First impressions count and it didn’t take Joe Mason long to make his mark on his Burton Albion debut.

If things had worked out a little differently, Cork City defender Ryan Delaney could have been preparing for a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United next month.

Manchester United begin the defence of the Carabao Cup by hosting Burton in the third round.

You’re sitting 18 points clear at the top of the league, you’re unbeaten since the start of the season and you’re entering into European competition with an attractive draw against Levadia Tallinn.

Cork City look set to complete a permanent move for defender Ryan Delaney this week after manager John Caulfield said the deal was “close”, while also confirming he has identified a replacement for the departing Seanie Maguire.

When the FAI brought in ‘summer football’ to the League of Ireland, it wasn’t in the script for the season to be over by autumn. Still, with Cork City 15 points clear going into tonight’s latest meeting of the League of Ireland’s ‘New Firm’, that’s a scenario which could arise unless Dundalk can put a stop to Cork’s march at Oriel Park.

If he’s showing a cool exterior, Alan Bennett reckons it might be because he’s coming straight from an ice bath.

Cork City manager John Caulfield has challenged towering defender Ryan Delaney to become the club’s set-piece goal king this season as he looks to add an aerial threat to his title challengers.

An injury to Emre Can threatened to sour Liverpool's evening following a comprehensive EFL Cup win at Burton but Reds boss Jurgen Klopp allayed fears over the midfielder.

Christian Eriksen struck after 88 minutes as Tottenham killed off a stunning Che Adams-inspired Sheffield United comeback to reach the Capital One Cup final with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Christian Eriksen struck after 88 minutes as Tottenham killed off a stunning Che Adams-inspired Sheffield United comeback to reach the Capital One Cup final with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Tottenham 1 Sheffield United 0

Capital One Cup semi-final first leg

FA Cup: Chris Morgan warned Tottenham will not be able take Sheffield United lightly after the Blades pulled off yet another cup upset, this time humiliating Premier League strugglers QPR 3-0 at Loftus Road.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce scored twice as Sheffield United humiliated QPR this afternoon, taking yet another Premier League scalp and storming into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

“I shake hands with people who have respect for me and who have respect for the fourth official. I never saw that and that’s the reason I didn’t shake hands.”

Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 

Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0

With each passing year, Jerry Maguire’s words ring truer.

Manager Nigel Clough insists Sheffield United did not rush into their decision to allow convicted rapist Ched Evans to train with the club.

Footballer Ched Evans is believed to have left prison after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel.

Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough insists the decision whether to bring jailed striker Ched Evans back to the club is "above football".

A League One football club has yet to decide whether convicted rapist Ched Evans will be allowed to play for them again after he is released from prison this week, its manager has said.

Jeff Hendrick says Derby County will not take the hangover of their excruciating play-off defeat into the new Championship season, with the Ireland midfielder insisting their concession of a last-minute goal at Wembley in May will be used to spur them on to promotion.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was named the League Managers’ Association Manager of the Year on Monday night.

Hull 5 Sheffield United 3

Hull reached the FA Cup final for the first time in their history after a thrilling 5-3 win over Sheffield United at Wembley.

Eleven years on from digesting the words of rejection from Martin O’Neill, Michael Doyle stands on the cusp of becoming the first Irish FA Cup final captain since 2008.

You can take a man out of the GAA – and even put him in the Premier League – but you can’t take the GAA out of a man…

Sheffield United 2 Charlton 0

Sheffield United 3 Nottingham Forest 1

Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough hopes his embattled side will gain new impetus from an FA Cup upset that left Fulham counterpart Rene Meulensteen answering fresh questions about his future.

Paul Lambert’s pre-match insistence that the days of FA Cup romance are dead and gone were exploded at Villa Park after goals from Jamie Murphy and Ryan Flynn gave League One Sheffield United a famous third round win.

Aston Villa 1 Sheffield United 2

As swansongs go, they don’t come much bigger for Alan Judge than Manchester City’s visit to Ewood Park today.

Ireland midfielder Keith Fahey has continued his rehabilitation as he scored for Sheffield United’s U21 side yesterday while on trial at the club.

Derby staged an incredible comeback in front of new head coach Steve McClaren to salvage a point from a 4-4 draw with Ipswich last night.

Derby have parted company with manager Nigel Clough.

The worrying sight since the weekend of Jeff Hendrick “hobbling around on crutches” in the words of his manager Nigel Clough was followed yesterday by the expected confirmation from the FAI that the Derby County midfielder is now out of the Irish squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria.

Derby 5 Brentford 0

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher does not believe it is a foregone conclusion striker Luis Suarez will leave this summer.

Derby County manager Nigel Clough says Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni should only comment on the form of Conor Sammon and Jeff Hendrick and not discuss their club status.

Derby 3 Huddersfield 0