Sunday, August 24, 2008

WCSL 2007-08 U16 League Review

Riverside Athletic made it two U16 League title wins on the trot following the most dramatic of conclusions to the 2007-08 SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys U16 League season. The Balineen based club came back from the dead to snatch the league crown from the grasp of Togher Celtic in a pulsating finale on the final day of the SuperValu U16 Play-Offs.

National Cups
The early stages of the SuperValu WCSL U16 season began with 6 West Cork clubs entering the SFAI National Cup tournament. Four teams fell at the first hurdle with Cobh Ramblers proving too strong for Skibbereen (7-1), Leeds accounting for Bay Rovers (3-0) and Castleview receiving a walkover from Clonakilty AFC. The only two West Cork clubs to progress from the Preliminary Round were Drinagh Rangers who overcame the challenge of Buttevant 4-1 thanks to goals from Jamie Walsh, Daniel Hayes, Paul Crowley and Shane Connolly. Bunratty United defeated Togher Celtic in a West Cork derby following a pulsating encounter and a penalty shoot-out to progress to the first round proper. Sean Deasy and Dan O’Sullivan scored for Togher and Jack Twomey and Ger O’Callaghan netted for Bunratty. At 7-7 in the shootout Daniel Hickey saved for United before Michael Bailey made sure of the win with the decisive spot kick. Disappointingly neither Drinagh nor Bunratty were able to field teams in the first round, handing Ballincollig and Cobh Ramblers walkovers and an automatic passage into the second round.

SuperValu U16 League
Togher Celtic topped the SuperValu U16 League table at the end of the regular season, remaining unbeaten with 7 wins and 2 draws from their campaign. Togher’s Cian O’Mahony and Declan Coughlan proved a lethal strike-force combining to score over 15 goals. Drinagh Rangers finished second (also remaining undefeated) with Gavin Connolly topping their goal-scoring charts. Reigning Champions Riverside Athletic finished third with Bunratty United securing the fourth and final play-off spot. There was disappointment for Skibbereen who just missed out on a place in the play-offs by a mere 2 points. Lyre Rovers enjoyed an indifferent League campaign but still managed to secure the U16 Shield trophy before the end of the season. Clonakilty AFC, Bay Rovers, Leeside and Harbour United rarely challenged the front-runners and will hope to improve on their lowly league positions for the upcoming 2008-09 campaign.

The Play-Offs
The first round of the SuperValu U16 Play-Offs exploded into life on April the 19th with an amazing 11 goals in the opening games. Cian O'Mahony grabbed a last minute winner for Togher Celtic after an absolutely pulsating game with Bunratty United in Town Park, Schull. Togher came back from 2-0 down to score twice in the final 5 minutes and win a dramatic encounter 3-2. Gavin McEntaggart broke the deadlock in the 17th minute to put Bunratty 1-0 ahead. Declan Coughlan curled in a terrific effort to tie the scores until Bunratty retook the lead in the 45th minute when Simian Lipitch pounced from 6 yards. Cian O’Mahony made no mistake with a super strike from the edge of the box following a mix-up in the Bunratty defence to level the game. O’Mahony then raced clear of a static defence and sent an unstoppable shot into the net to win a pulsating encounter. On the same afternoon it finished honours even between Riverside Athletic and Drinagh Rangers following a 6-goal thriller in the West End Balineen. Michael Dineen opened the scoring only for Riverside to equalise early in the second half with Michael O'Driscoll netting. Athletic went 3-1 ahead thanks to a fine Brian McCarthy effort and then a second from the in-form O'Driscoll. The home side looked to have the points wrapped up until Drinagh dramatically fought back to score twice in the last 5 minutes. Derek Crowley netted with a tremendous long range free kick and Gavin Connolly stabbed home in injury time to steal a precious point. Round 2 of the SuperValu Play-Offs saw Bunratty United and Riverside Athletic each record crucial home victories. Bunratty emerged with a hard fought 2-0 victory after a tough encounter with Drinagh Rangers thanks to efforts from Gavin MacEntaggart and Sean Evans. Riverside were made to work even harder for their 3-1 home win over Togher Celtic with John Daly, Rory Baggott and Neville Maybury each finding the net in an exciting match. Cian O’Mahony replied for Celtic

