Premier League
Shay Given (Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa) Given wasted no time in endearing himself to the travelling Villa support on his competitive debut, pulling off excellent second-half saves from Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson to earn his side a point at Craven Cottage.
Paddy Kenny (QPR 0-4 Bolton) While Given thrived, it was a weekend to forget for one of the Premier League’s other Irish netminders as QPR’s Paddy Kenny conceded four at home to Bolton.
Wes Hoolahan (Wigan 1-1 Norwich) Ex-Shelbourne starlet Hoolahan celebrated his first Premier League outing with a goal on the stroke of half-time, smashing home Norwich’s equaliser from close range after a goalkeeping blunder by Ali Al-Habsi.
Stephen Ward (Blackburn 1-2 Wolves) Ward ensured that Wolves left Ewood Park with all three points on Saturday, reacting quickest when the Blackburn defence failed to clear Kevin Doyle‘s missed penalty in the 48th minute.
Shane Long (West Brom 1-2 Manchester United) Long might want to send David de Gea a nice little thank you note after United’s new keeper failed to stop his low drive in the 38th minute. The champions still made a winning start to their title defence, however, after Steven Reid deflected Ashley Young’s cross into his own net with nine minutes remaining.
Npower Championship
David Connolly (Barnsley 0-1 Southampton) Connolly made it two goals in two, taking advantage of indecision in the Barnsley defence to head home the Saints’ winner in the 30th minute.
Keith Fahey (Birmingham 1-0 Coventry) Fahey grabbed the only goal after 74 minutes of Saturday’s game at St Andrew’s. Ireland U21 Adam Rooney was the provider, cleverly picking out Fahey with a pull-back after the striker saw his header cannon back off the post.
Owen Garvan (Crystal Palace 2-0 Burnley) Garvan made no mistake from the spot, doubling Palace’s advantage after Irish underage Sean Scannell was chopped down in the box in the 68th minute.
Noel Hunt (Leicester 0-2 Reading) There was another Irish link-up at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday, when Hunt scored with a near-post glancing header from Ian Harte’s 65th-minute corner.
League One
Harry Arter (Bournemouth 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday) Irish underage player Harry Arter wrapped up all three points for Bournemouth when he came on as a second-half sub, scoring from 12 yards with eight minutes remaining.
James Berrett (Bury 0-2 Carlisle) Berrett, capped five times by the Irish U21s, opened the scoring against Bury with a 20-yard effort which wrongfooted keeper Cameron Belford.
Jon Macken (Hartlepool 1-1 Walsall) It took Jon Macken just three minutes to put Walsall in front on Saturday, scoring from the spot.
Scottish Premier League
Anthony Stokes (Celtic 5-1 Dundee United) Slack defending at an early corner allowed Stokes to head Celtic in front from just six yards in the fifth minute.
Paul Heffernan (Kilmarnock 4-1 Hibernian) The Dubliner bagged a brace on his first start for Killie since his move from Sheffield Wednesday, but will be disappointed that he didn’t bag a hat-trick after missing an open goal from six yards towards the end of the game.
Darren Randolph (St Mirren 0-1 Motherwell) Four games into the SPL season and Darren Randolph is yet to concede a goal. Impressive.
Good week for …
Paul Heffernan. Because the only thing better than scoring one goal on your first start for a new club is scoring two.
Bad week for …
Paddy Kenny. Saturday’s game might just have been an opening day blip, or it could be the beginning of a long, long season for the QPR keeper.
