Inside Track: Not being a dodgy box subscriber, I had to settle for Premier League matches

Not being a subscriber to Clubber, or a member of the dodgy box brigade, I couldn’t take in Louth’s televised O’Byrne Cup match with Westmeath on Wednesday night last.

I could have gone to one of the next generation’s houses where Clubber is on tap, but as it is full to the brim with Man U fans – more like zealots – I knew they’d be on to Sky, taking in the Red Devils’ league match with Burnley.

READ NEXT: Inside Track: All the 3s not lucky for some managers

And that’s where I landed, on Sky, not only watching bits and pieces of the Turf Moor match, but another half dozen in the same competition. This was a televisual extravaganza, the likes of which, I would say, was never seen before.

Eight matches, all of them shown more or less at the same time? A first, surely.

I pretend to be for Man U when I’m in the company of the Lordship lot, but the truth is, the only English League teams that I have any sort of a leaning towards are Crewe Alexander or Accrington Stanley. Look out for their results every week, and to see how many turned up to see them playing at home.

All of that aside, remote in hand, I flicked through the stations to see what was happening at the different grounds. Missed the Man U equaliser and the one that put them in front, and was somewhere else when Burnley pulled one back to draw.

Just thinking: If United continue with their erratic form, is it possible JJ Gabriel will get a run out before the season’s over. (Gabriel was born Joseph Junior Andreau Gabriel Ó Cearúill, son of Joe Ó Cearúill, former Republic of Ireland International and someone who has got nearly as many mentions on these pages than Sam Mulroy.)

I know, JJ’s still a boy, but Norman Whiteside was in the same bracket when Ron Atkinson sent him out, the bejewelled manager getting reward for his decision when the Northern Ireland International scored the winner in the 1985 FA Cup final.

And it’s said that interim Man U boss, Graham Fletcher, is keen to give youth its chance. In the game with Burnley, he gave, Shea Lacey, a run in the second half, the teenager going very close to scoring on a couple of occasions.

Incidentally, Lacey is eligible, as is Gabriel, to play for Ireland, but as both have already line out for underage England teams, the chances of them wearing the green jersey would have to be rated slim.

Also on Wednesday last, Haaland stroked home a penalty for unimpressive Man City and me not there, but I saw Newcastle grab the winner deep into extra-time in their home game with luckless Leeds. This was a seven-goal thriller.

There’s another branch of the Carroll dynasty which has Crystal Palace supporters included. Their team had to be satisfied with a scoreless draw at home to high-flying Aston Villa.

A change of manager did no good for Chelsea in their London derby with Fulham – and there was another bad result for Spurs, on their visit to Bournemouth.

And what about Brentford? They’re scoring for fun, bagging three against Sunderland. Time to hide for those who questioned the appointment of Keith Andrews as manager. The rookie has his team rockin’ and rollin’, in fifth place after this series of matches.

Goalkeeper, Caoimhín Kelleher, is rollin’ better than most for the London club. His penalty save was his fourth from the last six times he’s faced someone from the spot. That’s a record.

It makes you look to the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off with the Czech Republic in March with some hope. Kelleher’s keeping goals out with regularity, and over on the continent, Evan Ferguson and Troy Parrott are banging them in.

You could imagine what it could be like with Ferguson and Parrott troubling even the sturdiest of defences as a twin stringing force, and Kelleher alert as ever on the goal-line.

Getting the best out of the other eight could see Heimer Hallgrimsson taking his team back to Dublin the following week for the deciding game.

I could have reason to revise my opinion of last week. The way things are going, Man City won’t catch Arsenal, Aston Villa could hold on to third, but it would have to be odds-on Liverpool staying ahead of Man U. We’ll see.