MICK MCCARTHY MAINTAINED his unbeaten start as manager of Cardiff as his side thumped Preston 4-0 to move within three points of the Championship play-off spots.
An early penalty by Kieffer Moore and second-half strikes from Josh Murphy, Marlon Pack and Mark Harris saw the Bluebirds all but cruise to a fourth successive victory, albeit their goalkeeper Dillon Phillips crucially saved two penalties in two minutes to deny Preston a route back into the game.
Former Cardiff defender Greg Cunningham featured for Preston, as did fellow Irishmen Alan Browne and Jayson Molumby.
McCarthy is now unbeaten in his first seven games as Cardiff manager following his quick sacking by APOEL.
Elsewhere in the Championship, Shane Long’s first league goal in almost exactly a year was in vain as Bournemouth fell 2-1 away to QPR. Long bundled home a Sam Surridge header to level at 1-1 on 68 minutes but goals by Stefan Johansen (58′) and Todd Kane (83′) were enough for the hosts to take all three points.
His first for the club!! 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/b7amPys2TT
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) February 20, 2021
Another Ireland striker, Scott Hogan, had an even better day at the office: in the 64th minute of Birmingham’s trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday, Hogan got on the end of a low driven ball by Jeremie Bela to score what proved to be a crucial winner for the visitors, with the three points enough to see the Brummies climb out of the drop zone.
Aston Villa loanee Conor Hourihane became Swansea’s third top scorer just a month into his stint with a wonderfully struck free-kick to level proceedings away to Huddersfield, although the Swans eventually went down 4-1. The Bandon native has scored four goals in his first five games for the Welsh outfit.
Conor Hourihane you beauty! 🔥 #Swans #AVFC pic.twitter.com/nKu3aWu72o
— Swansea Beat ⚽️ (@swanseabeat) February 20, 2021
Norwich, meanwhile, stretched their lead atop the division to seven points but Adam Idah featured only in the dying embers, replacing match-winner Teemu Pukki in second-half stoppage time of their 1-0 win over Rotherham at Carrow Road.
In League One, Republic of Ireland U21 international attacker Anthony Scully scored the opener, his 12th of the season, in Lincoln’s 2-1 win away to Wigan.
You can’t stop @Paddymadden from scoring! The Irishman grabbed the equaliser in @ftfc’s 1-1 draw with @CAFCofficial on Saturday afternoon! 📸⚽️#OnwardTogether | #CodArmy pic.twitter.com/KKDufuD0us
— SLF Studios (@SLF_Studios) February 20, 2021
Once-capped senior international Paddy Madden netted a first-time equaliser in Fleetwood’s 1-1 draw with Charlton, while 21-year-old right-back Peter Kioso nodded home a lead goal in the 78th minute only to see his Northampton side concede twice late on in a 4-3 defeat at MK Dons.
Galway man Seamus Conneely, 32, opened the scoring with a rocket in Accrington Stanley’s 1-1 home draw against Shrewsbury.
There were five Irish starters for Rochdale, for whom Gavin Bazunu kept a clean sheet in the Lancashire club’s stalemate at home to Plymouth. On his 19th birthday, the former Shamrock Rovers ‘keeper and current Manchester City loanee made a string of saves, four of them from inside the area. Paul McShane, Eoghan O’Connell and Jimmy Keohane all started at the back for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side, while Conor Shaughnessy was in midfield.
Former Ireland underage international Liam Kinsella, son of former senior international Mark Kinsella, was shown a red card in Walsall’s 1-1 draw at Stevenage.
