Weekend Radar: Smallbone stars for Saints, Idah nets last gasp winner

Weekend Radar: Your essential Irish player tracker.

The Kenny’s Kids Twitter account is back in action this weekend to follow the first round of English Football League action as it happens. 

This season there will be additional coverage brought to followers as accompanyingN Kenny’s Kids tweets will be this article containing information on every single Irish player who is on the account’s radar.

That means teamsheet news (start/sub) and goal contribution news (goal/assist) will be added to this page live as the games unfold. There will then be a review before a full comprehensive round-up is shared on Sunday evenings for fans of the Boys In Green to enjoy.

Criteria: Players must have at least one first team club appearance to be included in the database. (IRE) denotes that the player is a full Ireland international.

League One and League Two players over the age of 24 and uncapped at senior international level are excluded. The focus of this feature is players playing for Ireland and young players who could play for Ireland in the future.

Weekend Radar: The Championship.

Birmingham: 

Scott Hogan (IRE): Start Vs Swansea, 1-1 draw

Kevin Long (IRE): Start Vs Swansea, 1-1 draw

Blackburn Rovers:

Sammie Szmodics (AM, 27): Start Vs West Brom, one assist, 2-1 win

Bristol City: 

Jason Knight (IRE): Start Vs Preston, 1-1 draw

Mark Sykes (IRE): Bench Vs Preston, introduced 70′, 1-1 draw

Max O’Leary (GK, 26): Start Vs Preston, 1-1 draw

Cardiff City:

Joel Bagan (LB, 21): Not involved Vs Leeds

Mark McGuinness (CB, 23): Start Vs Leeds, 2-2 draw

Callum O’Dowda (IRE): Start Vs Leeds, 2-2 draw

Callum Robinson (ST, 28) Bench Vs Leeds, unused

Hull City:

Cyrus Christie (IRE): Bench Vs Norwich, introduced 66′, 2-1 loss

Aaron Connolly (IRE): Bench Vs Norwich, introduced 72′, 2-1 loss

Harry Vaughan (AM, 19): Start Vs Norwich, 2-1 loss

Sean McLoughlin (CB, 26): Bench Vs Norwich, introduced 66′, 2-1 loss

Ipswich Town 

Jack Taylor (CM, 25): Bench Vs Sunderland

Middlesbrough: 

Alex Gilbert (LW, 21): Bench Vs Millwall, unused

Darragh Lenihan (IRE): Start Vs Millwall, 1-0 loss

Millwall: 

Danny McNamara (RB, 24): Start Vs Middlesbrough, 1-0 win

Aidomo Emakhu (ST, 19): Bench Vs Middlesbrough, introduced 73′, one assist, 1-0 win

Norwich: 

Shane Duffy (IRE): Start Vs Hull, 2-1 win

Andrew Omobamidele (IRE): Bench Vs Hull, introduced 74′, 2-1 win

Adam Idah (IRE): Bench Vs Hull, introduced 86′, one goal, 2-1 win

Tony Springett (RW, 20): Bench Vs Hull, introduced 75′, 2-1 win

Plymouth Argyle: 

Finn Azaz (AM, 22): Bench Vs Huddersfield, introduced 89′, 3-1 win

Tyreik Wright (RW, 21): Bench Vs Huddersfield, unused

Preston: 

Robbie Brady (IRE): Not involved Vs Bristol City

Alan Browne (IRE): Start Vs Bristol City, 1-1 draw

Greg Cunningham (IRE): Not involved Vs Bristol City

Will Keane (IRE): Start Vs Bristol City, one goal, 1-1 draw

QPR: 

Jimmy Dunne (CB, 25): Not involved Vs Watford

Sinclair Armstrong (ST, 19): Bench Vs Watford, introduced 46′, 4-0 loss

Rotherham: 

Joshua Kayode (ST, 23): Bench Vs Stoke, introduced 79′, 4-1 loss

Georgie Kelly (ST, 27): Bench Vs Stoke, introduced 63′, 4-1 loss

Sheffield Wednesday:

Ciaran Brennan (CB, 23): Not involved Vs Southampton

Southampton: 

Gavin Bazunu (IRE): Start Vs Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1 win

Ryan Manning (IRE): Start Vs Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1 win

Will Smallbone (IRE): Start Vs Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1 win 

Stoke City: 

Jack Bonham (GK, 29): Bench Vs Rotherham

Luke McNally (CB, 23): Bench Vs Rotherham, unused

Enda Stevens (IRE): Start Vs Rotherham, 4-1 win

Mark Travers (IRE): Start Vs Rotherham, 4-1 in

West Brom:

Jayson Molumby (IRE): Start Vs Blackburn, 2-1 loss

League One: Internationals and under-25s

Barnsley: 

Luca Connell (CM, 22): Not involved Vs Port Vale

Barry Cotter (RB, 24): Bench Vs Port Vale, introduced 33′, one assist, 7-0 win

Blackpool: 

Andy Lyons (RB, 23): Bench Vs Burton, unused

CJ Hamilton (IRE): Start Vs Burton, 2-0 win

Burton Albion: 

Ciaran Gilligan (CM, 21): Not involved Vs Blackpool, 

Carlisle United:

Sean Maguire (IRE): Bench Vs Fleetwood, introduced 69′, 1-1 draw

Cheltenham Town:

Aidan Keena (ST, 24): Start Vs Shrewsbury, 1-0 loss

Will Ferry (LWB, 22): Not involved Vs Shrewsbury

Derby County: 

Eiran Cashin (CB, 22): Start Vs Wigan, 2-1 loss

Conor Hourihane (IRE): Start Vs Wigan, 2-1 loss

James Collins (IRE): Start Vs Wigan, 2-1 loss

Fleetwood Town: 

