ON THIS DAY
Bank of Ireland Ulster SFC first round: Sunday May 29 2005: Cavan 0-11 Antrim 0-11
Antrim pay penalty for injury time slip
ANTRIM manager Mickey Culbert defended the players who tried to run down the clock during injury time in yesterday’s exciting first round clash Breffni Park.
As the game entered the last two minutes, Antrim led by a single point. The Saffrons tried to hog possession around the outskirts of a bunched Cavan defence.
The move backfired when Cavan won the ball and launched a counter-attack which resulted in the equalising score. Opinion was divided on Antrim’s tactics afterwards.
Some felt it was foolish to try and protect a lead. Others disagreed, arguing that Antrim were right to hold the ball.
Those who backed Antrim tactics said a more battle-heartened, cynical outfit would have simply fouled Cavan in their own half.
(So much for negative Ulster football).
Mickey Culbert had his own firm opinions on the hot topic in Breffni Park.
When asked if he felt his players did the right thing, his response was unequivocal.
“Yes. I definitely do,” he said. “And if it had worked out, it definitely would have been the right thing.”
Antrim: P Murray; C Brady, A McClean, D Gault; T Scullion, G Adams, S Kelly; J Quinn, M McCarry; C Close (0-3, 3 frees); B Herron, T O’Neill; K Brady (0-2), M McCann, K Madden (0-5, 5 frees).
Subs: S Devlin (0-1) for G Adams (h/t); A Gallagher for M McCann (4mins); P Logan for B Herron (53mins); T Convery for M McCarry (61mins); K Murray for D Gault (63mins).
Yellow cards: T Scullion; P Murray.
Cavan: J Reilly; M Hannon, D Rabbitt, K Fannin; Karl Crotty, P Reilly, M Cahill; D McCabe (0-1, 1 free), P McKenna (0-1); M McKeever, N Walsh, F Reilly (0-5, 3 ‘45); J Reilly, J Tierney, L Reilly (0-4)
Subs: Paul Brady for M McKeever (46mins); Paddy Brady for J Tierney. (55mins); M Graham for J Reilly (72mins).
Yellow cards: K Crotty; J Reilly.
Red cards: K Crotty 58.
Attendance: 10,500.
Referee: M Ryan (Limerick)
The Irish News - Saturday May 29 2010: O’Hara edged out in title clash
KEVIN O’Hara’s British super-featherweight title dream came to an end after he lost to Gary Sykes in Huddersfield last night.
Despite a bright start, the Belfast man came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision over 12 rounds as Sykes, the local man, retained his title.
The action was non-stop from the first bell.
‘Sweet Pea’ began like a man on a mission, snapping Sykes’ head back with straight right hands and firing in booming left hooks.
Stalking forward, O’Hara continued his good work in the second.
Again he landed the straight right, then caught the champion with a left hook.
Two more hooks rocked Sykes, who was looking ruffled and struggling to cope with the Belfast man’s workrate and accuracy.
A first title looked to be there for the taking for O’Hara, but Sykes changed his tactics from the third.
There was no more rushing in as he tried to wear ‘Sweet Pea’ down.
A clash of heads opened a cut over O’Hara’s right eye in the fourth and Sykes wrestled back the initiative.
A late rally from the John Breen man ensured the fight went all the way, but Sykes took the decision and held on to his title.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Brian Kidd was an assistant coach with which current League One side before he moved to Manchester City?
2. How old is British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith?
3. Which American Major League Soccer team is also owned by the City Football Group?
4. Which county won the All-Ireland GAA Senior Football Championship final in 2013?
5. Which European capital was England cricket captain Eoin Morgan born in?
6. In which city was the first Formula One race held?
7. Name the boxer who defeated Anthony Joshua in 2019?
8. Which county won the All-Ireland GAA Senior Hurling Championship final in 2013?
9. Which world champion boxer is known as 'El Gallo??
10. Serena Williams has won how many French Open titles?
(See quiz answers at bottom)
BIRTHDAYS
Al Unser (motor racing) - four-time winner of the Indy 500, born 1939.
Martin Pipe (horse racing) - record-breaking National Hunt trainer, born 1945.
Brian Kidd (soccer) - former Manchester United midfielder and assistant manager, currently assistant manager of Manchester City, born 1949.
Ukyo Katayama (motor racing) - Japanese driver who contested 95 Formula One grands prix for Larrousse, Tyrrell and Minardi, born 1963.
Jean Van De Velde (golf) - Frenchman who came second at the Open in 1999 after famously throwing away a three-shot lead on the final hole, born 1966.
Roberto Di Matteo (soccer) - former Chelsea player and manager who guided the club to the 2012 Champions League title and FA Cup, born 1970.
Andrey Arshavin (soccer) - former Arsenal and Russia forward, born 1981.
Carmelo Anthony (basketball) - Portland Trail Blazers small forward, born 1984.
ON THIS DAY
1902: Edgbaston became the fifth English Test cricket ground and England celebrated by bowling out Australia for only 36 runs.
1968: Two goals from Bobby Charlton helped Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1 after extra-time to become the first English winners of the European Cup.
1985: A riot at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels resulted in the deaths of 39 people at the European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool.
2007: The Football Association confirmed it would have an independent chairman from 2008 after an AGM voted in favour of Lord Burns' structural review of the body.
2008: Chelsea sacked Henk Ten Cate following reports of disagreements between the first-team coach and players.
2013: Former Godolphin handler Mahmood Al Zarooni withdrew his appeal against an eight-year disqualification from horse racing training. Al Zarooni, 37, was found guilty of administering anabolic steroids to 15 horses.
2015: Sepp Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term as FIFA president despite the corruption crisis that had struck the world governing body in the build-up to the election. However, the Swiss would announce his resignation from the role four days later.
2015: James Anderson became the first Englishman to take 400 Test wickets, reaching the landmark by removing New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill at Headingley.
2017: Huddersfield won promotion to the Premier League with a play-off final win over Reading.
STANDOUT FIGHT NIGHT
On This Day in 2016: Tony Bellew won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title with a third-round knockout of Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park
Bellew got the chance to fight for the WBC world cruiserweight title after reigning champion Grigory Drozd vacated the belt due to injury.
The British fighter had home advantage on his side, though, with the bout staged at Everton's Goodison Park stadium. Bellew is a devoted Everton fan, making it a special night for him.
Fears about Makabu were well-placed as his power caught Bellew cold in the first round and sent him to the canvas, even though he had dominated.
A long night looked on the cards, but Bellew recovered and delivered a barrage of left hooks in the third round that floored Makabu, with the referee intervening.
It was a glorious moment for Bellew, who won a world title at the third attempt after previous bouts against Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson had ended in defeat.
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1. Portsmouth; 2. 24; 3. New York City FC; 4. Dublin, by a 2–12 to 1-14 win over Mayo; Yorkshire; 5. Dublin, Ireland; 6. Turin, Italy; 7. Andy Ruiz (USA); 8. Clare, beating Cork in a replay, by 5-16 to 3-16; 9. Juan Romero (Mexico); 10. Three.
