Ulster SFC preliminary round: Armagh 1-17 Tyrone 1-16 AET

For the second successive year, Armagh have pipped Tyrone at the post in another Ulster SFC thriller.

This one was more of a slow burner than the semi-final joust in Clones last year, but the finale was every bit as dramatic.

The Red Hands probably hung on to Armagh’s coattails in last season’s contest. This time, they had chances to put Armagh to the sword after playing extra-time with an extra man after Darragh McMullen picked up a second booking at the end of normal time.

Eoin McElholm spurned a goal chance in extra-time when a point would have brought his side level while Niall Morgan kicked a last-gasp ’45 wide.

Every team loves to complain about being written off. In Tyrone’s case it was true as few gave them any hope of causing an upset at a sold-out Box-It Athletic Grounds with the majority of the 16,0-91 in attendance cheering for the home side.

Malachy O’Rourke’s men needed much to go in their favour if they were to ambush the Orchard men in their own backyard.

With just 27 minutes played, they’d lost their two most influential players with Darragh Canavan and Brian Kennedy picking up injuries. At that stage, Armagh were 0-7 to 0-4 ahead with neither team playing particularly well after a deluge of rain prior to throw-in meant conditions were difficult for both sets of players.

Ethan Jordan, Tyrone’s top scorer in 2026, kicked four first half wides, including two long-range two-point attempts.

A fine score from Darragh McMullen had Armagh 0-8 to 0-4 ahead at the end of a rather forgettable first half of football

All that was to change in the second half as Tyrone fought their way back into contention, led by the brilliance of Mattie Donnelly and Conn Kilpatrick.

Donnelly opened the scoring and, to his credit, Jordan put his nightmare first half behind him to kick back-to-back scores.

Conor Turbitt pointed on his introduction, but all the momentum was now with the Red Hands and they levelled proceedings via Kilpatrick and Peter Teague.

A cracking point from Michael McKernan then put Tyrone into the lead for the first time in the game after 56 minutes.

In a game devoid of two-pointers, the first one was worth waiting for as Oisin O’Neill raised an orange flag and raised the spirits of the home support as he restored Armagh’s lead.

The Crossmaglen ace would score another two points to put Armagh 0-13 to 0-10 ahead and seemingly into a quarter-final meeting with Fermanagh.

Tyrone ensured there’d be at least one more twist in this tail as Niall Devlin set up Ben McDonnell for a stunning late goal to force extra-time.

Within 90 seconds of the restart, Armagh had established a four-point advantage as Ross McQuillan fired over the bar before Tomás McCormack palmed the ball under it after a great one-two with Oisin O’Neill.

Displaying a courageousness that has been absent from their play thus far in 2026, Tyrone battled back thanks to back-to-back two-pointers from McKernan and the outstanding Kilpatrick.

When Donnelly kicked Tyrone back into the lead, the Red Hands were on the cusp of a famous victory. O’Neill converted another free before Turbitt fisted over what proved to be the winner.

And yet it was Tyrone who were left to wonder what might have been. McElholm opted to shoot for goal when a point would have levelled the game with Gareth Murphy perhaps doing enough to put the Loughmacrory ace off at the last second.

Still, Armagh’s supporters were bracing themselves to be put through the wringer of another penalty shootout when Morgan addressed the ball for a ’45 after Lorcan McGarrity’s late shot was blocked down.

The Tyrone goalkeeper couldn’t find the target to force a shootout as Armagh progressed to the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth. Tyrone’s best performance of 2026 wasn’t quite enough.

ARMAGH: B Hughes 0-1 (0-1 45); P McGrane, A McKay, G Murphy ; R McQuillan 0-1, T Kelly, J Óg Burns; C O’Neill 0-3 (0-2fs), B Crealey; G McCabe, D McMullen 0-1, T McCormack 1-1; C McConville 0-1, J Duffy, O Conaty.

Subs: C Turbitt 0-2 for McCormack (43); O O’Neill 0-6 (0-3fs, 1tpf) for McConville (50); J McElroy for McQuillan (56; R Grugan for C O’Neill (65); R McQuillan for McElroy (ET); T McCormack for Murphy (ET); P Burns for McGrane (ET); C McConville for Crealey (ET); J Duffy for McCabe (87)

TYRONE: N Morgan, C Quinn, P Teague 0-1, N Devlin; C Daly, J Clarke, M McKernan 0-3 (1tp); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick 0-4 (1tp); S O’Donnell 0-1, R Cassidy, B McDonnell 1-0; D McCurry, E Jordan 0-2 (0-1f), D Canavan.

Subs: M Donnelly 0-3 for D Canavan (19), K McGeary for Kennedy (26), E McElholm 0-1 for McCurry (48), L McGarrity for Jordan (55), B Cullen for McGeary (77).