Ryan Graydon (RW, 24): Start Vs Carlisle, 1-1 draw

David Harrington (GK, 22): Not involved Vs Carlisle

Cian Hayes (WG, 20): Bench Vs Carlisle, introduced 87′, 1-1 draw

Promise Omochere (ST, 22): Start Vs Carlisle, 1-1 draw

Stephen McMullan (GK, 18): Bench Vs Carlisle, unused

Lincoln City: 

Sean Roughan (LB, 19): Start Vs Bolton, 3-0 loss

Danny Mandroiu (AM, 24): Start Vs Bolton, 3-0 loss

Dylan Duffy (LW, 20): Bench Vs Bolton, unused

Oisin Gallagher (CM, 18): Bench Vs Bolton, unused

Oxford United:

Ed McGinty (GK, 24): Not involved Vs Cambridge

Stephen Negru (CB, 21): Bench Vs Cambridge, unused

Peterborough United: 

Peter Kioso (RB, 23): Start Vs Reading, 1-0 win

Portsmouth: 

Ronan Curtis (IRE): Not involved Vs Bristol Rovers

Anthony Scully (LW, 24): Start Vs Bristol Rovers, 1-1 draw

Wigan Athletic: 

Baba Adeeko (CM, 20): Sub Vs Derby, introduced 62′, 2-1 win

League Two: Internationals and under-25s

Accrington Stanley: 

Leslie Adeyoka (ST, 19): Not involved Vs Newport

Bradford: 

Colin Doyle (IRE): Bench Vs Crawley, unused

Crewe Alexandra :

Connor O’Riordan (CB, 19): Bench Vs Mansfield, unused

Doncaster Rovers:

Deji Sotona (LW, 20): Bench Vs Harrogate, introduced 68, 1-0 loss

Gillingham:

Conor Masterson (CB, 24): Not involved Vs Stockport County

Shadrach Ogie (LB, 21): Start Vs Stockport County, 1-0 win

Shaun Williams (IRE): Start Vs Stockport County, one assist, 1-0 win

Mansfield Town :

Stephen Quinn (IRE): Start Vs Crewe, one assist, 2-2 draw

MK Dons: 

Dawson Devoy (CM, 21): Bench Vs Wrexham, unused

Conor Grant (AM, 21): Not involved Vs Wrexham

Darragh Burns (RW, 20): Not involved Vs Wrexham

Waren O’Hora (CB, 24): Start Vs Wrexham, 5-3 win

Notts County:

David McGoldrick (IRE): Start Vs Sutton, one goal, 5-1 loss

Salford United:

Josh O’Brien (CB, 20): Not involved Vs Forest Green

Sutton United: 

Aiden O’Brien (IRE): Bench Vs Notts County, introduced 58′, 5-1 win

Swindon Town: 

Connor Brann (GK, 19): Bench Vs Colchester, unused

Tranmere: 

Lee O’Connor (CM, 22): Start Vs Barrow, 2-1 loss

Walsall:

Oisin McEntee (CB, 22): Start Vs Morecambe, 2-1 loss

Ronan Arjun Maher (AM, 18): Not involved Vs Morecambe

Ross Tierney (AM, 22): Bench Vs Morecambe, unused

Wrexham: 

James McClean: Not involved Vs MK Dons

Tom O’Connor (CM, 24): Start Vs MK Dons, 5-3 loss

Scotland and beyond: Internationals and under-25s

Aberdeen (SPFL):

Jonny Hayes (IRE): Start Vs Livingston, 0-0 draw

AIK (Allsvenskan): 

Zack Elbouzedi (RW, 24): Bench Vs Kalmar, unused

Blau-Weiß Linz (Austrian Bundesliga):

Conor Noss (AM, 21): Bench Vs Hartberg, introduced 46′, 3-3 draw

Celtic (SPFL): 

Mikey Johnston (LW, 24): Not involved Vs Ross County, injured

Bosun Lawal (CB, 19): Not involved Vs Ross County

Liam Scales (CB, 24): Not involved Vs Ross County

Rocco Vata (LW, 18): Not involved Vs Ross County

Como (Serie B) 

Liam Kerrigan (RW, 23): N/A

Getafe (La Liga) 

John Joe Patrick Finn (AM, 19): N/A

Kilmarnock (SPFL)

Corrie Ndaba (CB, 23): Start Vs Rangers, 1-0 win

Kieran O’Hara (IRE): Bench Vs Rangers, unused

PEC Zwolle (Eredivise): 

Anselmo Garcia MacNulty (CB, 20): N.A

Sevilla (La Liga) 

Ryan Johansson (CM, 22): N/A

Udinese (Serie A) 

James Abankwah (CB, 19): N/A

Festy Ebosele (RWB, 21): N/A

Weekend in Review

Player of the Weekend: Will Smallbone (Southampton): Smallbone started the season excellently as Southampton beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 on Friday night. Playing in a midfield pivot, the Ireland international proved a cool head in possession and fulfilled his defensive duties with intelligence and discipline. In the end he completed more passes than anyone else in the match with 142 (97% accuracy) and recovered possession on five occasions.

Honourable mentions: Ryan Manning (Southampton) was also influential in the Saints opening game of the season by alternating between a traditional wing-back role and an inverted version which saw him shift infield towards midfield. He is surely Ireland’s best left wing-back option at this moment in time but Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City) – who endured a tough international window in June – was equally excellent this weekend as Cardiff drew 2-2 with Leeds. He and Mark McGuinness were kept busy by persistent Leeds attacks and the 28-year-old even managed to have a hand in the Bluebird’s opener.

You might also like: LOI Radar: Tracking the League of Ireland’s Underage Prospects