aside, the usual hierarchy prevails each year. There are the top 6, the mid-rankers who aspire to be Top 6 but in reality are happy to cream in the dosh and survive and the relegation fighters who time will usually catch up with unless there is dross coming up from the Championship. In the Championship, it's usually anyone's to win and there are big clubs there now plus there'll be the Sheffield derbies.

Back to Westwood. He has said that the move kick-started his career and has enjoyed his time. I suppose there isn't a huge amount of difference between being a keeper at C or EPL level. There are still a myriad of shots to be saved albeit from lesser players.

If I was a scout I'd be recommending him to Arsenal. He's one of 3 or 4 keepers (Forster, Pickford, Butland, Heaton) I think are ready to move up a notch or two on the ladder. He was top class again last night.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

If I was a scout I'd be recommending him to Arsenal. He's one of 3 or 4 keepers (Forster, Pickford, Butland, Heaton) I think are ready to move up a notch or two on the ladder. He was top class again last night.

---

You can recommend all you want but he's going no where :) . Wednesday not a selling club anymore and fodder for EPL vultures. He previously rejected a move to Liverpool.

I would have loved for him to have been promoted with Wednesday but maybe if it's not broken, don't try to fix it. He'll remain first choice there at least well into the future you'd imagine. I think he's easily PL quality but he once had to play second fiddle to Vito Mannone, so you just don't know what could happen elsewhere.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

The 17 year wait continues but to be honest the Championship is probably more interesting than the EPL where, Leicester aside, the usual hierarchy prevails each year. There are the top 6, the mid-rankers who aspire to be Top 6 but in reality are happy to cream in the dosh and survive and the relegation fighters who time will usually catch up with unless there is dross coming up from the Championship. In the Championship, it's usually anyone's to win and there are big clubs there now plus there'll be the Sheffield derbies.

---

Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through today Owly :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

The 17 year wait continues but to be honest the Championship is probably more interesting than the EPL where, Leicester aside, the usual hierarchy prevails each year. There are the top 6, the mid-rankers who aspire to be Top 6 but in reality are happy to cream in the dosh and survive and the relegation fighters who time will usually catch up with unless there is dross coming up from the Championship. In the Championship, it's usually anyone's to win and there are big clubs there now plus there'll be the Sheffield derbies.

---

Hmm, I think we've got here a case of sour grapes in the true sense of the term. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Hmm, I think we've got here a case of sour grapes in the true sense of the term. :)

---

Danny speaks in riddles

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Hmm, I think we've got here a case of sour grapes in the true sense of the term. :)

---

Learn something new every day. I will only use it as it was originally intended from now on!

John O'Sullivan came on for Carlisle with twenty minutes remaining tonight, got booked and scored a 90th minute equaliser against Exeter to make it 2-2 on the night, 5-5 on aggregate. Unfortunately for him Exeter went up the other end and made it 6-5 before the end. McAlinden and Sweeney unused subs for Exeter.

Similar heartbreak for Alan Sheehan and Glen Rea who both started for Luton as they went down by the same aggregate scoreline to Blackpool. They also conceded in the last minute, 3-3 on the night.

So Eddie Nolan (bench) v Liam McAlinden (bench) and Pierce Sweeney (bench) in the final.

Didn't Nolan play once under Trap? Nigeria at Craven Cottage?

I love this bit about him in Wikipedia and why he was sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, especially the "as a result" comment :):

"In 2009–10 season, Nolan continued to be used in the left-back position in Davidson's absent until Nolan's form was bad. As a result, Nolan joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan until the end of the season, where he's reunited with Alan Irvine.After appearing on the bench against Ipswich Town. Nolan made his Sheffield Wednesday debut on 27 February 2010, in a 5–0 loss against Reading".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Didn't Nolan play once under Trap? Nigeria at Craven Cottage?

---

Three caps according to wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Nolan

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Similar heartbreak for Alan Sheehan and Glen Rea who both started for Luton as they went down by the same aggregate scoreline to Blackpool. They also conceded in the last minute, 3-3 on the night.

---

Sickening goal to concede, especially in the 95th-minute: https://streamable.com/p0t28

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Didn't Nolan play once under Trap? Nigeria at Craven Cottage?

---

Aye, he made his debut in that game - a 1-1 draw - playing the full 90 minutes.

His two other caps were also in friendlies - against Australia (a 3-0 loss, of which he played the last 27 minutes) and South Africa (a 1-0 victory, of which he played the full 90 minutes) - that same year (2009). Both those games were in Thomond Park.

He was on the bench for the World Cup qualifier away to Bulgaria and also the qualifier against Italy in Croke Park that ended 2-2.