State of the Republic: FA Cup third round, part 1
09:00, 07 Jan 2013
Shane Stapleton and John Kelly
We pore through 31 third-round The Romance Is Dead Cup clashes to see which Irishmen have done well, and to see who we can sneer at...
PLAYER OF THE WEEKEND
Barry Corr (Southend United)
Played 78 minutes (Southend United 2-2 Brentford)
Corr is our player of the weekend after two headed goals brought his team back from 2-0 to force a replay against Brentford – and the winner gets to knock out Chelsea, it must be remembered. Threw himself about before going off to rapturous applause. Brentford manager Uwe Rosler took the equaliser on the chin. "Southend's equalising goal was at least two metres offside," sulked ze Germanhausen. "I went to see the referee after the game because it is not good enough for the linesman to make a decision like that and he should just apologise. We are professionals and we expect the referee and his officials to also be professional as well.”
GOALKEEPERS
Shay Given (Aston Villa)
Played 90 minutes (Aston Villa 2-1 Ipswich Town)
Looked on in wonder as Eric Lichaj inexplicably lashed the ball into his own goal. He was under slight pressure but it was still hard to see what he was trying to do. Given parried another shot and made a fine save from Aaron McLean late on. Was it a coincidence that Villa won on his return to the side? Yes.
Keiren Westwood (Sunderland)
Unused sub (Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Sunderland)
No excuses for spelling his name like that.
Shane Redmond (Mansfield Town)
Not in squad (Mansfield Town 1-2 Liverpool)
We don’t know either and we’re not about to go finding out.
Nick Colgan (Huddersfield Town)
Not in squad (Charlton Athletic 0-1 Huddersfield Town)
Have we gone back in time or something? It takes long enough to trawl through all these players on FA Cup third round weekend without suddenly coming across people you thought had retired about 10 years ago. What next, Saul Deeney?
Saul Deeney (Derby County)
Not in squad (Derby County 5-0 Tranmere Rovers)
Ah, for jaysus sake.
Colin Doyle (Birmingham City)
Played 90 minutes (Leeds United 1-1 Birmingham City)
Rare outing as Jack Butland was rested. Only 11,000 turned up to witness this snoozefest as Doyle had a couple of comfortable saves to make and not much else to do.
David Forde (Millwall)
Played 90 minutes (Millwall 1-0 Preston North End)
Stood between them sticks, manned them posts and minded that there house. Also made a good save from sub Graham Cummins late on to seal the win.
Ian McLoughlin (MK Dons)
Unused sub (Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 MK Dons)
Brian Murphy (QPR)
Not in squad (QPR 1-1 West Brom)
He’ll be playing loads this season… yeah, we’d say he will alright.
Paddy Kenny (Leeds United)
Unused sub (Leeds United 1-1 Birmingham City)
Jack Bonham (Watford)
Unused sub (Manchester City 3-0 Watford)
Conrad Logan (Leicester City)
Unused sub (Leicester City 2-0 Burton Albion)
DEFENDERS
Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa)
Played 90 minutes (Aston Villa 2-1 Ipswich Town)
No rest for the wicked as Clark turned out for this slog against the Tractor Boys. Comfortable enough afternoon and went close-ish with a header.
Enda Stevens (Aston Villa)
Unused sub (Aston Villa 2-1 Ipswich Town)
Greg Cunningham (Bristol City)
Played 70 minutes (Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Bristol City)
Took a few dangerous set-pieces but replaced as City chased the game.
John O’Shea (Sunderland)
Injured (Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Sunderland)
Marcus Painter (Brighton)
Not in squad (Brighton 2-0 Newcastle United)
Mark Connolly (Crawley Town)
Played 90 minutes (Crawley Town 1-3 Reading)
The former Bolton Wanderers man was under the cosh all afternoon from Noel Hunt.
Alex Pearce (Reading)
Played 90 minutes (Crawley Town 1-3 Reading)
Had a nightmare first 14 seconds but had a comfortable afternoon thereafter.
Ian Harte (Reading)
Played 90 minutes (Crawley Town 1-3 Reading)
He was the cause of the nightmare inside the first 14 seconds when he was dispossessed before the goal. Still, he got over that setback and since returning to the side Reading have lost just once in four games – a stunning run of form in the context of their season to date.
