Merlin Woods FC/Medtronic promoted to Premier Division
Merlin Woods FC/Medtronic adult soccer team is part of the very unique Merlin Woods Sports Club that has grown in Ardaun, Doughiska, Roscam and Parkmore.Started onl y 4 years ago by Galway United Supporters Trust with 3 footballs, the club wears Maroon representing Galway, Green for Merlin Woods and White for peace.The club now provides Athletics with Castlegar Athletics, Basketball, Tennis, Cricket, Rounders, Volleyball and Soccer, and work closely with the local schools in Merlin Park and Brierhill alongside the Good Shepherd Parish church in Doughiska and the ARD Family resource centre.The clubs ethos revolves around participation for all, diversity and inclusivity, an example of which is Mati Pietryk a young Galwegian/Polish 17 year old striker who has scored 12 goals since Christmas.print WhatsApp Facebook Twitter Email History was made yesterday evening in Merlin Woods City Park when Galway’s newest sports club Merlin Woods FC/Medtronic beat Corrib Rangers 1-0 in the Western Hygiene Supplies First Division. The win has resulted in the clubs promotion to the Western Hygiene Premier League and the clubs third promotion in a row. Manager Pat “Westie” Gannon deserves huge credit for managing the team from the bottom tier of the league to the top in just 3 seasons.
The Spaniard, who now has 18 majors to his name, also becomes the first player to win the same Grand Slam title 12 times, going past Margaret Court’s 11 Australian Open titles.He took command by winning a high-octane first set, but Thiem, who was on court for the fourth consecutive day after weather delays, stayed in the contest and fought back to go level.Nadal‘s response was brutal as he won 16 of the first 17 points of the third set against a tiring Thiem, bagged it in less than half an hour.The 33-year-old, whose Roland Garros haul started on his debut year in 2005, cruised through the fourth set and wrapped it up when Thiem sent a forehand long.Factbox on Rafael Nadal‘s French Open final wins2005 – beat Mariano Puerta (Argentina) 6-7(6) 6-3 6-1 7-5Rallied from a set down to beat fellow left-hander Puerta and become the first player to win the French Open title in his main draw debut since Mats Wilander in 1982, setting in motion an unprecedented run of success in the tournament.2006 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6Handed Federer his first defeat in a Grand Slam final to become the youngest back-to-back Roland Garros winner since Bjorn Borg in 1974-75.2007 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4Federer beat Nadal for the first time on clay a few weeks earlier but there was no stopping Nadal in Paris as he became the first man since Borg in 1980 to win a hat-trick of Roland Garros titles.2008 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-1 6-3 6-0Thrashed Federer in one hour 48 minutes before apologising at the end of the match. He matched Borg’s feat of four straight titles at Roland Garros and became the first player since the Swede in 1980 to win the tournament without dropping a set.2010 – beat Robin Soderling (Sweden) 6-4 6-2 6-4After having his 31-match winning streak in Paris snapped by Soderling the previous year, Nadal gained sweet revenge by felling the Swede to seal a fifth title in six years.2011 – beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-5 7-6 5-7 6-1Overcame a determined Federer again to win his sixth French Open title at the age of 25 and equal the tally of Borg. It was the 10th Grand Slam title of his career.2012 – beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5Went past Borg with a superb display against Djokovic in a rare Monday final that had several delays due to rain.2013 – beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3 6-2 6-3Improved his career record to 59-1 at Roland Garros by beating Ferrer in straight sets to become the first man with eight titles at the same Grand Slam.2014 – beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-4Entered Roland Garros with only one European claycourt title for the first time in 10 years but saw off Djokovic in four sets to become the first man to win five straight French Open titles.2017 – beat Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-2 6-3 6-1Emotional scenes as he regained his Roland Garros throne with a brutal 6-2 6-3 6-1 mauling of Swiss Wawrinka to complete ‘La Decima’. At 31, he become the oldest champion in Paris since 34-year-old Andres Gimeno in 1972.2018 – beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-4 6-3 6-2Took his Roland Garros win-loss record to a jaw-dropping 86-2 as he captured his 17th Grand Slam title, swatting aside Thiem for a record-extending 11th crown in Paris.2019 – beat Dominic Thiem 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1Nadal was pushed perhaps as hard as he has ever been in a final in the first two brutal sets. But Thiem, who played sensational tennis for nearly two hours, could not sustain the pace and Nadal charged away to victory. Rafael Nadal claimed a record-stretching 12th French Open title by beating Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 in a repeat of last year’s final on Sunday.
