Ivan’s had enough – Videos from Sat

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7009963.stm
You can understand why he’s frustrated and it’s almost criminal the way he’s been overlooked, but taking a break for a year is probably not the way forward.
Grant McCann scores 2 great free kicks:



Brunt’s first goal for WBA:

Shiels scores 87th minute winner in Hibs’ 3-2 win over Celtic:


Or http://news.bbc.co.uk//media_acl/avdb/sport/spl/video/121000/bb/121326_16x9_bb.asx

Christ Brunt moved from Sheffield Wednesday to their Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion this week for £3 million pounds – a lot of money for someone who has never been a Northern Ireland regular!

WBA boss Tony Mowbray: “Chris is a player whose ambitions match our own. He wants to play at the top level and we’re delighted he’s chosen our club as a vehicle to hopefully take him there.”
“Chris has undoubted, proven quality at this level and brings a cultured left foot to the squad. He will hopefully supply plenty of ammunition for our strikers and chip in with a few goals himself. He’s a welcome addition to the squad and will increase competition for places in an area where we feel we already have a lot of quality.”
Wednesday boss Brian Laws: “As a manager you have to be tough and I’ll pick myself up and get on with it. Chris has played his last game for Sheffield Wednesday and I’m very disappointed to lose a player of his ability. He’s one of the best left-sided players outside the Premier League and he’s gone to one of our rivals. But money talks. We’re not in the strongest financial position and debts have to be paid. It’s a football decision, but we’ll get on with it.”
Brunt missed WBA’s game today, and will have to sit out one more until he has completed a 3-match suspension which he picked up in pre-season.

Brunt staying put / 29th in rankings

Chris Brunt has pledged his future to Sheffield Wednesday, despite reports linking him with a £2M move to Fulham or Wigan. The 22 year-old said:
“I’ve got another year left and unless the club want to sell me I’ll be staying. I want to play at the highest level possible and I want to get there sooner rather than later and with Wednesday.”

In the latest FIFA rankings, Northern Ireland are 29th in the world, our highest ever ranking, up four places. The Republic dropped 6 places to 28th. England are 8th, Scotland 23rd, and Wales 75th.
In other news, U21 striker Daryl Fordyce has been released by Portsmouth.

Brunt tipped for Premiership by manager

Chris Brunt scored his 10th goal of the season this afternoon in Sheffield Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with QPR. Afterwards, his manager Brian Laws said:

“Chris Brunt will attract attention. If you look at his goals this season, they would not look out of place in the Premiership. I believe he will get to the Premiership. He is young, talented and he is a shining light at Sheffield Wednesday. But he is not going anywhere. He is under contract, and we need players like him at the club.”
Andy Kirk came on as a sub and scored in Northampton’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
Also, I see that Stuart Elliott played the whole match for Hull as they recorded an important 2-0 win over Preston to give them a boost in their battle against relegation from the Championship.

Brunt scores from 40 yards

In Sheffield Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Leeds on Saturday.

It’s the second goal in the clip.
Clive Tinsley, commentating called it, ‘world class…any player you can name would have been proud of that’.

Brunt scores from 40 yards

In Sheffield Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Leeds on Saturday.

It’s the second goal in the clip.
Clive Tinsley, commentating called it, ‘world class…any player you can name would have been proud of that’.

Hammers after Brunt

Apparently West Ham have a ‘more than passing interest’ in Brunt and will try and sign him either now or in January.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/article2184506.ece

Goals and suchlike

– Healy scored 1 and set up 1 for Leeds as they beat Coventry 2-1 yesterday.

– Nottingham Forest are appealing against Sammy Clingan’s straight red card after 20 minutes of their 5-0 defeat to Oldham on New Years’ Day for an accidental collision.
– Chris Brunt scored his 8th goal of the season in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Barnsley on Saturday :-P

– Young left back Jeff Hughes has scored the winner in Lincoln’s last 2 games: 2-1 over Boston and 1-0 against Wycombe.

Lincoln skipper Northern Irishman Paul Morgan made his 200th league appearance for the club yesterday afternoon.

– After Collins, John telling us how Ivan Sproule would struggle to get back into the Hibs team after his 4-game suspension, Ivan started their 0-0 draw with Aberdeen at Easter Road today, his first possible game back. He seems to still be in a rich vein of form according to the BBC:
“Sproule was clearly relishing his return to the action and was deployed on either flank and was the inspiration of most positive Hibs attacks.”
He was replaced by Dean Shiels, also just back from a (1-game) suspension.

Some screamers today!

Keith Gillespie, Chris Brunt and Kyle Lafferty all scored spectacular goals from range this afternoon.
Gillespie volleyed a late winner for Sheffield United from outside the box, having earlier set up their equaliser, which came from one of his corners (which he had also won!).
Brunt had already given Sheffield Wednesday the lead from the penalty spot against Leicester (Big G brought on as 50th minute sub) when he ‘unleashed a fantastic first-time shot from 28 yards’ early in the second half. The game ended 4-1 to Wednesday, and the next 2 goals were pretty good too apparently – manager Brian Laws:
“It was magnificent finishing. They were three of the best goals I’ve seen in my life. To seem all three in the same game makes you speechless. I hope we haven’t used them all up now!”

Kyle Lafferty was given his first start in a month due to an injury to fellow-Burnley striker Andy Gray. Gray could be out till February, and following his injury, boss Steve Cotterill said that this was Lafferty’s big chance:
“Andy will be missed, but we have to get on with it because of the squad size and it’s a big chance for Kyle and we will work with him. He is a totally different player to Andy and what we must remember that Kyle is only a kid. He is not really ready for this, but now he is going to have to be. I am delighted for Kyle and everyone knows what I am like for a young player coming through. Nothing gives me great satisfaction than seeing Chris McCann and Kyle out on the pitch because you know the one thing you will get is everything they have got.”
And Laffs fairly took his chance today, with a superb strike on 85 minutes that looked to have given Burnley the win, however Ipswich equalised through a controversial 92nd minute penalty. Incidentally, Laffs was playing on the right wing when he scored, having swapped with fellow international Steve Jones for the last 15 minutes or so of the match.
I’ll post the goals on here whenever they become available.
In other news, a recent report in the Daily Express says that Norwich plan a £450k move for Ivan Sproule in January.

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.