Garvan playing the holding role at 17.I'll be keeping tabs on him.
High praise from The Times:
Garvan spirit cheers Ipswich
By Bill Edgar
Ipswich Town 1 Cardiff City 0
IPSWICH TOWN WON LAST SEASON’S Youth Cup, which is just as well. The Premiership asset-strippers have visited Portman Road this summer to leave the club relying on players who cannot yet buy a drink in a pub.One of those, Owen Garvan, provided enough punch in midfield, though, to suggest that the worried fans will not be drowning their sorrows at the end of the season.
With a squad containing just 13 senior players, Joe Royle was forced to give a debut to the 17-year-old Dubliner and the youngest player on the pitch was also the calmest. Anchoring midfield, Garvan distributed the ball with his unerring left foot and was also capable of nicking possession from opponents with an outstretched boot. By constantly pointing out passing options for his team-mates, he looked as much a captain as Jim Magilton who, at 36, wears the armband. Royle was impressed. “The kid is a terrific player,” the manager, whose side were beaten in the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs last season, said. “He doesn’t give the ball away and he’s got a great temperament.”
Garvan filled the role of Tommy Miller, signed by Sunderland in a close-season that also saw the departures of Kelvin Davis, the goalkeeper, and the front pairing of Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi, who shared 38 league goals last season. Royle has replaced the latter duo with a new M4 strikeforce, Nicky Forster arriving from Reading and Sam Parkin joining from Swindon Town, and they had a mixed day.
While Forster raced into top gear, capping a lively display by tapping home the only goal from Darren Currie’s free kick, Parkin was stuck on the hard shoulder, fluffing a series of good scoring chances.
Cardiff City, fielding six of their nine new signings, put on a decent show and would have gained an undeserved point had Lewis Price not brilliantly saved Alan Lee’s close-range shot.
Garvan playing the holding role at 17.I'll be keeping tabs on him.
sheffield utd v leicester city 4-1
most of you probably saw this game and its been briefly mentioned here and on another thread.
Maybury was captain in tiattos abscence.he started at left-back but was moved to right-back during the 2nd half.he did O.K. but i thought he was beaten too easily for sheff utds 4th.
McCarthy started,got booked, and was too-busy checking the whereabouts of his striker for the 3rd goal,to realise the rest of the defense had pushed out,he therefore played the whole sheff utd attack onside and the player he had been tracking still beat him to the near post to head the goal that clinched it.
Connolly did well and for the size of his was challenging well for aerial balls now and then,his movement was good and he took his goal nicely.
Neither Sheehan or Logan made the 16.
Also in this neck of the woods,Stephen Dawson marked his pro-debut for mansfield town with the opening goal in their 2-2 draw.he took a pass on the right-hand edge of the area,took one touch with his left and hit a low accurate shot to the keepers left.
David Bell also scored for rushden and diamonds,shooting across the keeper from the right-hand edge of the area.Neil McCafferty gave away a pen in that one for handball.it finished 1-1.
Apparently Garvan is 6 feet 2. Pretty impressive for a 17 year old.
Im going to the QPR v Ipswich game tonight. Rowlands likely to play in the middle of because of injuiries, the centre of midfield will have a real Irish feel to it with two from the North Doherty and Magilton and two from the republic in Rowlands and Garvan.
Do you reckon that's a pay at the gate match? I might nip down myself if the wife gives it the OK.
Edit: just checked - at £28 I think I'll just wait for Robbie's report tomorrow!
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 09/08/2005 at 11:27 AM.
Its not sold out as yet but there are limited tickets because it is the first home game of the season. Your best bet is to go for the away end because the tickets remaining in the QPR areas will likely have an obstructed view. The price of a ticket will be £22 - £26. You could phone the QPR box office on 0870 112 1967 or check the website. www.qpr.co.uk
£28 what stand is that for?
The tickets prices went up for this season and it is keeping a lot of fans away. Season tickets went up nearly 50%, it wouldn't be so bad if the ball didn't spend so much time in the air!!! I think Holloway will go for his usual tactics of trying to kick the opposition off the pitch. Garvan will have his temperament tested by Docherty if Bircham plays then he will really be tested.
Last edited by robbie_B; 09/08/2005 at 11:40 AM.
Thanks for the info. Sth Africa Road end is £28.Originally Posted by robbie_B
I hope Gravan looks after himself against Bircham. Wasn't it he who nearly broke Graham Kavanagh's ankle against canada?
Yep, Kavanagh's first start for Ireland lasted all of 11 minutes!Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Review here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nd/3281969.stm
Yeah it was Bircham who did Kavanaghs ankle, he was with Cardiff at the time and what with Bircham being a life long QPR fan and the play-off final etc. Got a reputation last year as a wind up merchant, big bust up with Geerry Taggart and all away fans took a dislike to him, his blue and white mowhark didn't help.