Final Day Drama
The final day of a remarkable SuperValu U16 League season took place on Saturday the 10th of May. Riverside entertained Bunratty United while Togher welcomed Drinagh Rangers. Athletic knew that a victory over fellow title-rivals Bunratty would secure a second consecutive Championship. Anything less would allow Togher back into the equation provided they defeated Drinagh in their final match. Things seemed to be going Togher’s way as they easily accounted for out of sorts Drinagh Rangers 5-1. A commanding performance from the home side culminated in a superb Cian O'Mahony hat-trick along with further efforts from David Collins and Dan O'Sullivan. Daniel Hayes was Rangers solitary scorer. In Balineen Athletic found themselves 3-0 down with only 25 minutes remaining having been played off the park by a quite superb Bunratty United performance. What followed next was by far the most remarkable comeback in the 2007-08 Schoolboys League season. The hosts pulled a goal back through a Rory Baggott penalty but the drama wasn't finished there and when Jason Collins bundled the ball over the line 5 minutes later there was only a solitary goal between the sides. Bunratty were under constant pressure now as Riverside pushed everyone forward. Unbelievably Rory Baggott levelled the game at 3-3 with a thundering volley right on full time. Deep into injury time Baggott stepped forward to curl a marvellous effort into the net to complete his hat trick and win the SuperValu U16 League title for an ecstatic Riverside Athletic. It proved to be a final day full of heartbreak for both Bunratty and Togher but for the second season in a row Riverside Athletic stand proudly at the summit of the SuperValu U16 League.

WCSL 2007-08 U14 League Review

Lyre Rovers rounded off a terrific year for the Knockskeagh club by defeating Togher Celtic 4-1 in a SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys U14 Play-Off decider in Ballyvackey on the 10th of May to lift the SuperValu U14 League title.

SuperValu U14 League
The WCSL U14 League kicked off back in September with 11 clubs vying for the SuperValu U14 League title. The top four ranked clubs then moved forward to the SuperValu Play-Offs to decide the eventual Champions in a round-robin tournament. Skibbereen topped the league table at the end of March with 9 wins and 1 draw after an extraordinary season. Lyre Rovers finished only 4 points behind the Baltimore Road club with Bunratty United and Togher Celtic rounding off the Play-Off berths. Riverside Athletic and Bay Rovers were disappointed to miss the play-offs by only a single point despite each club enjoying decent league campaigns. Drinagh Rangers finished a disappointing 7th for the Cannon Crowley Park club who had won the U14 double the season before. Rangers still managed to enjoy a decent run in the SFAI National Cup and deservedly lifted the SuperValu U14 Shield in May. Clonakilty AFC, Clonakilty AFC Youths and newcomers Ballydehob found the going tough and finished in the bottom half of the league while Harbour United folded only a few weeks into the season.



SFAI National Cups
One of the highlights of the 2007-08 campaign turned out to be both Skibbereen and Drinagh Rangers U14’s remarkable run in the SFAI National Cup. In September’s Preliminary Round Greenwood knocked out a gallant Ballydehob (3-0), Ardmore defeated Clonakilty AFC and Ringmahon accounted for Togher Celtic. The WCSL enjoyed opening round success with Drinagh overcoming the challenge of Springfield Ramblers (4-1), Skibbereen travelling to Inishvilla and winning a 5 goal thriller (3-2), while Bay Rovers and Bunratty United accounted for Glounthaune United (3-1) and Castleview (4-1) respectively.

Kilreen Celtic brought an end to Bunratty United’s run on October 20th following a 4-2 victory in Schull. Bay Rovers were also eliminated at the first round stage with Rockmount scoring 4 times without reply in Kealkil. It was left to Skibbereen and Drinagh to fly the flag for West Cork with the Baltimore Road side recording an emphatic 7-0 win away to Ardmore and Drinagh picking up a memorable 2-1 victory away to Greenwood. Round 3 of the SFAI National cup saw Skibbereen continue their marvellous run with a 6-0 demolition of Buttevant. Drinagh Rangers were finally knocked out after 3-1 defeat to Corinthian Boys in Cannon Crowley Park. Skibbereen’s extraordinary odyssey in the National Cup finally came to halt on the 15th of December when the visiting Ballincollig proved too strong for an under-strength West Cork outfit (4-1). Overall, the West Cork Schoolboys League sides proved more than a match for most CSL opposition throughout the early rounds of the U14 National Cup. The collective 2007-08 performances are hugely encouraging heading into the upcoming 2008-09 National Cup competitions.



