{"id":281984,"date":"2026-01-13T11:36:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T11:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/281984\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T11:36:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T11:36:18","slug":"norwichs-tony-springett-among-the-irish-scorers-in-fa-cup-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/281984\/","title":{"rendered":"Norwich\u2019s Tony Springett among the Irish scorers in FA Cup \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

A busy week for Irish players was defined by contrasts. There were highs and there were lows, with momentum built in some corners while it stalled in others. And, much like last week, the weather once again emerged as an unlikely headline act, with a raft of fixtures falling victim to the elements. <\/p>\n

Starting on a downbeat note, Evan Ferguson<\/a>\u2019s upward trajectory was abruptly checked on Saturday evening against Sassuolo. After weeks of justified positivity \u2013 improved performances, goals beginning to flow and confidence returning \u2013 this was a frustrating and disappointing outing. Ferguson started for the third consecutive game, but within the opening minutes he suffered a heavy knee to the upper glute and lower back area, an impact that visibly restricted him.<\/p>\n

He attempted to play through the pain, hobbling until the 35th minute, before aggravating the injury when stretching to meet a cross, forcing his withdrawal. Initial concern was understandable, but Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini later moved to ease fears. \u201cHe took a knock, a serious bruise \u2013 we\u2019ll see tomorrow,\u201d he said, noting that such blows can be painful and \u201csemi-paralysing\u201d without being long-term.<\/p>\n

\"EvanEvan Ferguson of AS Roma is injured against Sassuolo. Photograph: Paolo Bruno\/Getty <\/p>\n

While the expectation is that Ferguson will only miss a handful of days, it was still a worry, coming just as his recent form suggested momentum was beginning to build.<\/p>\n

Troy Parrott also returned to action on Saturday, playing 79 minutes in AZ Alkmaar\u2019s 1-0 win over Volendam. It was not a trademark Parrott performance, with the striker passing up a number of chances \u2013 including one clearcut opportunity he may feel he should have converted. Still, victories have a way of softening individual frustration, and Parrott\u2019s mentality suggests he will quickly move on.<\/p>\n

It was a weekend dominated by FA Cup action across the water. As ever, Irish players were prominent, none more so than on Sunday when Ryan Sweeney captained Mansfield Town to a famous victory over Championship side Sheffield United.<\/p>\n

\"MansfieldMansfield Town’s Ryan Sweeney against Bolton. Photograph: Harry McGuire – CameraSport via Getty <\/p>\n

One of the shocks of the round, the result was built on a commanding defensive display from Sweeney, who was outstanding at centre back, blocking, clearing and frustrating Sheffield United throughout. On the opposing side, Mark McGuinness started for United and registered an assist in the 4-3 defeat, while Tom Cannon remained an unused substitute.<\/p>\n

Sunday also offered a fleeting opportunity for a young Irish talent, as Franco Umeh was handed a chance for Portsmouth. Having only signed in the summer, the winger had missed the opening months of the season after suffering a hamstring tear. Introduced after 40 minutes in Portsmouth\u2019s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal, Umeh looked sharp and direct, in what was only his second appearance for the club.<\/p>\n

What initially felt like a dream introduction, however, ended in cruel fashion. In the 83rd minute, Umeh was forced off after appearing to suffer another hamstring injury \u2013 a devastating blow for a player who had only just returned to action.<\/p>\n

Saturday and Sunday\u2019s FA Cup action also provided positives through Jaze Kabia and Tony Springett. Kabia was the standout from Saturday\u2019s quieter Irish involvement, scoring for Grimsby Town in their 3-2 win against Weston-super-Mare \u2013 who featured Don Bernard and Charlie Cummins \u2013 to take his tally to 11 goals in all competitions. The League Two forward continues to kick on with each passing week. <\/p>\n

\"GrimsbyGrimsby Town’s Jaze Kabia (right) celebrates scoring side’s second goal of the game. Photograph: Nigel French\/PA <\/p>\n

On Sunday, Springett enjoyed a long-awaited moment of his own, coming off the bench to score his first senior goal for Norwich City in a 5-1 win over Evan Weir\u2019s Walsall. The former Republic of Ireland under-21 international has impressed in recent months and, after returning from a serious back injury, this felt like a deserved reward for the academy graduate at his boyhood club.<\/p>\n

Another positive over the weekend came in Serie A, where Corrie Ndaba made his second consecutive start for Lecce at left-back. It has been a challenging period for Ndaba since arriving in Italy last summer, with minutes hard to come by, but recent weeks have brought increased involvement and 78 minutes in Sunday\u2019s 2-1 defeat to Parma. <\/p>\n

Staying with left-footers, Liam Scales returned to Celtic\u2019s starting XI on Saturday in their 4-0 win over Dundee United. Having fallen out of the side under Wilfred Nancy, Scales was immediately restored following Martin O\u2019Neill\u2019s return as interim manager and responded with a composed performance, supplying an assist. Johnny Kenny also featured, coming off the bench as Celtic closed out a comfortable victory.<\/p>\n

Player of the Week \u2013 Ryan <\/b>S<\/b>weeney (Man<\/b>s<\/b>field Town)<\/b><\/p>\n

Ryan Sweeney was outstanding on Sunday as Mansfield Town produced one of the shocks of the FA Cup, defeating Sheffield United 4-3 at Bramall Lane. Clear underdogs as a side from a division below, Mansfield embraced the spirit of the competition, racing into a remarkable 4-1 lead built on discipline and belief. Even when Sheffield United threatened a comeback with two late goals, Mansfield held their nerve, with Sweeney leading from the back to see out a famous victory.<\/p>\n

Goal and <\/b>S<\/b>tat of the Week \u2013 Jaze Kabia (Grim<\/b>s<\/b>by Town) \u2013 11 Goal<\/b>s<\/b> thi<\/b>s<\/b> <\/b>s<\/b>ea<\/b>s<\/b>on<\/b><\/p>\n

It was a quiet week for Irish goalscorers abroad, but Jaze Kabia\u2019s 11th goal of the season stood out as the pick of the bunch. The forward has been in exceptional form since making the move into the EFL this season and, with a lovely delicate finish over the goalkeeper, secured a crucial FA Cup victory for Grimsby Town against Weston-super-Mare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A busy week for Irish players was defined by contrasts. There were highs and there were lows, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281985,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[18,19,17,52489,132],"class_list":{"0":"post-281984","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-irish-players-premier-league","12":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115887589531758096","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}