Since making his debut for Jamaica two years ago, Knight-Wisdom, who created history when he became the first Jamaican male to compete at the Olympic Games, when he did so at Rio 2016, believes he has progressed steadily and is looking to seal a second successive qualification to the Olympics Games at Japan 2020. “I hope to make Jamaica proud next season. I wanted to improve on the season before. Where I was last year to where I am now, I have a better understanding of what I need and how I need to train. I don’t have the same youthful energy I had four years ago, but I have definitely progressed. I am in a much better place than in 2016. I am looking forward to next year and trying to qualify for the next Olympics, and any support will be helpful,” he said. Knight-Wisdom is currently listed as the 24th best diver in the world, based on the latest FINA rankings. livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com OLYMPIC GAMES Jamaica’s lone diver on the international circuit, Yona Knight-Wisdom, says the next two years of his career will be very important and he is on the lookout for any possible sponsorship, that can help him achieve his ambitions. The England-born Jamaican representative, who just missed out on a historic medal at the Commonwealth Games in April, has his sights set on accomplishing great things in 2019, but says it will be tough without adequate funding. “I want to thank the Jamaican people who supported me through the ups and downs, the difficult times. It will come good soon,” Knight-Wisdom told The Gleaner via telephone yesterday. “I would like to show my thanks to the Jamaican people and I hope I can bring my best next year and make them proud every time I compete. “But I’m on the lookout for more sponsorship, more funding to continue for the next two years, minimum, and hopefully beyond. I want to continue representing this country as long as possible, so if there is any opportunity for that (sponsorship) or anything that can help me move forward, I am always open to that suggestion,” he said. The 23-year-old said more funding will help pay for physiotherapy, dietary, training and travel expenses. “To just reduce the unnecessary stresses finances cause. That would put me in a better physical and mental state,” added Knight-Wisdom.
Hundreds of marketers close to the Kakata bound side of the road in Paynesville Red Light could not easily find their way to sell after being driven by flood, caused by heavy downpours of rain last Saturday, June 3.The cause of the flood in that upland area is attributed to dumping of dirt in the drainages along the road; drainages on the road have been filled with garbage that water does not freely flow.As the flood rose and the marketers lost space to sell, some men were compelled to get into the drainage with long sticks to remove the objects blocking the free flow of water.At the same time, others were seen in the flood trying to locate the blocked hole on the other side to allow the water to flow.Since parts of Monrovia began experiencing floods this rainy season, this is the first time the Red Light market has encountered flood that caused marketers to be forced out of their selling spots for hours at a time.As a result of the flood, sellers took to the main road to continue their business activities.Vehicles collecting passengers from Red Light bound for various locations including the hinterland could not easily find their way out as marketers took the entire road with their goods.Red Light is one of the filthy areas near Monrovia where street vendors and residents randomly and recklessly dump dirt on the main road without regard for passing vehicles and people.As the Chinese road construction company, CICO repairs the road and makes a concrete trough on the right side to allow free flow of water; marketers still dump dirt in the waterway thus halting the flow of water.Besides, vendors spread their goods right by the side where vehicles are supposed to park or people should pass.The Liberia National Police officers assigned there occasionally try to restrict the vendors from selling near the road, but they (police) are challenged while some reportedly receive money to relax the restriction.Meanwhile, the government of Liberia with support from the Sirleaf Market Women Fund has begun constructing a market complex in the Omega Community to relocate Red Light marketers.When completed, it is certain that vendors at Red Light will have a place to sell as they have always dwelt on lack of space for relocation as a reason for being intransigent to government’s removal order.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Next Game: at Brock University 1/19/2019 | 7:15 p.m. U of T continued their impressive play on special teams in the third period as Lindsay buried his own rebound on the powerplay to give the Blues a 3-0 lead. Lindsay continued to provide for the Blues as he tapped in an empty net goal to seal the 4-0 victory. Live Stats Matchup History HOW IT HAPPENED: The Blues got off to a quick start as Nathan Hudgin put home the centering pass from Ryan Kirkup just five minutes into the game for his fourth goal of the season. Toronto continued to apply the pressure and eventually broke through a large Windsor defensive corps as Kevin Lavoie connected mid-air with the bouncing pass from Max Lindsay to extend their lead to two just with just one minute left in the period. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s hockey team blanked the Windsor Lancers for a 4-0 victory on Friday night (Jan. 18) at Varsity Arena. Bishop recorded his first career shut out, making 27 saves in the win.