SuperValu U14 Play-Offs
Lyre Rovers entertained Bunratty United in the opening match of the SuperValu U14 Play-Offs on April 12th. The host produced a blistering display to upset the favourites from Schull (5-2). Kevin Cormican and Eoin Hartnett each weighed in with braces while Ethan Draper added a fifth for the home side. Eddie Goggin replied with two goals for a depleted Bunratty. Togher Celtic repeated the same 5-2 score-line at home to Skibbereen a week later in Togher. Mark Quinn notched a hat-trick with Daniel Twomey and David O’Brien completing the scoring in a memorable win for Celtic. A shell-shocked Skibbereen’s goals came from Dan MacEoin and Kevin Davis.

The second round of U14 Play-Off fixtures took place on Saturday the 26th of April with Lyre and Togher repeating their opening day heroics. Lyre Rovers defeated Skibbereen 4-2 in a six goal thriller in Knockskeagh. The match turned out to be one of the games of the season at U14 level with two fully committed sides playing superb football throughout and each contributing to a magnificent spectacle. Kevin Davis beat John Leahy to a long ball into the Lyre penalty area and headed into the net for an early 1-0 Skibbereen lead. James Hayes levelled for the hosts before expertly chipping the Skibbereen goalkeeper from the tightest of angles to put the home side 2-1 up at the interval. Ethan Draper sent an unstoppable 25 free-kick into the top corner of the net for a remarkable goal and a 3-1 lead five minutes after the break. Dan MacEoin brought it back to 3-2 before James Hayes grabbed his hat-trick to end an exciting encounter. On the same day Togher travelled to Schull and came away with all 3 points in a pulsating 2-1 victory over Bunratty United. Gavin McEntaggart put Bunratty 1-0 ahead but Shane Cotter equalised and Maurice Murphy won the game with a late header to setup a home clash with Lyre Rovers to decide the outcome of the U14 League title.

Togher and Lyre played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Togher on the 5th of May. The result meant the two sides would have to square up once again to decide the U14 title as both teams finished level on points joint-top of the SuperValu U14 Play-Off table. Daniel Twomey put Togher ahead only for Ethan Draper to equalise from the penalty spot just before half time in what turned out to be a tense match.



SuperValu U14 Decider
Rovers finally got their hands on the coveted league trophy following a well deserved 4-1 victory over Togher in a SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys U14 Play-Off decider in Ballyvackey on the 11th of May. Togher grabbed the lead against the run of play with the lively Mark Quinn netting. Rovers demonstrated their undoubted talent and resolve to fight back and score 4 times to secure the U14 league crown. James Hayes (2), Scott Sheehan and Kevin Cormican each netted to bring the SuperValu U14 League title to Knockskeagh for the first time in the club’s history.

WCSL U12 League 2007-08 Review

Clonakilty AFC deservedly lifted the 2007-08 SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys League U12 crown after topping a second play-off ‘group of death’ ahead of Skibbereen and Bunratty United.


SuperValu U12 League
The 2007-08 SuperValu U12 league season saw fourteen teams split into two groups with the top two ranked sides in each group progressing to the SuperValu U12 Play-Offs to decide the destination of the league title. Clonakilty AFC dominated Group1, topping the table with 10 wins from their 12 matches and qualifying for the play-offs in confident fashion. The battle for the second play-off berth was surprisingly won by Leeside who edged out the much-fancied Durrus by two points. Durrus recovered from the disappointment of missing the play-offs to eventually win the U12 Shield tournament by the end of the season. Lyre Rovers, Bay Rovers and Drinagh Rangers each enjoyed decent runs in Group1 but were never consistent enough to mount a serious challenge. Ardfield - playing at U12 level for the first time - found the going extremely tough but battled courageously in every game and proved a credit to their club. U12 Group2 transpired as expected with both Bunratty United and Skibbereen qualifying for the play-offs but not before league debutantes, Dunmanway Town, came mightily close to forcing their way into the top two. The Mullough club topped the table for much of the season but crucially ran out of steam towards the end of the group. Third place is still a remarkable result in Dunmanway’s inaugural season. Riverside Athletic and Togher Celtic failed to mount a sustained challenge and finished mid-table. Clonakilty Youths were outclassed in many of their games while Harbour United folded only two weeks into the season.



