BAIRD SCORES!!! – As does McCann in dream debut – and Sproule (v Old Firm, again)

Chris Baird scored his first senior goal, to mark his 50th Southampton appearance on Saturday. He got the opener in Southampton’s 2-1 win over Luton.



Everyone’s favourite NI defensive midfielder (:-P) said:
“I was delighted to get on the scoresheet at last. I got one for Northern Ireland Under 21’s a while back but this was my first senior goal. I have had a few half chances this season and not taken any of them so it was good to see this one go in. The ball went out wide following a corner and I thought I would stay up there and when the cross came in I made up my mind to attack it and see what happened. It was quite a powerful header which took the ball past the keeper. I was not sure it had gone over the line at first but it did and then i ran away not really knowing what to do! It’s good to get off the mark. I did not want to follow in the footsteps of Claus Lundekvam and wait 300 games for a goal. I told him I am catching him up now! To be fair it is hardly a prolific partnership with three goals in 400 games between us but I don’t mind as long as the strikers are scoring.
“I will be trying to get another one on Wednesday now because that is a massive game for us. If we can win that then we will have real momentum and the gap on Birmingham would be down to just four points which is nothing really. We then go into two away games where we have a real chance of picking up points so this is a crucial spell for us. We want to keep this unbeaten run going as long as possible and I am very confident we can go on to win promotion.”
For a long time, Baird famously had more NI caps than senior club starts:
“We did well against Luton and it was great to mark my 50th game with a goal. I did not even realise it was 50 until Grzegorz pointed it out. There was a time I never thought I would get to 50 games but now things are going well for me. A lot of things have changed in my time here – managers and players. But the spirit in the club is fantastic and I am sure we will be up there at the end of the season.”
Saints manager George Burley on ‘probably our best player this season’:
“I was delighted for Chris to get his first senior goal. He has probably been our best player this season and has been terrific since I came to the club. He deserved to open his account today.”

Grant McCann couldn’t have hoped for a better debut for Barnsley as he had on Saturday, getting a stoppage time winner to give his new club a 1-0 win over Ipswich. Earlier, McCann saw a fierce left-foot volley fly inches over the bar.

Ivan Sproule got the opener for Hibs against Celtic against Easter Road (see above). The home side went 2-0 up before being pegged back to 2-2.

There were assists for Stuart Elliott and Tony Capaldi (again from a free kick). Elliott also went close with a shot from distance, and seems to be playing himself into form. Capaldi still seems to be playing at left back, which can only be good for NI. Hull drew 1-1 with Norwich, while Plymouth lost 2-1 to Leeds – with David Healy an unused sub.

‘One of Cheltenham’s most influential players ever’ moves on

Grant McCann has joined Barnsley on ‘emergency loan’ – but with a view to a permanent move to the Championship club in January. McCann, 26, made 222 appearances (4 as sub) in 4 years (and 3 loan periods before that) at Cheltenham. During that time, the former West Ham trainee won 6 caps for Northern Ireland.
According to Cheltenham’s official website: ‘If indeed this move proves to be a permanent switch for McCann there seems little doubt that he will go down in history as one of the most influential players ever to wear a Cheltenham Town shirt.’
Manager John Ward paid tribute to the midfielder, and noted that the move would benefit his international prospects:
“In a way I’m in two minds because it’s sad to lose a good player but I get on well with Grant and it’s a great opportunity for him. He has done extremely well for Cheltenham Town Football Club and this move will not only give him the chance to play at a higher level but also to further his international career as well. He has worked very hard this season and for him to have contributed seven goals to a team that has found goals hard to come by is a mark of his quality. We will miss Grant but we wish him all the best and we are moving quickly to bring in a repacement.”

Not a good week for NI players

Roy Carroll apparently undergoes treatment for gambling and alcohol problems – although, according to his dad (in Thursday’s News Letter) these problems have been exaggerated and he is just suffering from stress.

Andy Smith walks out on Cheltenham after being named as a sub for an FA Cup replay. Smith’s loan, funded by a supporters’ club, was due to expire in 10 days.

The Sproule Show

Hibs dine out on Sproule show:
“In particular, the Fir Park men couldn’t get near Sproule. It was trying to catch the wind. At times, it seemed as if he had transformed himself into the Tasmanian Devil from Loony Tunes so scorching were his runs and so often did his poor marker, Jim Paterson, appear to be left choking on vapour trails. It was carnage for the claret-clad home side, who were 4-0 down inside 41 minutes.
Sproule attributed the breathless nature of their football down to confidence, a desperation to impress a new manager and training of high intensity they are now taking into games. The Irishman believes it can take the team places, starting next Sunday when Celtic visit Easter Road. “At home we will fancy our chances,” he said. “But although we are keeping our feet on the ground while we might be looking at third place, second is not out of our grasp.”
Motherwell might easily have been two goals down before the Irishman Sproule cut-back for Brown to clip an effort beyond Colin Meldrum ten minutes in. A reverse pass from Brown in the 26th minute allowed Chris Killen to slot an effort into the corner of the net before the Sproule show really kicked-in. Truly the 25-year-old, also linked with Rangers, is an irresistible force on the days when everything clicks. Two minutes after Hibs’ second, a header glanced into his path by Killen, was the blue touchpaper for an explosive finish. At pace, he chested the ball down and slammed an effort past Meldrum. Four minutes from time a ball over the top from Guillaume Buezelin – in only his second start following a long lay-off – was all the invitation Sproule needed to drive forward and sweetly flick the ball into the corner.
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Ivan Sproule. There were any number of candidates on the Hibs side, Scott Brown and Guillaume Beuzelin dominating the midfield. But Sproule just edges it; not for his two goals so much as exhilarating wing play. It was marvellous to watch and caused Motherwell to crumble.
Here’s a video of Gillespie’s goal on Saturday:

Gillespie scores v United, Sproule brace

Keith Gillespie gave Sheffield United the league against his old club Man Utd this afternoon, however the game finished 2-1 to the away side.