Virgil van Dijk’s 100th-minute header to win the first Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium will live long in the memory as pressure eased on Arne Slot, who will be hopeful of ending a four-game winless run against Palace that has included three successive losses – including in the Community Shield at Wembley in August. The 13th-place Eagles head to Merseyside unbeaten in four domestically, but with much of the focus now on their quest to reach the Conference League final.

The show is written by Tony Schumacher, who is known for his work on The Responder.

Filming took place in Bolton and Tockholes.

Smith and Socha feature as casino workers Leanne and Matty, respectively, who get drawn into a high-stakes crime story.

A synopsis for the series shares: “When Leanne and Matty discover they are both robbing from the safe at the inner-city casino they work in, their lives are set on a collision course; with each other, the local gangster they’re stealing from, and the police.”

The Cage was shot in and around Liverpool and Merseyside and is directed by Al Mackay, best known for his works on Without Sin and Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story.

Discussing her character of Leanne, Sheridan Smith shared: “Leanne is a cashier at the casino and she’s a single mum.

“She cares for her Nanna who has dementia, she has a son of 17 and a daughter who’s 12.

“They’re losing their housing and Nanna has to go into care, so she’s in this turmoil.

“Matty is her co-worker at the casino, and they discover they’re both on the rob, which entwines their lives because they’re in it together then.

“It’s a bit Bonnie and Clyde-y, but in a really chaotic, bonkers way.”

Giving a bit of insight into Matty, Michael Socha shared: “Matty is the manager of the Envoy Casino.

“He’s also addicted to gambling and is in quite a lot of debt from it.

“He’s an alcoholic.

“He’s just trying to keep his head above water at the beginning, and it feels like the whole world is against him, both inside and outside the casino.

“He’s not doing himself any favours.

“Everybody is against Matty, including himself.”

The Cage full cast list

• Sheridan Smith as Leanne Chapel
• Michael Socha as Matty Flynn
• Geraldine James as Nancy Packer
• Barry Sloane as Gary Packer
• Sophie Mensah as Detective Sergeant Fen Ning
• Freya Jones as Emily Flynn
• Anton Bibby as Thomas
• Louis Emerick as Paul
• Sue Jenkins as Shelagh
• Eileen O’Brien as Nanna
• Shaun Mason as Alan
• Lewis Ian Bray as Ben
• Julia Papp as Irina

• Eithne Browne as Annie
• Max Ainsworth as Neil
• Rose McDermott as Ruby
• Mona Goodwin as Trace
• Lee Morris as Kendo
• Dave Hart as Danny
• Abby Mavers as Kelly
• Gemma Barraclough as Jade
• Isobel Khan as Paige
• Natasha Jayetileke as Sarah
• Claire Hackett as Kath
• Menyee Lai as Mai
• Terri Reddin as Taylor
• Raymond Waring as Mr Charles
• Lucie Shorthouse as Miss Helbury

Recommended reading:

When will The Cage be on TV?

The first episode of The Cage will air at 9pm on Sunday, April 26 on BBC One.

After that, the remaining four episodes will air in the same timeslot over the coming weeks.

Alternatively, episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Will you be watching The Cage on BBC One? Let us know in the comments.

The incident happened on Kipling Road at around 3.40pm on Friday (April 24).

The boy was injured in a crash involving an off-road bike and was taken to hospital for treatment. He suffered cuts and bruises and was kept in overnight as a precautionary measure.

The rider of the bike did not remain at the scene.

He was on a black motorbike and was wearing a green helmet, a grey coat, black jogging bottoms and grey shoes.

Anyone with information, doorbell footage or dashcam footage can call Cleveland Police on 101 quoting reference SE26077055.

An influencer who was run over outside a nightclub in London’s Soho has died after fighting for her life for days.

Klaudia Zakrzewska succumbed to her injuries today after being hit with two other people outside the Inca club on Argyll Street at 4.30am on Sunday.

The 32-year-old, who had amassed a huge following on TikTok and Instagram under her handle Klaudiagram, was left with catastrophic injuries after the crash and fell into a coma.

She has now sadly been pronounced dead, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.

Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘We would like to express our deepest sympathies to Klaudia’s family and friends in light of this tragic update. Our thoughts are also with everyone impacted by this incident.

‘We recognise that this case has generated significant interest and discussion on social media; however, we would urge the public to refrain from further speculation.

‘We also ask that people do not share graphic footage out of respect for Klaudia’s loved ones and for those who have been injured.

‘The circulation of such material could also undermine our ongoing criminal investigation and potentially prejudice future court proceedings.’

A 58-year-old man also suffered life-changing injuries in the collision.

