Category: Sport

Football history-Brentford on the move

After the disappointment of last year, Brentford secure promotion with three games to spare. It seems all around them are losing their heads.

Such stark contrast to the end of the season last year when they argued about, then missed, a last minute penalty, that if scored would have given them victory and automatic promotion. That lead to the ‘play-offs’ and failure for the 7th time. That time a loss in the final to Yeovil, who may just survive in the Championship this year.

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DexA79jT_YQ?list=UUAalMUm3LIf504ItA3rqfug&w=560&h=315]

Brentford secure promotion from League One after Preston victory

Brentford 1 Preston 0

League One

Brentford
  • Alan Judge 30 Pen
Preston
Brentford Alan Judge

Brentford’s Alan Judge celebrates after scoring from a penalty against Preston North End at Griffin Park. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images

Brentford celebrated spot-kick salvation after Alan Judge’s 30th-minute penalty proved enough for a 1-0 win and promotion to the Championship.

Almost a year after Marcello Trotta’s final-day miss denied the Bees a place in the second tier, Judge kept his cool to put his side in front against play-off hopefuls Preston at Griffin Park. Judge could even afford to miss a second penalty in the second half.

Brentford’s elevation was partly made possible by a surprise 2-1 defeat for Leyton Orient at Crawley. The long-time leaders of League One now face the uncertainty of the play-offs after seeing their increasingly slim hopes of automatic promotion extinguished at Broadfield Stadium. Gwion Edwards put the home side in front after 26 minutes and despite an equaliser from Chris Dagnall just before the break, Adam Drury’s 70th-minute header won it for the hosts.

Team Quirke

Today is a holiday in Wellington. No lying in bed for us, it was up at 5-45 to take part in on of the Scorching Bay Triathlon series. We did the short form, with Joe doing the duathlon form-no swim but extra run.

 

 

Our experience and equipment was of a lesser standard than some of he competitors but we all finished and I think, all did very well. I beat EQ of course, despite my appalling swim. I made up for it on the bike but did have a bike much better suited to riding on the road than she had. It was my old racer that I have refurbished. The same bike I used for my only previous Triathlon experience in 1997 at Crystal Palace. Joe did very well, and came home before EQ. We all enjoyed the event, and it inspired Shaz also. So, we are looking forward to further events later in the summer (when it arrives of course). Plan is to step up to the medium distance but will have to do some serious swim practice. It was choppy today, and plenty of sea water went in the mouth. This could all be very expensive. Not just the entry fees, but also I can see demands for new bikes coming.

This is part of the current Quirke detox programme. We are feeling healthy and virtuous currently. Will keep you posted on our continuing levels of healthy behaviour. Maybe the equivalent to a London to Paris cycle will eventuate, though upgrade in equipment may be required. I do not think there is any kryptonite in any of our bikes, or muscles for that matter.

 

Left footers win Kilbirnie derby


This posting probably would have a narrow appeal, to a single house in Dublin.
All the Qs were pitchside for Poneke(Pon-e-key) versus Marist St. Pats, two of the Wellington club competition teams, and situated across the road from each other.
For Marist read “left footers”, and the club attracts its players from the city boys college(high school), left foot variety. I have watched club rugby for last three years and never taken to Poneke, though their quality tends to be reliable.
We arrived just before end of the first half with MSP leading. We were treated to a great second half, with entertaining rugby as MSP ripped ’em up, with great running from their backs, beautifully executed attacks and good link work with the forwards.
Poneke were “whipped” 30-21.
I am sure this “sectarian” support is bad for you!

Is it the FA Cup?

Super 14 final today, which features The Hurricanes and The Crusaders, two Kiwi teams. A big event and so continual talk and newspaper articles all week. The enemy are the favourites. Nearly a domestic competition, or at least a mini -international one that NZ teams do well in.
As an event I suppose close to FA Cup, or maybe Champions League final.
Go the “Canes”.

Saturday Pattern


Rugby was not rained off this weekend, so trip to Ian Galloway Park to see the U-11s do their stuff, which in the first half was not upto scratch. This was noted by the coach
at his half-time team talk ” as individuals your are playing well, but as a team you are crap”-no punches pulled then. And yes they were crap; poor tackling, too many “lone rangers” and trying to run around the other team, rather than straight. A better “second 40” (actually 25 minutes), saw two tries to our one, better team work and commitment.
Lots of shouting from sideline involved the usual “tackle”, “run straight” and “keep up with the ball”.
Joe apparently suffered some “stomping”. Someone stood on his achilles in a ruck.
A good Saturday morning.

Doom and Gloom

Monday morning gloom. It has been miserable weather since yesterday with freezing strong winds from the south west with large dollops of rain. Woken in the night by the wind howling around the house and chucking the garden furniture around on the deck. Next up was the shaking for about five seconds.
“A five magnitude quake has rattled the lower North Island this morning.
There are no reports of damage or injuries following the shake, which struck at 5:32am.
Seismologists say it was located 40 kilometres northwest of Porirua, at a depth of 60 kilometres.
The earthquake is the second to be felt in the Wellington region in the last 24 hours. At 7.26 last night, a 3.8 magnitude quake was felt in the capital and Marlborough.”

Then to get up and check out the BBC and find Brentford lost to the Swans…….
A welcome to Brighton due next season.

Total Kiwi


Saturday was a complete rugby day.
First up was the first game of Joseph’s rugby career, playing for Western Suburbs U-11 “Reds” against a Johnsonville team.
A late change in the rules meant the boys have to play on a full size pitch, no mean feat when you are 10. They played well, and it looked like rugby with the forwards fighting for the ball and the backs lined up waiting for some action. The forwards were greedy-some things do not change from generation to generation. The passing along the backs is not slick yet-but of course they all want to do spin passes. There was some committed tackling going on and some nice running. The opposition had one of those electric runners that no one else can catch. He scored two tries.
The lads kept on running and appeared truly knackered after 50 minutes of action.
So a good game for a first outing with so little practice behind them. More happy Saturdays to come?

After lunch it was off to watch a local club game as a family. Marist St. Pats v Tawa. MSP play in B & I Lions colours. An enjoyable outing, with a trip to the “Brewery” on the way home. Dad and big son then went to watch the Hurricanes and Chiefs fight it out at the “Cake Tin”. Not great weather, and not a great game only partially explained by the conditions. Also,we had the misfortune to be sitting with a group of misfits on a works trip from I assume Upper Hutt…..hmmm.

Rugby, rugby, rugby……what more do you need? This is NZ after all.