For Extratime.ie: If pressure's a problem, you're in the wrong game

Roy Keane has insisted that the players in the Republic of Ireland squad won't buckle in the face of expectation when they take to the Aviva Stadium pitch for this weekend's crucial Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland – and added: “If pressure's a problem to you, then you're in the wrong game.” 

For Extratime.ie: Strachan insists he doesn't know how to play for a draw

Scotland boss Gordon Strachan insists he wouldn't know how to play for a draw even if he wanted to – and has said that he already knows what his starting XI will be for Saturday's massive Euro 2016 qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. 

For Extratime.ie: Brady ready to build on England performance

Martin O'Neill's experiment of converting Robbie Brady from winger to left-back at international level is set to undergo its sternest examination yet when Scotland travel to Dublin for a make or break Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday. 

For Extratime.ie: Pearce delighted to secure future ahead of Euro 2016 qualifier

Alex Pearce is delighted to have finalised where he will be playing club football next season, with Derby County’s latest signing keen now to focus on the upcoming crunch Euro 2016 Qualifier against Scotland. 

For Extratime.ie: Hodgson hopes the past stays in the past

England manager Roy Hodgson has called on England fans to behave themselves in Dublin this weekend as the Three Lions return to Lansdowne Road for the first time since February 1995 – when riots started by a hooligan element forced the abandonment of the game inside half an hour. 

For Extratime.ie: O'Neill says he and Delaeny don't talk politics

Martin O'Neill has said that he had no prior knowledge beyond what was already made public of the settlement agreement reached between the FAI and FIFA before he took the job as Republic of Ireland manager at the end of 2013 – and reiterated that he and FAI CEO John Delaney have not had any political discussions since his appointment. 

Blackpool renew AWOL striker's contract

Player goes AWOL for six months, gets handed a new deal. Tangerine logic.

Went out for a friend's birthday, ended up in a burlesque show.

You couldn't make it up, really. My friend Steo Moran was celebrating his quarter-of-a-century birthday on Saturday night (not half-century, as his mother Carol mistakenly thought), so we went to the Sugar Club venue on Lower Leeson Street to see a show by The Burlesque & Cabaret Social Club.

For Extratime.ie: Yadolahi eager for return to action with Drogs

Neil Yadolahi may only be 21, but the Drogheda United defender has already played professional football in England, Scotland, Ireland, Turkey and Armenia – coming through a number of trying personal experiences one would normally associate with a player at the end of their career as opposed to one at the beginning.

'Writer of Extratime.ie's 14,000th article reveals he was told to write for ET sooner'

An odd honour was bestowed upon me yesterday - or rather, I unknowingly bestowed it upon myself - when I learned that my preview of this week's top of the table First Division clash between Finn Harps and Athlone Town for Extratime.ie was the website's 14,000th ever article.

For Extratime.ie: Brady a genuine option at left-back

At the start of this long international week, Martin O'Neill spoke of the many big decisions he had to make around team selection for this Sunday's massive Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland – with Hull City winger Robbie Brady at the heart of a potentially match-changing decision. 

Philly Hughes is on his way to becoming "top scorer in the league"

I was at the first ever Cabinteely FC-Shelbourne game the other night (I wasn't working at it, though I did write an after the fact match report for Extratime.ie as opposed to my usual on the whistle job) and witnessed Philly Hughes' first league goal of 2015.

I would pay money to see all of these Lucas Lee films

Lucas Lee is an actor who plays the archetypal action hero in the majority of his movies. He saves the day and gets the girl, all while being a badass. What, you've never heard of Lucas Lee? Oh, I forgot to mention, Lucas Lee is himself a work of fiction.

Cillian Sheridan: a maverick worth following

Cillian Sheridan. The man from Cavan appeared on RTÉ's Soccer Republic on Monday night to be interviewed as part of the Irish Abroad segment - and in the face of questions from Tony O'Donoghue, he just completely, almost comically, undersold the impressive nature of every one of his recent career experiences, some of which he'll be hard pushed to ever repeat again. 

Why I forgot to ask Liam Buckley about Keith Fahey

I attended the 2015 SSE Airtricity League launch at the Aviva Stadium the other week and interviewed a number of different people for Extratime.ie. One of them was St. Patrick's Athletic manager, Liam Buckley. Later in the weekend I realised, to my horror, that I'd forgotten to ask him about the departure of influential midfielder Keith Fahey to Shamrock Rovers.