John Thompson (Mansfield Town)
Played 90 minutes (Mansfield Town 1-2 Liverpool)
Thompson was included at the back with Exodus Geohaghan, the most unlikely name since Fabian O’Neill, Santiago Phelan or Ernest Guevara Lynch.
Paddy McCarthy (Crystal Palace)
Not in squad (Crystal Palace 0-0 Stoke City)
Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace)
Played 90 minutes (Crystal Palace)
Hurled well inside in the corner. Pucked plenty on ball, even if he did look a little one-sided. Hooked at one stage but got away with it.
Richard Keogh (Derby County)
Played 90 minutes (Derby County 5-0 Tranmere Rovers)
Handy, handy game at the back for the 26-year-old defender.
Mark O’Brien (Derby County)
Played 90 minutes (Derby County 5-0 Tranmere Rovers)
Ditto.
Stephen Kelly (Fulham)
Not in squad (Fulham 1-1 Blackpool)
Blackpool magician/farmer/masochist Michael Appleton had this to say after the game: “It was their strongest side, so I am pleased to come away and still be in the hat and have the chance to bring them down to the Bloomfield Road cabbage patch. It is as bad a surface I have ever seen in the league. I don't think Fulham will be comfortable or enjoy playing there.”
Paul McShane (Hull City)
Played 90 minutes (Hull City 1-1 Leyton Orient)
Steve Bruce said: “Only three players -- the two central defenders and the goalkeeper -- came anywhere near to producing what they can, and the rest did not.” Take a bow, Paul McShane.
Alex Bruce (Hull City)
Played 90 minutes (Hull City 1-1 Leyton Orient)
Steve Bruce said: “Only three players -- the two central defenders and the goalkeeper -- came anywhere near to producing what they can, and the rest did not.” Take a bow, Alex Bruce.
Leon McSweeney (Leyton Orient)
Played 90 minutes (Hull City 1-1 Leyton Orient)
Went through four successive seasons in the mid-noughties only playing for teams beginning with ‘H’ and stayed around that vicinity when he signed for Hartlepool United and Leyton Orient.
Steven Carr (Birmingham City)
Not in squad (Leeds United 1-1 Birmingham City)
Sean St Ledger (Leicester City)
Injured (Leicester City 2-0 Burton Albion)
Still has a bad dose of the jammy hammy.
Graham Coughlan (Southend United)
Not in squad (Southend United 2-2 Brentford)
The 38-year-old deciduous defender is still a registered player but is also assistant manager at The Shrimpers.
Kevin O’Connor (Brentford)
Injured (Southend United 2-2 Brentford)
Out long-term with an ankle and leg injury – yes, the description we found was actually that vague.
Shaun Williams (MK Dons)
Played 90 minutes (Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 MK Dons)
Solid in defence but even better in midfield. Twice came close to stealing the game and was denied by the post with the second.
Steven Reid (West Brom)
Injured (QPR 1-1 West Brom)
Ankle.
Kevin Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Played 75 minutes (Luton 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Oooh, pretty desperate day at the office for Foley who fluffed a clearance, rather than a pillow, to allow Alex Lawless in for the game’s only goal. Stale Solbakken can thank Foley for wetting the ink for his freshly-prepared P45.
Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Played 90 minutes (Luton 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Was up and down the left flank but didn’t manage to create any clear chances.
Aaron Barry (Sheffield United)
Not in squad (Oxford United 0-3 Sheffield United)
Brendan Moloney (Nottingham Forest)
Played 90 minutes (Nottingham Forest 2-3 Oldham Athletic)
Had a tough day at the office as Oldham took the initiative following Danny Collins’ sending off.
Cliff Byrne (Oldham Athletic)
Played 90 minutes (Nottingham Forest 2-3 Oldham Athletic)
Possibly lucky not to be sent off for hauling down Dexter Blackstock but did well to block Lewis McGugan on another occasion.
Alan Dunne (Millwall)
Unused sub (Millwall 1-0 Preston North End)
Keith Keane (Preston North End)
Not in squad (Millwall 1-0 Preston North End)
Tommie Hoban (Watford)
Not in squad (Manchester City 3-0 Watford)
Who are these people?
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