Randolph ‘hopeful’ and Lyons nicks late winner
BRAY’S Darren Randolph has told Irish boss Mick McCarthy that he is ‘hopeful’ of making the crunch Euro 2020 showdown with Denmark at a sold-out Aviva Stadium next month.
The Middlesbrough goalkeeper, man of the match against Switzerland in Geneva, has missed his club’s last two Championship games with a thigh strain but is in contention for the Ireland fixtures.
Manager McCarthy has spoken to Randolph and offered this update to FAI.ie: ‘Darren is hopeful at this point in time that he will be fit to report in with the rest of the squad on the Sunday ahead of the New Zealand game.
‘The Denmark match is three weeks away still and Darren is confident that he has enough time on his side to get over the injury and play for us in the game that can get us to the Euros,’ he said.
Meanwhile, another Bray man was creating headlines this week when a 93rd minute winner from Chris Lyons sent United Park into delirium and gave Drogheda United the edge over Finn Harps with a Premier Division place in 2020 at stake.
The Bray native latched onto Stephen Meaney’s backheel with just seconds remaining and produced a fine finish to hand Drogheda a slender lead ahead of Friday’s second leg.
Lyons had the outstanding chance of the first half.
Adam Wixted delivered a pinpoint cross from the right but despite being unchallenged in the area, Lyons header was too close to Harps goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley.
The ex-Bray striker tested McGinley again when he drove past Gareth Harkin and unleashed a dipping effort than the goalkeeper had to tip over the crossbar in an overall lacklustre encounter.