Saturday Round Up

Northern Ireland’s SPL side, Hibs, beat league leaders Hearts 2-0 at Easter Road today. Ivan Sproule came on in the 67th minutes and set up the opener with 78 minutes on the clock. Hibs are now just 4 points behind their Edinburgh neighbours.

David Healy scored in Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Reading

Young Brunt will be hoping for a second successive NI start against Portugal, after scoring his 4th goal in 5 games to give Sheffield Wednesday a 1-0 win over Norwich

James Quinn’s Bristol City came out on the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline against Southend United. It was Quinn’s first start for City. He lasted 84 minutes.

Peter Thompson in squad for Portugal

Linfield striker Peter Thompson is in the Northern Ireland squad for next month’s friendly against Portugal. Thompson, 21, has scored A Wile Lot of goals for league leaders Linfield in the Irish Premier League so far this season, including about 3 successive hattricks. He has been linked with Aberdeen since the end of last season, and Fulhalm are sending a scout over to watch him next month. Linfield however have slapped a £250,000 price tag on the young lad. Thompson’s Linfield teammate Alan Mannus is on standby for the squad. Roy Carroll is still crocked after wrecking himself picking balls out of a net.

Duff’s Burnley deny Elliott

Michael Duff’s Burnley beat Stuart Elliott’s Hull City 1-0 tonight in the English Championship/Division 1. Elliott hit the bar, and it also took a fantastic save in injury time by the Burnley keeper to stop him scoring. But, although he didn’t get on the scoresheet this time, it looks like Stuarty is right back in form.

Sproule watch

Pontificating on Ivan’s best role
David who?

Quinn moves up a league & scores on debut

James Quinn has gone on a month’s loan from Peterborough to Bristol City, moving from League Two to League One. He made his debut 31 minutes into Bristol’s clash with Oldham today and set up a goal before scoring one. Here’s him celebrating, wearing the number 29 shirt!

Links:

http://www.bcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10327~730414,00.html

http://www.bcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10327~730643,00.html

Stuart Elliott finally got on the scoresheet for Hull today, getting the opener in their 2-1 win over Derby. Warren Feeney scored Luton’s goal in their 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle.

Quinn moves up a league & scores on debut

James Quinn has gone on a month’s loan from Peterborough to Bristol City, moving from League Two to League One. He made his debut 31 minutes into Bristol’s clash with Oldham today and set up a goal before scoring one. Here’s him celebrating, wearing the number 29 shirt!

Links:

http://www.bcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10327~730414,00.html

http://www.bcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10327~730643,00.html

Stuart Elliott finally got on the scoresheet for Hull today, getting the opener in their 2-1 win over Derby. Warren Feeney scored Luton’s goal in their 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle.

Portugal game confirmed

We will play Portugal in a friendly at Windsor Park on TUESDAY 15th November @ 8pm. Boycie told Jim G that Portugal were offered 5 times as much money to go to the United Arab Emirates, but they stuck to our agreement after he lobbied their President.
It’s Tuesday ‘cos their U21s are playing on the Wednesday. Possible clash with the Covenanter Bookshop Student Night! Sorry Tom!

Portugal game confirmed

We will play Portugal in a friendly at Windsor Park on TUESDAY 15th November @ 8pm. Boycie told Jim G that Portugal were offered 5 times as much money to go to the United Arab Emirates, but they stuck to our agreement after he lobbied their President.
It’s Tuesday ‘cos their U21s are playing on the Wednesday. Possible clash with the Covenanter Bookshop Student Night! Sorry Tom!

