Shamrock Rovers fans had an impressive display at the Showgrounds last weekend. The Battle of the Rovers in the FAI Cup semi-finals saw a large travelling support for the Hoops. Out west, there’s only one Roves however, with the Dublin side known as Shams in Sligo, a fact that was played up by the supporters of the Tallaght Stadium outfit. Unfortunately for them, they went down 3-0 as Sligo reached a fourth final in five years.
Ireland’s U19s bowed out of the European Championships after Spain inflicted a heavy defeat in the semi-finals. The current Euro U21 winners are now through to the final of the U19 version, proving that Spanish football is ruling the roost at present. Paul Doolin’s troops deserve the plaudits for taking Ireland to the last four for the first time since 1998. Yet such was the gulf in class, that this defeat should cause all those in Irish football to reassess the way we coach our athletes. It’s not only the U19 players who have lessons to learn.