Gabrielle Carrington, 29, from Manchester was previously charged with attempted murder, grievious bodily harm with intent, actual bodily harm, dangerous driving and drink driving.

Her charge of attempted murder will be changed to murder, the force said.

Carrington has over 365,000 followers on social media and she starred in the X Factor finals in 2013.

She appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where she was remanded in custody.

She is due to appear in court next on Tuesday, May 19.

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The woman’s arrest comes after two boys, aged one and three, were tragically pronounced dead at the scene of a house fire in Wolverhampton

Police have arrested a woman after two boys, aged one and three, were killed in a house fire in Wolverhampton.

The woman, aged in her 30s, remains in custody this afternoon as investigations continue into the blaze in Mason Street at around 8.30pm on Friday. Ambulance medics had “quickly administered advanced life support” to both children but without success.

Two other children and a woman were already out of the house before emergency services arrived, and did not need hospital treatment.

Investigators say are working with fire service colleagues to establish the exact circumstances of the fire, with officers carrying out door-to-door enquiries and reviewing CCTV footage of the area.

A cordon at the scene is likely to remain in place for some time, West Midlands Police said.

DCI Kylie Westlake, from the public protection unit, said: “This is a truly tragic incident and our thoughts remain very much with those who loved the children who have been lost.

“We understand the shock and distress this awful incident will have caused to many people and we are working at pace to ascertain exactly what has happened. Officers have arrested a woman on suspicion of causing or allowing the death of two children.

“While we would ask people not to speculate about this or the wider incident, we would ask that anyone who can help with our enquiries, and who is yet to speak with us, to get in contact.”

Anyone with information can call us on 101, or message via Live Chat on our website log 5640 of 24 April.

The Linlithgow-based brewery was invited to showcase the beer in the aptly named Strangers’ Bar inside the Palace of Westminster.

A West Lothian landmark has reached the heart of government this month as Strangers Brewing Co. saw its popular ‘Cockleroi’ ale go on tap at the House of Commons.

The Linlithgow-based brewery was invited to showcase the beer in the aptly named Strangers’ Bar inside the Palace of Westminster. The guest spot came following a recommendation from local MP Kirsteen Sullivan, providing parliamentarians with a literal taste of West Lothian.

Named after the iconic hill (also spelled Cockleroy) that overlooks Linlithgow and Bathgate, the smooth and malty amber ale has been a favourite guest ale among MPs for whom the bar serves as their “local.”

READ MORE: Plans for new West Lothian homes to see end of notorious ‘ghost estate’

Brett Welch, Director and Head Brewer at Strangers Brewing, made the journey to London to share a pint with the Linlithgow MP and to check that the beer was tasting perfect.

“We’ve always had a strong local connection in our brewing, so seeing a beer named after our local hill being enjoyed in Parliament is a huge milestone for us,” said Mr Welch.

“We’re grateful to Kirsteen and the House of Commons team for the opportunity to put Linlithgow on the map – and on the taps – in Westminster.”

READ MORE: Change to West Lothian rent collection process could be on the way

Kirsteen Sullivan, MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow, added: “It has been a pleasure to introduce my colleagues to this fantastic local brew.

“Strangers Brewing Co. is a brilliant example of a thriving local business, and I’m proud to see them go from strength to strength.”

Cockleroi was made available in the Strangers’ Bar as part of a scheme run by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), to which Strangers Brewing Co. belongs.

READ MORE: Girls at West Lothian school establish clothing bank with touch of class

Don’t miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here.

Kyle Bashford, 37, is the founder and head baker at Karrot Bakery, a family-run venture dedicated to Julie Bashford, who died of cancer in 2023.

He is keeping her memory alive by sharing the carrot cake recipe she baked for him and his brothers.

The bakery is a huge favourite at Bolton’s Heaton Fold Garden Centre’s artisan market, returning tomorrow (Sunday) for the first time this year.

The market brings together independent traders and activities for the family.

The Bashfords (Image: Supplied)

“Growing up, my mum would always bake carrot cake,” said Kyle, from Blackburn.

“I just loved it and would have as many pieces as I could before my family members grabbed it.”

A few months before she died, Julie taught Kyle the famous family recipe.

“It was close to Christmas, and I made it for everyone on New Year’s Day.

“Mum gave me the thumbs up,” he said.

After her death, Kyle began to consider turning the recipe into a business in her memory.

He experimented with different flavours, including chocolate, lemon meringue and cherry Bakewell.

The Bashfords (Image: Supplied)

After eight months of trial and error, he set up Karrot Bakery in 2024.

Working from his home kitchen in Blackburn, Kyle now sells his cakes at markets across Blackburn, Bolton and Birmingham, as well as offering home delivery.