The second frame was filled with first-year netminder Alex Bishop and the Blues penalty kill fending off any Windsor offensive attempts. Bishop stopped 11 shots, while the penalty kill blocked multiple, resulting in the Windsor power play unit going 0-for-5. The Blues maintained their 2-0 lead heading into the final frame. For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite U of T athletes and teams, please visit www.varsityblues.ca. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and Facebook for the latest and greatest in Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics. Print Friendly Version UP NEXT: The Blues are back in action tomorrow, Saturday January 19, when they travel to St. Catharines to take on the Brock Badgers (15-5-1-1). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Watch Live Full Schedule Roster Preview
LAS VEGAS – There’s a certain buzz when Juan Pablo Montoya enters the room, whether that room is filled with journalists or a bunch of his fellow NASCAR drivers. Conversation levels drop and eyes turn toward the former Indianapolis 500 champion and Formula 1 driver, a man who is now a NASCAR rookie. Montoya, preparing to embark into the world of stock cars, spoke to the media during Tuesday’s Nextel Cup Series preseason test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. At one point, the NASCAR beat regulars grew weary of missing out on some of Montoya’s quotes, and he was asked to translate one of his Spanish answers into English. He smiled. “I just told him that my goals are obviously to win some races and the championship, if I can,” Montoya said. As much as anyone, Montoya knows it will be a difficult task to be in contention for NASCAR’s expanded Chase for the Cup, a 12-driver playoff. “It’s completely different (than open wheel),” he said. “This is a hard race car. It’s hard. You go in (the corners), the car twitches and I get out of the gas before the straightaway. I’m not taking any chances.” At the same time, Montoya said he’s found that he can make it around the new high-banked Vegas surface without ever letting his foot off the gas. “I’m not even touching the brake all the way around and I’m about 0.2 or 0.3 off,” he said. Actually, it’s even more than that. In the first of two sessions Tuesday, Montoya was 39th-fastest and over a full second behind the leaders. “We’re getting there, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” he said. “I hope I have some success. I’m committed to this for the long term. Is it going to happen this year? I don’t know. “For me, it’s hard to say I’m going to go out there and kick everybody’s (butts). Of course I want to do that, but you’ve got to be a bit realistic.” Realistic goals this season might include a road course win, at Sonoma’s Infineon Raceway or at Watkins Glen in New York, and a handful of top 10 finishes. Montoya said he doesn’t like to get into specific goals. That means that winning the Daytona 500 on his first try, much like he did at the Indy 500 in his rookie race there, is improbable at best. “I’m more aiming to getting the car to the end of the race, to be realistic,” he said. “Do we have a shot at it? Am I going to try to win it? Yeah, but I’ll be happy with a top 20, top 15 out of that race. “It’s a shame to start the Daytona 500 for me as a rookie, because I have no experience drafting.” There’s another factor that’s working against Montoya, at least historically. His Chip Ganassi Racing team hasn’t had much success in the past few years, having gone winless over the last four seasons without any of its drivers making the Chase. Unless Ganassi experiences a turnaround like the one Richard Childress Racing went through last season, Montoya could be fighting an uphill battle. “It’s unique in how much talent he has, how much experience and wisdom he has with open-wheel cars,” fellow Dodge driver Kurt Busch said. “Yet the inexperience he has with a stock car, how do you match that? How do you create success around it? “It’s going to be unique to watch his maturation process and how he moves forward.” 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
The differences between Montoya and any other driver on the circuit are apparent just by the media treatment he receives. As soon as Montoya gave his opening statement, for example, the Colombian was asked to repeat it in Spanish. By the time his 15 minutes with the media was over, Montoya probably had spoken about as much in Spanish as in English. One reporter even called in from London to ask for an answer in Spanish. 
