Several Irish players abroad carried their momentum forward, building on the confidence gained during the international window and continuing to deliver solid, consistent performances across their respective leagues, while there were some setbacks as well for Ireland’s star forwards.
Troy Parrott struggled to get involved as AZ Alkmaar trailed 1-0 to FC Twente, largely starved of service throughout the game. But deep into injury time, AZ won a penalty and it looked as though Parrott would provide the late equaliser that felt almost inevitable. Instead, his attempted Panenka sailed over the bar – a moment he’ll want to forget.
It means Parrott has now missed three penalties in a row at club level, though two of those came before the international break, and he still stepped up and scored from the spot for Ireland against Hungary. His resilience has never been in doubt, and you’d back him to bounce back from this one as well.
Evan Ferguson was taken off at half-time for AS Roma after struggling to get involved against Napoli. His one half-chance came when played through by Lorenzo Pellegrini, but he was well tackled by Amir Rrahmani, as his team went into the break 1-0 down. It was a tough break for Ferguson, who was subbed off for Tommaso Baldanzi by manager Gian Piero Gasperini.
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But the weekend took a far more optimistic turn after that. Finn Azaz continued his excellent form for Southampton, scoring again in their 3–2 defeat to Millwall on Saturday. It was his fifth goal in his last four games, as he keeps shining in the Saints’ jersey. Ryan Manning and Gavin Bazunu also completed 90 minutes for Southampton, while on the opposite side Aidomo Emakhu put in an impressive 88-minute shift for the Lions, with Danny McNamara also playing 74 minutes for Millwall.
Also in the Championship at the weekend, Tom Cannon looked very much back to his old self as he scored against his former club Leicester City in Sheffield United’s 3-2 win over the Foxes on Saturday. It’s been a difficult start to the season for Cannon, but with two goals in the past week, he finally appears to have rediscovered the confidence he had been missing.
Meanwhile, fresh off his return from suspension on Saturday, Jayson Molumby delivered the perfect response for West Brom after costing his side three points at Coventry last week. With the Baggies trailing 2-0 to Adam Idah’s Swansea, Molumby played a key role in the comeback, eventually scoring the decisive goal to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory in the dying minutes.
In the Premier League on Saturday, it was a quieter one for the Irish. Keith Andrews’ Brentford got the better of Josh Cullen’s Burnley, with Cullen playing 81 minutes in midfield. Nathan Collins completed the full 90 for the Bees, as did Caoimhín Kelleher in their 3–1 win – a fully deserved victory in which both Irishmen on the Brentford side performed strongly.
The only other Irish player to feature in the Premier League was Jake O’Brien, who played 90 minutes at right-back for Everton in their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle.
A player who has quietly gone under the radar this season, after years of setbacks, is finally finding himself again at Leyton Orient. Aaron Connolly has been on absolute fire for the O’s of late. He scored again yesterday and added an assist in their 4-0 win over Burton on Saturday. Connolly now sits as the joint-top goalscorer in League One and already looks back to his old self – in truth, he looks a level above the division he’s playing in.
What makes his form even more impressive is that he’s doing it from the left-hand side rather than as a traditional number 9, yet still leads the league in goals.
Another Irishman continuing to stand out in League One is Jamie Mullins, who found the net for Wycombe with a brilliant header in their 1-1 draw with Rotherham. It may not be a type of goal we see him score too often, but it was a superb finish from a player who remains a highly regarded prospect.
Conor Noss, the former Ireland Under-21 international, was also on the scoresheet on Saturday, bringing his tally to six goals for the season for MSV Duisburg, who sit joint top of the 3. Liga. Noss has now scored in each of his last three games and is enjoying the best run of form of his career.
Player and Stat of the Week - Fi–n Azaz (Southampton) - Scored i– four consecutive games
For the second week in a row, Finn Azaz claims the honour – and it’s impossible to argue against him. The midfielder was outstanding again, scoring at the weekend to make it goals in four consecutive games and five in his last four Championship matches. His finish was another tidy, composed strike from a player brimming with confidence. Add in his midweek goal against Leicester, and Azaz is clearly the driving force in this Southampton side. He can’t stop impressing, and right now he looks to be improving with every single performance.
Goal of the Week – Aaron Connolly (Leyton Orient)
Aaron Connolly takes this week’s Goal of the Week with a superb piece of individual brilliance. It was Connolly at his very best – running at defenders, using his pace, power, and one-on-one ability to full effect. He burst past his marker, drove to the byline, and slipped the ball through the keeper’s legs with real confidence and composure.
It was a top-class finish and his eighth goal of the season, keeping him as League One’s joint top scorer. Connolly looks better each week and is clearly edging closer to his very best again.
