It was never in doubt. The punishing festive schedule gave managers the perfect excuse to pick weakened teams in the FA Cup, and that didn’t only apply to Premier League clubs.

Coughlan, who hails from Dublin, has settled in the Sheffield area.

England and the Czech Republic both qualified for the Euro 2020 finals with wins over Montenegro and Kosovo respectively to take the top two spots in Group A.

Seamus Coleman will miss out as he serves a two-game suspension but will be invited to join up with the squad in Dublin for the final Euro 2020 qualifier.

Leeds’ Achilles heel hurt them once more as the Sky Bet Championship leaders were held 1-1 at home by Derby.

Mick McCarthy's men face Switzerland in a "huge" Euro2020 qualifier on September 5 before a friendly with Bulgaria five days later.

Sheffield Wednesday moved top of the SkyBet Championship after a 1-0 victory over Luton.

Mick McCarthy has named his Ireland squad for the forthcoming European Championship qualifier against Switzerland and the friendly with Bulgaria.

The draw was made after completion of 33 first-round fixtures last night and includes all the top-flight clubs who are not involved in European competitions.

Promotion favourites Fulham suffered a blast of Championship reality with a shock opening-weekend 1-0 loss at Barnsley.

Edu has returned to Arsenal to become the club’s first technical director.

John Egan, Enda Stevens, David McGoldrick, and possibly Scott Hogan will be plying their trade in the Premier League next season after Sheffield United secured promotion to the Premier League this weekend.

John Egan, Enda Stevens, David McGoldrick, and possibly Scott Hogan will be plying their trade in the Premier League next season after Sheffield United secured promotion to the Premier League this weekend.

Manchester United go into tomorrow's derby with Manchester City on a run of six defeats in eight games.

Rochdale have announced that Corkman Brian Barry-Murphy has been appointed first-team manager, signing a two-year deal.

The parallels are striking. For Liechtenstein in Vaduz almost 23 years ago read Gibraltar in the Victoria Stadium on Saturday.

Shamrock Rovers midfielder Jack Byrne has received a last-minute call-up to replace the injured Callum O'Dowda in Mick McCarthy's first Republic of Ireland squad back in charge.

Mick McCarthy has named his Republic of Ireland squad for the EURO 2020 Qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.

Also included is Aston Villa's Glenn Whelan, who was expected to have played his last game for Ireland after captaining the side in a 36-minute ceremonial cameo against Northern Ireland in November.

Newport County’s remarkable FA Cup odyssey may have ended on Saturday but a 4-1 defeat didn’t stop Irish striker Pádraig Amond from leaving the pitch with a pep in his step.

O'Neill was a hugely animated figure and was lectured by referee Jeremy Simpson after straying from his technical area and down the side of the pitch once too often.

Holders Chelsea are safely through to the fourth round of the FA Cup but Premier League Cardiff were victims of a giant-killing act by Gillingham.

In calling up Declan Rice to his squad for this month’s training camp and friendly in Turkey, Martin O’Neill has stressed that the highly-rated young West Ham defender, who is still eligible to play senior football for both Ireland and England, will not come under any pressure to decide his international future.

Martin O'Neill has expressed his surprise at Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill's claim that the Republic of Ireland are targeting Catholic players from across the border.

Burton condemned Jose Morais to defeat in his first game in charge of Barnsley with a 2-1 victory which moved Albion off the bottom of the Championship.

Manchester United were drawn at home to Brighton in an FA Cup quarter-final draw which saw all the big guns avoid each other on Saturday evening.

Carlos Carvalhal's return to Hillsborough ended in stalemate as Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea played out a goalless draw in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Sheffield Wednesday fan Jamie Vardy put the Blades to the sword as Leicester knocked Sheffield United out of the FA Cup.

Birmingham hauled themselves out of the relegation zone and left Sunderland further in trouble at the wrong end of the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-1 win at St Andrew's.

Man United and Spurs, should they progress, were also handed away draws.

Debutant Alexis Sanchez helped steer Manchester United into the FA Cup fifth round with two assists as Jose Mourinho’s men eased past Yeovil 4-0.

Two goals in the final five minutes gave Carlos Carvalhal a dramatic debut victory as Swansea boss.

Steven Davis will earn his 100th Northern Ireland cap tomorrow night but he insists the World Cup play-off with Switzerland is more important than such personal landmarks.

James McCarthy has been named in a 34-man Republic of Ireland squad for next month's World Cup play-offs against Denmark.

Former Cork City striker Sean Maguire has admitted that he is going to have to be flexible to make his move to Preston a success.

O'Neill selects a 25-man panel for two qualifiers against Georgia and Serbia.

Darren Randolph or Keiren Westwood?

Huddersfield 0 Reading 0 (Huddersfield win 4-3 on penalties): David Wagner was drenched in champagne as he toasted his Huddersfield heroes following their dramatic Wembley win.

The last step is always the hardest. Just ask Chris Hughton. Two weeks ago he saw his Brighton side secure promotion to the Premier League after a 2-1 win over Wigan. 

Latest:: The Cork teenager who yesterday began proceedings against Carrigaline United football club, claiming he suffered post traumatic stress disorder after being dropped from the team, has lost his case at Cork Circuit Court this afternoon.

Ireland U21 boss Noel King has strenuously denied pursuing Northern Ireland-born players for his squad following allegations made by Michael O’Neill.

Newcastle saw their lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship cut back to three points after being held to a goalless draw at Reading while Brighton ran out 2-0 winners at bottom club Rotherham.