England defender Chris Smalling provided a minor injury scare on Tuesday but is not expected to miss any training sessions.The Manchester United defender, one of only three specialist centre-halves in the squad, returned to England’s Chantilly hotel with an ice pack on his left knee after an afternoon session at the side’s Stade de Bourgognes base.The Football Association’s medical staff are not thought to be concerned about the issue and the 26-year-old could be back in action on Wednesday morning, providing it does not flare up overnight.Smalling himself did not appear in major discomfort and was carrying the team’s toy lion mascot as he stepped off the bus.England manager Roy Hodgson gambled by taking just seven specialist defenders to France, augmented by the versatile Eric Dier, and cannot afford that number to diminish further.Left-back Ryan Bertrand has been sidelined for several days already with an unspecified knock, while Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill missed the friendly against Portugal following painkilling injections for a hip complaint. 1 Chris Smalling in training for England 
1 Michael Keane in action for Burnley Football stats experts WhoScored.com look at a possible solution to a big problem for Chelsea – check out more Blues stats on WhoScored.com.Antonio Conte’s arrival at Chelsea was supposed to shape a new chapter for the club but the early evidence we have seen this season suggests they are struggling to put an end to the last one.Chelsea conceded more goals in the league last season (53) than in any other single-campaign in the last 18 years. Alarmingly, they shipped 21 more than the season before when they finished as champions. If Chelsea continue at their current rate then they will end with their worst defensive record in Premier League history. It’s no surprise that Conte was desperate to sign defenders in the summer.It’s a damning indictment of where Chelsea are that John Terry, who was set to leave last season, is still their best defender at the age of 35. Their shambolic defending has been encapsulated by the performances of Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill, who are now fighting to save their careers at the club.As a result, WhoScored.com have looked at whether Chelsea should step up their interest in reported target Michael Keane – a £25m-rated defender who Leicester failed to sign for a fraction of the price in the summer.It’s already become clear in the opening six league matches that Conte wants his defenders to play out from the back. It’s proven too much for Cahill, who has committed the most errors that have directly led to a goal in the Premier League this season (2). Failed attempts to sign Alessio Romagnoli and Kalidou Koulibaly before re-signing David Luiz on deadline day only strengthen that philosophy. While the aforementioned trio all operate with a pass success rate nearer the 90% mark, Keane has only completed 80.3% of his passes this season.However, Keane modelled his game on Rio Ferdinand when progressing through the Manchester United academy and has already been described as “cultured, eager to learn and be coached” by his inspiration. Given Burnley are conceding nearly 60% possession per game in the league this season – the second most – it’s perhaps unsurprising that Keane’s pass success rate is not as high. Nevertheless, it’s still the third highest at the club and you’d only imagine it would improve in a team that is used to being on the front foot for the duration of matches, which Burnley are not.Keane has been a pivotal fixture in the team since joining from United in 2014. An initial season-long loan deal was quickly made a permanent switch just a few months later in a bid to ward off potential interest. In fact, of Burnley players to have featured in each of their last three league campaigns only two have garnered higher WhoScored.com ratings than Keane (7.12).It’s impressive that despite Burnley’s lack of finances, Dyche’s side have only conceded one more goal than the likes of Arsenal and United so far this season and even though they were relegated from the Premier League in 2014, when they didn’t invest in the squad at all, they conceded the same amount as Tottenham (53), who finished fifth.Despite being relatively inexperienced at top-flight level, it’s noticeable that Keane has only committed one error that has led to a shot at goal in 27 Premier League appearances, which incidentally came against Chelsea earlier this season. Having been reportedly earmarked by Conte as a possible long-term replacement for John Terry, the comparisons would be unavoidable for the 23-year-old.In Terry’s absence we have already seen the way in which Chelsea’s defence melt without his leadership, but when the veteran does eventually move on they are also going to miss his presence from set pieces. After all, since August 2009 only Sergio Ramos (26) has scored more goals than Terry (23) of all central defenders in Europe’s big five leagues. Keane’s career may still be in its primitive stages but his header that clinched victory against Watford on Monday night was his sixth league goal since the start of last season – only three Burnley players have scored more in that time.Keane still has room for improvement, but that is something Conte, a manager renowned for developing defenders, should thrive at. His ability to read the game and his positioning are qualities that have come on immensely since his breakthrough, accentuated by his WhoScored.com statistically calculated strength of ‘concentration’. One of the decisions Conte faces ahead of January is deciding whether Keane is better than what he already has.With Kurt Zouma edging closer to a return to first-team action after nearly eight months out with a serious knee injury and Andreas Christensen set to return to the club at the end of the season, there may be a temptation to get through this one with what they have rather than panic buy in January, when it would be better to assess his options next summer.Alternatively, there is an argument to suggest Conte won’t have that much time. Roman Abrahmovich is already believed to be unhappy with what he has seen and that isn’t something that bodes well so early into a season. The Burnley defender may not be the most eye-catching target but sometimes that is exactly what is needed. Getting back to basics may prove the way forward for Chelsea and Keane would certainly offer that and more.Take a look at Michael Keane’s stats on WhoScored.com – click here