Neil Warnock: “We’ve used Gillespie quite a lot today. For set-pieces, we thought he’d have the beating of the full back. He took the goal well and he looked like a finished article as a striker. He’s got to contribute more goals than he has done. It was nice for him to get off the mark.”
SAF: “Former players have scored against us quite a lot in the past. Gillespie was a good young player with us and he went to Newcastle as part of the Andy Cole deal. I’m pleased for him. And I bet he’ll be pleased with the goal!”

In Scotland, Ivan Sproule scored 2 and set up 1 as Hibs demolished Motherwell at Fir Park. He was denied a hattrick in the second half when he’d a shot cleared off the line. Substitute Dean Shiels got the 6th in stoppage time.


However, such a terrible defeat for Motherwell can only be explained when we realise that Stephen Craigan was missing with a hamstring injury sustained last week:

Chris Brunt had a busy first 37 minutes for Sheffield Wednesday, scoring his 5th goal of a season to give them the lead, straight from a corner. However then he was sent off for a professional foul, leaving Wednesday with 9 men, and they went on to lose 3-1 to Coventry.
Stuart Elliott forced an ‘outstanding’ save with a ‘vicious’ free kick as Hull went down 2-0 to Stoke.

McCann attracting interest

Cardiff are interested in taking Cheltenham’s Grant McCann on loan, with a view to a permanent move in January. At least one more Championship club is said to be interested in the midfielder who has been capped 9 times by Northern Ireland. According to the Official Cheltenham site, Robins boss John Ward “is virtually resigned to losing the Northern Ireland international, who has turned down the offer of a new contract at the club”:
‘”We’ve had a couple of enquiries regarding Grant but at the moment that is all they are,” said Ward. There has been nothing concrete but if something is going to happen it might have to be within the next few days.”
The winter transfer deadline is next Thursday (23 November), after which no players can be signed on emergency loan until the transfer window opens on January 1.
“We would consider a loan with a view to a permanent transfer but if possible we would also like to bring in a replacement,” said Ward. “Grant is suspended for this weekend’s match but then, if there are no further developments he will be available to play for us in the FA Cup replay at Scunthorpe next Tuesday.”
McCann, 26, joined Cheltenham Town on a permanent basis after a series of loan spells from West Ham United for a £50,000 fee in January 2003. The Belfast-born midfielder has now won nine international caps for Northern Ireland having returned to the international squad since Lawrie Sanchez has been in charge. He has spent most of his time with the Robins as a central midfielder but has also played on the left and at left-back. His contribution of 46 goals from 217 starts ranks him among the most prolific goal-scoring midfielders in the club’s history.’
U21: The U21s went down 2-1 in Tuesday night’s friendly in Germany. Daryl Foryce gave us a 10th minute lead (don’t think he’s played much / at all for the U21s before this?), but by half time it was 2-1 to the home side. Tottenham midfielder Kieran McKenna was sent-off for two yellow cards on 72 minutes.

Elliott on target

Stuart Elliott left the pitch to a standing ovation after a 75th minute goal that sealed Hull’s 2-0 win over Wolves this afternoon. No sign of Mark Clyde in the Wolves squad.
Tony Capaldi got both Plymoth’s assists in their 2-2 draw with Leicester. Big G was an unused sub.

Ivan wants CIS success

“Personally speaking, I have been in two semi-finals and lost since I joined Hibs and I am getting sick of it as I am sure the rest of the boys are as well. It’s been the same old, same old each year, getting to a semi-final and losing so it would be nice to go and get our hands on the Cup and bring a bit of silverware back to Easter Road.”
Full article

The Cheltenham Contingent

Matthew is keeping me up to date on goings on at Cheltenham, who have signed Andy Smith on ‘an emergency loan’ from Preston, in a deal financed by Cheltenham fans. Emergency would be about right! He played the full 90 minutes of their 2-1 defeat to Oldham today.

Also, Grant McCann scored twice in a 3-2 win over Barnet on Tuesday, one of which was a penalty (apparently he’d missed 3 of his last 4 penalties).

Ferguson on Evans

“He’s got a wonderful temperament,” Ferguson told BBC Northern Ireland’s Season Ticket programme about the player who was sent off something like twice in 3 weeks after the Spain game.
“He’s quick, he reads the game and he has a good technique on the ball. He’s got everything.”
Ferguson plans to send Evans on a further loan spell to another club before taking the 18-year-old back to Old Trafford.
“What he needs now is to get experience because young defenders do make mistakes. His spell at Antwerp and wherever we put him in his next spell will give him that experience so when he comes back to Manchester United, he’ll be ready to compete for a first team place.”