And to quote Holloway when we signed Docherty ' when he tackles someoe they stay tackled'. At 6'2 he will be starring down on the pair of them. Be good to see a midfielder at loftus road who plays football the right way.
Morrison played and scored for Birmingham reserves today against Sunderland. A few senior players played. Colin Doyle was in goal.
Willo Flood and Karl Bermingham played in Man City's reserves 1-1 draw with West Brom last night, Willo played central midfield and his performance was described as "tigerish", had a few free kicks just wide in the second half. Bermingham had one decent shot on target that was deflected by a centre half
Man City review here
West Brom review here
Flood did limp off at the end of the game, but there's no more information other than that
leicester city v stoke city 4-2
Maybury,Connolly and McCarthy all played the 90,neither Sheehan or Logan made the 16.
Maybury was solid all evening,didnt get forward as much as he usually does but crossed for one of the goals when he did.
Connolly was the best player out there for an hour and then,in the last half-hour hit a hat-trick.throughout the 90,even though the service was rough and ready at times,he always made it stick and retained posession on all but 2 (or maybe 3) occasions throughout the game.his first goal was taken from the 6 yard line after a free kick had been half blocked.his first touch controlled it as he turned,his second smashed it into the roof of the net.his second goal was with his left foot after he had cut in from wide on the left,a cool finish across the keeper from a tight angle with his weaker foot.his third came when he intercepted a back pass and again from a tight angle,this time on his right foot,he found the net,again going over the keeper.3 strikers goals.
McCarthy had a nightmare opening 3 minutes to the game,in which time he managed to give away 3 free-kicks in dangerous areas and also get booked.2 were for challenging akwardly for high balls and the booking was for lunging through a guy at knee height from behind.i think the whole home crowd feared the worst,i know i did,but to his credit he composed himself and finished the game on the field.both stokes goals came after they had been reduced to 10 men and it was the player stood next to McCarthy got their first after a bit of a scramble.for stokes second,McCarthy played a loose pass out of defence,leicester were dispossed and a quick one-two later were back in it at 3-2.But,in between these incidents he had a decent game,some fine tackles and was generally solid,it just seems at the moment,any mistake he makes the ball winds up in the leicester net.
RESERVES; leicester v portsmouth 1-6
Sheehan played the 90 and Logan played no part.Sheehan isnt mentioned at all on the O.S. report and its probably not a bad thing that Logan,as a keeper, wasnt involved in a good hiding for leicester.
Saul Deeney linked with QPR and Sheffield Utd in the Irish post.
Paul McShane got official MOM again yesterday. Set up a goal too.
leicester city v ipswich town 0-0
McCarthy,Connolly and Maybury all played the 90.
Maybury had a decent game.he was booked and again didnt get forward down the right as much as he has done previously,but he did fine.he was booked.
Connolly also had a decent outing,there wernt many chances it this game as ipswich seemed happy to play for a point and he did'nt have a clearcut scoring oppertunity in the game.again he linked well and was involved throughout.
McCarthy had a much better game than in midweek,a big improvment.he avoided getting booked for the first time this season.he didnt give away free kicks when challenging in the air and was solid throughout the game.he bailed Maybury out of trouble nicely on one occasion when Maybury had dwelled on it,McCarthy showed for it,under pressure, took a clever touch and found a midfielder in space.
for ipswich,Garvan and Supple were on the bench and Supple was called into action with just over half an hour gone,and for the next hour was kept busy. within a minute he had to deal with a backpass with Connolly and De vries bearing down on him bit he kicked well.he then took a deep cross cleanly and made a smart save from a downward header on his goalline.
throughout the game he did well,catching crosses,some smart saves and kicking well including one point blank save from williams,and as the ball went straight up in the air he was first to react with a solid punch towards the sideline.he looked young and small but says playing gaelic growing up has prepared him well.he also survived one piece of gamesmanship form Connolly,when, as he prepared to kick from his hands,Connolly hid behind him and challenged him from behind as he released the ball.the ref blew up as it was a blatant attempt to unsettle the youngster.
in the closing stages he scuffed 2 kicks,one of which,in injury time put his side under the cosh a bit and he spilled 2 high dropping balls when being challenged,fairly, by leicester players,but these errors went unpunished,he had earned his luck earlier in the game.
both managers cited him as the reason leicester didnt win the game.
The footy highlight for me this w/e was seeing on a late night trawl of BBC teletext that Supple came on and played really well. BBC's match report singled him out for praise.Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
excellent, we need strength/quickness for the future in there. he seems to be playing consistently well. now for the young liam brady, when will HE arriveOriginally Posted by eirebhoy
Bookmarks