Portugal friendly in doubt

N Ireland-Portugal game in doubt
Official reception for the Norn Iron team at Stormont agreed following suggestion by Gregory Campbell

Sanchez targets outsiders

From the Strife:
‘DETERMINED Lawrie Sanchez is set to strengthen his Northern Ireland squad with hired guns for an all-out assault on next year’s European Championship qualifiers.
Sanchez returned from our final World Cup battle against Austria in Vienna with a list of names he is targetting for Northern Ireland. With a lack of outstanding home grown talent coming through, Aston Villa’s Steve Davis the exception, Sanchez is ready to recruit outside help. Sanchez will start making phone calls this week and even though he refuses to confirm any names Sunday Life understands top young Reading striker Leroy Lita and Preston North End midfielder Dickson Etuhu head his wish list.
Lita, who has set the Championship alight this season with his goals, was born in Congo, and like Nigerian Etuhu is qualified for any of the home nations as a British passport holder.
“I want to improve our position in the next campaign and to do that we need a big panel of players,” argues Sanchez. “We are too small a country and don’t have a big enough pool of players not to consider any decent player that could be available to us. I was very happy with our starting XI that put England to the sword, but once we pick up one or two injuries and suspensions, then we become vunerable.
“You can’t expect to win international matches if you keep on having to play catch up. In our last two games we’ve gone behind and then it’s been difficult to get back in the game.
“We need to have strength in depth if we are to seriously challenge in the next qualifying campaign. And that means having players competing in the top leagues. I don’t want players who perform in the lower leagues thinking they are entitled to a place in my team. I want them to think: ‘I must play in the highest league I possibly can so I keep my place in the Northern Ireland team’.”
“Before I include any outsiders in my squad, I’ll have to take a number of things into consideration. Are they better than the players we have already? Will they be committed to the Northern Ireland cause? And of course, the fans must be taken into account because after all it’s their team. But I think the supporters want success and they know I’m not going to bring players in just for the sake of it. I want a winning team and if I feel these players will benefit our squad then I’ll ask them to join us. However, our fans can be assured we’ll be working within the rules.”
Out and out striker Lita (20), made his England Under-21 debut earlier this year, scoring against Holland after coming on as a substitute. Under FIFA rules introduced a couple of years ago, a player can still choose to play for a different country even though he may have represented an Under 21 side.
Lita, who moved to Reading from Bristol City for £1million in the summer, is quick, strong and lethal around the box as Championship defenders have found to their cost this season. Last year the former Chelsea apprentice scored 29 goals for The Robins.
Powerhouse midfielder Etuhu is fantastic box-to-box player, who nearly joined Everton before the transfer window closed. The 23-year-old has a great engine, scores goals and plays with a similiar style to former Arsenal hero Patrick Viera. Former Manchester City Academy student Etuhu was unlucky not to be called up to the Nigerian team for the 2002 World Cup after impressing in a Super Eagles training camp. However he still hasn’t represented the country of his birth, so therefore is available to play for Northern Ireland.
Sanchez adds: “I haven’t contacted any players yet, you may find that Lita may want to try and force his way into the England senior squad.
“I’ll be speaking to the players individually and we’ll take it from there. I must stress though, I will only bring them in if I feel they will benefit the team. We’re not going to be silly about this.”
Birmingham City midfielder Stephen Clemence, who turned down Sanchez last year, is also expected to be given another chance to consider playing for Northern Ireland. English born Clemence qualifies for Northern Ireland through his Ulster born grandmother. His dad is England coach and Liverpool legend Ray Clemence.
Sanchez has the backing of goalkeeping coach Dave Beasant:
“Much improvement has taken place since Lawrie came in at the start of last year but now we must take the next step and that means getting a larger squad together with more high quality players. If that means looking at different players who qualify through the passport ruling, we must seriously consider it. I know there may be some people worried about the commitment of players not born in Northern Ireland, but look at Maik Taylor and Mark Williams. Neither were born in the province but their desire in the World Cup campaign just gone was unquestioned.
“Look at myself and Terry Gibson who is also on the Northern Ireland coaching team. We are proud Englishmen but no one was more pleased than us when we beat England. Being attached to Northern Ireland draws you in to the country and makes you desperate to do well for the fans, who are superb.
“I know Lawrie has a few players in mind and if we get them the squad will definitely be strengthened, giving us a better chance to seriously challenge in the European Championship qualifiers.”