He said market events remain his most successful outlet.

(Image: Supplied)

The Bolton News first discovered the bakery at Heaton Fold’s Christmas market in December.

“I think customers are initially drawn to the cakes, brownies and cookies,” said Kyle.

“When they see my mum’s picture and story, it adds meaning to the bakery.

“A lot of bakeries have a reason for starting out.”

(Image: Supplied)

Kyle also runs a filmmaking business with his twin brother, Liam Bashford.

“They’re completely different, but I love baking and filmmaking,” he said.

“I want to keep pushing forward with the bakery to keep my mum’s legacy alive.”

(Image: Supplied)

Kyle’s younger brother, Pierce, and his father, Trevor, help run the market stall and support the business where they can.

He said his family were the original taste testers when he was setting up the bakery, and they “absolutely love it”.

The bakery can be found on Instagram by searching karrotbakery.

CAN you imagine, an English coach tour company regularly running holiday trips to tulip bulb fields, and festivals etc, into Europe.

They advertise months in advance tours to the fabulous Christmas Markets in Germany, only to arrive and find it closed.

They have booked hotels, for maybe two or three days, but find it’s the one day that the Christmas Markets are closed because blue badge users need to visit the city centre in that German city.

York had nine million visitors last year, we need those visitors, that is why we are, in York, building more and more hotels to accommodate them, not to mention the bars and restaurants, that depend on them.

I would ask our City of York Council to be very careful before closing our very successful Christmas Market on Tuesday as proposed, there will be a very large ripple effect on many other local and European businesses.

Stuart Wilson,

Vesper Drive,

Acomb

—

Where is the pride in Britain?

AN indication of how low morale and pride in one’s country has sunk was revealed this week when a survey of under 30s has shown half of them would not be prepared to fight for their country.

This is a shocking indictment on those politicians and their policies from all parties which have governed in recent years.

Also, one has to ask all the Labour MPs who appear on the media saying they believe Starmer over his version of the Mandelson affair, are you purposely being blind, deaf or totally dumb to what is happening in the real word in which the rest of us inhabit, or do you enjoy being puppets on a string in Labour’s circus of a government?

Peter Rickaby,

Moat Way,

Brayton

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David Yates, from near Tonge Moor, found two long-lost cousins by responding to an appeal for photographs, which will be proudly placed on a war grave in the Netherlands.

He had never met his great uncle Walter Green, originally from Tyldesley.

David’s newspaper cutting. (Image: David Yates)

However, after seeing a BBC North West Tonight appeal looking for relatives of soldiers buried overseas, David realised one of the names listed could only belong to his family.

He said: “I thought there can’t be two Walter Greens from Tyldesley, it had to be my great uncle.”

Walter Green, who died aged just 39 in 1945, is buried at Venray War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

It comes as the cemetery is looking for photographs of three others who come from Bolton, buried at Venray.

Walters grave, now with a new picture. (Image: Venray War Cemetery.)

Photographs of the other war heroes have been found by their families, all except Private Cecil Wood, Son of Thomas and Alice Wood.

Tom van Mierlo, Chairman of Venray War Cemetery, said: “We still live in freedom today because of the sacrifices that these 693 men, and many others, made back then.

“Even for that reason alone, they deserve to have their memory preserved, especially today, because those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Volunteers have been working there to trace families and place photographs on soldiers’ graves, giving them a face as well as a name.

David Yates. (Image: David Yates)

David explained how the appeal sent him delving into family history, uncovering a forgotten newspaper cutting that had been kept in a box for decades.

He added: “My grandmother had a picture of Walter in her bedroom.

 “We even found a letter he sent her in June 1940 saying he was hoping to come and visit.”

Walter had spent some of the Second World War as a prisoner of war.

After being wounded, he eventually died from his injuries. Until now, his grave had no photograph.

The Venray graves. (Image: Venray War Cemetery)

David said: “The man in Holland who looks after the grave told me there were people interested in Walter, but they didn’t have a picture of him.”

The discoveries didn’t stop there.

Through the appeal, David learned he had two cousins he never knew existed, including Walter’s granddaughter, who had never seen a photograph of her grandfather before.

“She’s absolutely over the moon,” said David.

A cross which separates some graves. (Image: Venray War Cemetery)

David believes the care shown by Dutch volunteers is a powerful reminder of the legacy left behind by Allied soldiers.

He added: “I think a lot of this comes from gratitude. Tending to these graves is their way of saying thank you.”

Walter was one of nine children, with family roots stretching from St Helens.

David’s own family later moved to Bolton, where he grew up in Breightmet and now lives near Tonge Moor.

David added: “Of course, there are probably relatives out there who still don’t know who he was,” David added. “But now his story is being told again.”