SFAI National Cups
The early stages of the West Cork Schoolboys U12 League season saw no less than six clubs enter the Preliminary rounds of the SFAI National Cup competition. Clonakilty AFC fell at the first hurdle at home to Corinthian Boys ‘A’ 5-3 in an eight goal thriller. The five remaining WCSL clubs fared much better with Durrus defeating Park United 4-1 and Bunratty United knocking out Everton 4-0. Drinagh Rangers accounted for Togher 3-1 in an all WCSL tie with goals from Jake King (2) and Gary Lordan earning the home side a deserved victory. Skibbereen recorded the most impressive preliminary round triumph of all the West Cork sides, travelling to Cork and knocking out Crosshaven 4-3. The first round of SFAI matches took place in October with Skibbereen and Bunratty each recording notable wins. Skibb knocked out Rockmount in the Baltimore Road 4-1 after a fantastic team display. Bunratty travelled to Midleton and won a ten goal extravaganza 6-4 in Knockgriffin. Conor O'Driscoll scored 4 and Arron Barry grabbed a brace for the Schull side. Macroom ended Drinagh’s cup run in Cannon Crowley Park 3-1 while Durrus failed to field a team for the trip to Springfield Ramblers who were subsequently awarded a walkover.

Mayfield United ended Bunratty United’s interest in the competition in Town Park, Schull in November. The city side proved too strong for an under-strength United and ran out 5-3 winners. On the same day Skibbereen progressed to the last four of the Cork section following a superb 4-2 victory at home to Riverstown. Stephen McCarthy (2), Sean Deasy and Owen Collins found the net for Skibb in a famous win. The Baltimore Road club’s National Cup journey was finally ended by a star-studded Lakewood U12 outfit in December following a 3-2 defeat. Late goals from Sean Deasy and Stephen McCarthy proved immaterial but Skibb’s SFAI National Cup run turned out to be one of the highlights of a tremendous season for the West Cork club.



SuperValu U12 Play-Offs
The SuperValu U12 Play-Offs kicked off in April with Bunratty United edging Clonakilty AFC 3-2 following an ill-tempered affair in Town Park, Scull. Skibbereen proved too strong for Leeside in the opening round winning 4-1 thanks to a hat-trick from the prolific Stephen McCarthy and a late effort from Mark Collins. The Inchigeela side were effectively knocked out of the Play-Offs following a 9-1 drubbing away to Bunratty in May with the mercurial Conor O’Driscoll weighing in with 4 of Bunratty’s total. Clonakilty AFC recovered from their defeat to Bunratty to overpower a disappointing Skibbereen side 5-2 in Ballyvackey. Jack O'Mahony notched a hat-trick while Jack Cowhig and Eoin Ryan completed the scoring for Clon. The final round of play-off fixtures saw Bunratty ravel to the Baltimore Road knowing a draw would be enough to capture the league title. Skibbereen had other ideas and ran out 8-4 winners after a tremendous game. Owen Collins (3), Stephen McCarthy (2), Sean Deasy (2 Pens) and Sean O'Donovan found the net for Skibb while Conor O'Driscoll (3) and Josh Pickett responded for a shell-shocked United. Clonakilty AFC’s expected win at home to Leeside (5-2) meant there was a three way tie for the U12 League Championship so another play-off group was needed to decide a winner from Clon AFC, Skibb and Bunratty.



SuperValu U12 Play-Off Deciders
Bunratty United and Skibbereen share thee points in the opening match of the SuperValu U12 Play-Off Deciders in Town Park Schull. A Fionn Hurley penalty cancelled out a Stephen McCarthy effort in a tight affair. Three days later Clonakilty AFC gained revenge over Bunratty United for their 5-2 defeat in the play-offs to record a hard fought 2-1 victory before a huge crowd in Ballyvackey. A last minute goal from Jack O’Mahony effectively knocked Bunratty out of the title race and set up a winner take all encounter with Skibbereen on the 19th of May. The destination of the title was finally decided following a pulsating 3-3 draw in the Baltimore Road Ground with Clon AFC grabbing a point away to Skibb to secure the U12 Championship. Goals from Eoin Ryan and a brace from Jack Cowhig brought the league crown back to Clonakilty following an unforgettable season for the Ballyvackey-based club.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Premier League Weekend That Was - Aug 23-24-25

After two rounds of the new Premier League season only title-contenders Liverpool and Chelsea can look back with a degree of satisfaction having maintained their 100% starts. Neither side had it easy this past weekend though thanks to the Herculean efforts of Middlesbrough and Wigan respectively.

