NEVILLE’S HELL
Ex-United star fears Euro win for Liverpool
GARY NEVILLE is keeping his fingers crossed that Liverpool don’t win the Champions League next week.
The former Manchester United and England star turned TV pundit and club owner, has admitted that should Manchester United lose this weekend’s FA Cup final to Chelsea, and arch-rivals Liverpool win the Champions League in Kiev on Saturday week, it will make for ‘the season from hell’.
‘Let’s just live in hope that United win the FA Cup and our friend Cristiano Ronaldo turns up, scores a lovely little hat-trick,’ said Neville. ‘Liverpool have done brilliantly to get to the final. I just don’t want them to win it!’
Ronaldo, meanwhile, appears to be making progress in his bid to be fit for Saturday week’s decider.
The Portuguese superstar took part in Madrid’s first training session of the week yesterday, having missed the club’s last two matches in La Liga. Afterwards, he tweeted a photo of himself with an OK emoji.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC look to be finding consistency as they find themselves right in the mix for a Europa League spot. A third win on the trot sends them level on points with Derry City in fourth place and it’s the Candystripes who visit Richmond Park on Friday night.
The Saints are in flying form after two second-half goals from Dean Clarke and Thomas Byrne’s first for the club from the penalty spot on his league debut edged out Sligo Rovers. Pat’s were only able to breathe easy once the 19year-old’s spot kicked squeezed under the body of Mitchell Beeney in the 91st minute.
It was a testing night due to an inability to put their chances away. Sligo, now just two points ahead of Limerick in the relegation play-off spot, wasted opportunities of their own.
It was goalless at the break but the opening 45 minutes was far from dour. Beeney didn’t actually have a save to make but opposite number Barry Murphy made two superb stops to give the Saints the platform to go on and take all three points.
An exceptional near post save from Kyle Callan-McFadden’s header, stooping low to get a strong hand as the defender prepared to wheel away in celebration, was a high point in the 26th minute and three minutes before the break Murphy outdid himself by fingertipping Adam Wixted’s close range thunderbolt over the bar.
Sligo made the keeper work, which is always half the battle, yet the home side arguably created the better openings but failed to even register a shot on target. After six minutes, Conan Byrne somehow saw a six-yard shot at the back post blocked over the bar by covering full-back Calum Waters before McFadden cleared the ball off the line moments later when he flapped at a deflected Simon Madden cross.
Lone frontman Thomas Byrne, starting his first league match of the season, was looking neat and tidy up top for Pat’s. He created a two v one with Markey on the half hour mark and it looked as if the deadlock would be broken.
Instead, with Byrne in acres of space in the box, Markey delayed his return pass by just a fraction and his pass didn’t have the pace to reach his team-mate as midfielder Jack Keaney recovered with a sliding interception.
Fine margins. And Markey was again in the thick of the action before the half-time whistle blew, twisting and turning in the penalty area but having two dangerous shots blocked by the Sligo rearguard.
The diminutive Dubliner’s influence continued into the second half and his ability to retain possession in tight spaces paid dividends in the build-up to what proved to be the match-winner in the 51st minute.
Markey was surrounded by a sea of Sligo bodies in the box but he kept his calm and, more importantly, the ball to lay off for the overlapping Madden. The right full-back’s cross to back post found its way to Clarke — with a little help from Ryan Brennan who leaned into his marker — and the Pat’s winger took one touch to set himself before firing low and hard at the near post.
It was the bit of class that told in the end but the drama wasn’t quite over.
Substitute Killian Brennan almost sealed the points with a sensational 35-yard volley from Conan Byrne’s corner only to see it saved brilliantly by Beeney in the 73rd minute.
Sligo centre back John Mahon then somehow managed to blaze over the bar unmarked right in front of the goal with five minutes remaining before Byrne’s spot kick in the first minute of injury time finally sealed the deal after Keaney bundled Jake Keegan over in the box. ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Murphy; Madden, Desmond, Toner, Bermingham (c); C Byrne, Lennon (K Brennan 60), Markey (Kelly 83), Clarke (Keegan 55), R Brennan; T Byrne. Scorers: Clarke 51, T Byrne pen 91 Booked: Lennon 45 SLIGO ROVERS: Beeney; Boylan, CallanMcFadden, Mahon, Waters; Wixted (Cretaro 80), Keaney, McCabe, McAleer (Roy 59); Moorhouse (Morrison 68); Morgan. Booked: McCabe 20, Keaney 33, Morrison 90. Referee: R Hennessy (Clare).