Eddie Vallavares of Palmdale was the winner of the $34,000 Chrysler.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! LANCASTER – Century 21 Yarrow and Associates has raised $26,000 so far this year for Easter Seals with another event still on the horizon. Joy Murphy, chairwoman of Easter Seals fundraising for the office, Will and Kim Guerrero, and Chuck Linn led the yearlong effort that included a Junior Home Run Derby, a car raffle, and auction. A charity golf tournament is planned for Oct. 2. The international Century 21 Real Estate organization has been the national sponsor of Easter Seals for decades. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWhy these photogenic dumplings are popping up in Los AngelesCentury 21 Yarrow and Associates, owned by Al and Midori Yarrow, is the biggest single contributor to Easter Seals out of 150 Century 21 offices in the region. The Junior Home Run Derby, which was also sponsored by First American Title, followed an Aug. 5 game at Clear Channel Stadium between the Lancaster JetHawks and the Lake Elsinore Storm. At the game Yarrow and Associates agents sold raffle tickets for a Chrysler 300C sedan, as well as chances for other prizes including gift certificates to local restaurants and retail shops, a Lancaster JetHawks photo autographed by manager and former Dodger Brett Butler, signed baseballs, Steve Garvey bobble-head dolls, and picnic baskets. In addition, Easter Seals got half the proceeds from admission tickets purchased through the Yarrow and Associates office. Banks, mortgage companies and title insurance firms were other sponsors of the event. 
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREFrumpy Middle-aged Mom: My realistic 2020 New Year’s resolutions. Some involve doughnuts. The new five-story dormitory is on the site of the former Horton Hall and brings the total number of dormitories on campus to 10. Male and female students will live in separate wings in the facility. The new dorm has 203 rooms with 409 beds, compared with 53 rooms with 107 beds in the old building that was built in 1959. Downstairs there is a basement area with a laundry room, game room and kitchen. Arriving freshmen and family members, who hauled boxes, suitcases and clothing on hangers out of the car trunks and moving vans Friday, were happy to be moving into the new building. “I like that it is new and we don’t have to worry about anything,” said Monica Schumacher, 17, of Elk Grove, near Sacramento. LA MIRADA – Biola University officials received approval Thursday from the fire marshal to open the newest dormitory on campus and by the weekend, a steady steam of students wheeling bikes and carrying suitcases were moving in. Horton Hall is the latest facility to be completed in a building boom that began five years ago on the campus to meet the needs of a growing student population. This year, the student body has swelled to 4,500 full-time students. “We had to race to get it done in time, but we feel good about it all coming together for the students,” said Ken Bascom, senior director of facilities, planning and construction at the Christian university in La Mirada. “This is absolutely a good thing. It makes me feel better that my oldest daughter is moving into a great environment like this,” added her mother, Marcia Schumacher. The university, which was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and moved to its present location in 1959, has grown rapidly in recent years. For example, in 1995 the enrollment was only 2,600. But after several years of breaking enrollment records because of a high number of graduating high school seniors and increased interest by parents in sending their children to a Christian school, the university was running out of room, said Bascom. “Everywhere was overcrowded,” he said. The solution to the enrollment growth was construction of $53 million in new campus facilities, including a new library, remodeling of the old library, the new Horton Hall, a cafeteria and gymnasium expansion, a parking structure with jogging track and soccer field on the roof and a facility services building. A separate project – a new classroom and office building for the school of business – is under construction and expected to be completed by March. Increased enrollment has also forced Biola to purchase nine single-family homes and six of the 12 apartment complexes along Rosecrans Avenue, between Valley View and Biola avenues, making the university a major landowner in the city. The growth on the campus has created some tensions in the city, according to La Mirada Councilman Hal Malkin. When four to six students would rent a house, it caused parking problems on residential streets, he said. To improve the situation, the City Council created permit parking along portions of two streets near the university – Roma Drive and Biola Avenue, he said. But overall, having a thriving university in the city is a bonus, he said. “It is a university that has earned national and international acclaim, and the wonderful students do a lot of community outreach,” he said. “They also contribute to the local economy, like using the Starbucks up the street.” debbie.pfeiffer@sgvn.com (562) 698-0955, ext. 3028160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!