Gareth Southgate's Boro bossed Liverpool all over the Anfield pitch for much of their Saturday afternoon encounter and took a deserved lead through the revitalised Mido (his second goal in as many games). The subsequent fight back from the home side represents a clear sign that Benitez's side may well have overcome their inconsistent home form which has blighted their title challenges in recent years. True, Carragher's leveller took a wicked deflection but Gerrard's winner was an effort of sheer class in front of an exultant Kop. You make our own luck in the Premier League and Benitez can take heart from the fact while Liverpool have failed to impress in their opening two matches they still have maximum points on the board. Should Middlesbrough continue to build on their excellent opening fortnight - utilising a more attack minded philosophy - then a top 10 finish or better is not beyond them this term.

When Wigan conceded an early goal to a beautifully flighted Deco free kick in the Sunday lunchtime kick off you would have expected the floodgates to open. Not so, Athletic didn't allow their heads to drop and put in a terrific performance which warranted at least a point. Palacios, Heskey and Bramble were the pick of Wigan's best players yet the Londoners held out for a hard earned 3 points. Chelsea have demonstrated two sides to the title credentials in the opening weekends of the new season. The 4-0 demolition of Portsmouth displayed their vast array of attacking talent in both midfield and attack while Sunday's 1-0 win at Wigan - whilst nowhere near as impressive as the weekend before - suggests they will give up few goals on their travels this campaign with a rock solid defence in front of the impressive Cech.

Arsenal came a cropper at Craven Cottage losing 1-0 to Roy Hodgson's new look side. Worryingly for the Gunners, even before falling behind, they looked a shadow of the side who easily won 3-0 at the same venue at the start of the year. Denilson and Eboue in midfield simply didn't work demonstrating Arsenal's over-reliance on the influence of the absent Fabregas. A new midfielder is simply a must-buy for Wenger before the transfer window is slammed shut with Xabi Alonso muted as a possible target. Even ex-Gunner Lee Dixon felt compelled to launch a scathing attack on Captain William Gallas and the current Arsenal side on Match of the Day2 on Sunday night. The former right back wasn't alone in his criticisms with Kenny Sansom also having a go on Setanta Sports News. Both are stunned at the perceived lack of leadership out on the pitch when Arsenal fall behind and they each see the North London giants falling further behind their title rivals unless a new change of attitude appears in the coming weeks.

The other North London Premier League club, Spurs, are in a sorry state following their second defeat in as many games on Saturday. Sunderland were good value for their 2-1 win at the Lane thanks to a late Cisse debut goal. Juande Ramos left want away striker Dimitar Berbatov out of the starting squad altogether citing the fact the Bulgarian wasn’t psychologically ready for the game. This statement generated thousands of column inches in the British tabloids over the weekend and the sooner the striker leaves for Manchester United the better. Thankfully there was at least one voice of reason amongst the utter drivel spouted form most of the key personnel at White Hart Lane following the defeat. England international and Spurs centre back Jonathan Woodgate told it like it is when he responded with a curt ‘bullsh*t’ to the question that the reason Spurs lost at the weekend due to the whole on-going Berbatov saga affecting the players. Such remarks need to be backed up by increased levels of performance as Spurs next assignment is a daunting away trip to Stamford Bridge.


Man United returned to winning ways with a 1-0 win at Portsmouth in the Monday night game. A deflected Darren Fletcher effort earned the Red Devils their first win on the South Coast in three years. Sir Alex Ferguson's relief at seeing his side collect their first win of the season was palpable: “We played some excellent football tonight. This is a difficult place to come, so it is a bonus to come here and win”. With difficult away trips to Anfield and Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks 3 points was necessary and thanks to the magnificent Paul Scholes United edged the win. Elsewhere Hull City made it 4 points of out 6 thanks to a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park. A patchwork Everton were still too much for a hugely disappointing West Brom and Man City got their season back on track with Stephen Ireland impressing in a 3-0 rout of West ham following their 4-2 defeat away to Villa on the opening day. Stoke grabbed all the headlines following a thrilling 3-2 victory at home to an out of sorts Aston Villa. Tony Pulis' side will prove to be no pushover for any visiting side in the intimidating Britannia Stadium this season. Striker Ricardo Fuller looks a good signing culminating in his second goal in as many games on Saturday.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Premier League Weekend That Was - Aug 17-18

The Premier League is back with a bang following a weekend of terrific goals, shoddy defending, huge crowds and no shortage of talking points. Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea each enjoyed expected victories but an under strength Manchester United were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

Chelsea put in the most impressive performance of the opening weekend with a comprehensive 4-0 demolition of a seemingly un-interested Portsmouth. Ballack, Lampard and Deco dove-tailed superbly in midfield in a dominant first 45 minutes which yielded three goals without reply. Phil Scolari was naturally pleased with his side's performance but made it clear in each of his media interviews afterwards that the 3 points was all that concerned him. It seemed an unusual yet direct response to Mr. Abramovich apparent demand for 'beautiful football' every week from his expensively assembled Chelsea side. Scolari's biggest challenge will involve keeping all of his highly paid stars happy for the remainder of the season. Regular first team players Drogba and Essien are on the verge of returning from injury which will pose an interesting selection headache for the Brazilian. Should Chelsea pull off a major transfer coup before the September 1st deadline (persistent Robinho and Kaka rumours refuse to go away) then the Blues will possess the most potent midfield in the Premier League and justify their tags as favourites to lift the title this term.

Manchester United looked a pale shadow of the all-conquering Premier and Champions League winning side of last season following a dull 1-1 draw at home to the Magpies. Shay Given made a string of world class saves but in truth shorn of the talents of Ronaldo and Tevez United never looked like clicking into top gear. The Red Devils had to rely on a fine Darren Fletcher finish to cancel out a Martins header two minutes before to secure a point. Sir Alex Ferguson will be well aware while it is only the first game of the season it is two points dropped and at home. United's squad looked stretched to the limit and the imminent arrival of Dimitar Berbatov from Spurs can't happen soon enough. Poor results from a horrendous looking fixture list in the upcoming weeks (away to Portsmouth, Liverpool and Chelsea) means United could well fall further behind their title main title rivals so early in the campaign.

The new look Spanish-Irish strike force of Torres and Keane at will need another couple of matches to gel following Liverpool's hard-earned 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light. Keane's main contribution was to inadvertently divert a goal bound effort from his strike partner. The Irish Captain looked none too pleased at being called ashore by Benitez but will have to get used to that scenario - such is the Spanish manager's penchant for squad rotation. It is a very different scenario from his previous four seasons at White Hart Lane where Keane was regularly the first name on the team sheet. Liverpool looked a far better side when Alonso was introduced and it was he who provided the pass for Torres to convert the only goal and one piece of true quality in the Stadium of Light. Roy Keane's Sunderland side has been bolstered by the additions of Tainio, Chimbonda, Malbranque and Diouf during the close season. The Black Cats should have enough quality to avoid a relegation scrap this season but will have to pick up points against the likes of Everton, Aston Villa and Spurs to meet the demands of their manager and "progress on to the next level" in the Premier League.

Spurs 2-1 loss at the Riverside represented one of the most disappointing results of the weekend from a club tipped by many to challenge the top four this season. Dos Santos flitted in and out of the game, Modric was completely anonymous and Darren Bent a pale shadow of the free-scoring striker from pre-season. Spurs lack of cover in defence was cruelly exposed with makeshift right back Zokora and centre back Michael Dawson at fault for both Middlesbrough goals. It could turn out to be another season of false promise at White Hart Lane if Juande Ramos fails to replace both Keane and Berbatov before the transfer window shuts. A couple of new defenders wouldn't go amiss either with the injury prone Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate unlikely to be fit enough to feature in every league game.

Final word on the weekend must go to Hull who recorded a fantastic 2-1 victory at home to Fulham in their first ever Premier League game at a packed KC Stadium. Phil Brown is a highly respected coach having served for many years under Sam Allardyce at Bolton. Brown has bought wisely during the close season and the acquisition of Giovanni from Manchester City could yet prove a master-stroke. There are tougher challenges ahead for the Tigers but 3 points from the opening day is a welcome return when you consider Derby County failed to manage a single win last season.