Scoring Streaks Part III: Premier League

In 2017, we wrote about the Irish players who have scored in the most consecutive international games, and the most consecutive appearances, with Jimmy Dunne scoring in five consecutive appearances and Robbie Keane and Fionan Fagan sharing the record of scoring in four consecutive games.

Following Shane Long's second goal in consecutive games against Wolves at the weekend, the first Irish player to manage the feat since Long himself scored against Aston Villa and Manchester City in May 2016, we wondered who holds the record for most goals scored by an Irish player in consecutive Premier League games?

Eddie McGoldrick was the first Irish player to score in two consecutive games in the Premier League. The winger scored in Crystal Palace's second and third games in the newly formed top tier in August 1992 against Oldham and Tottenham Hotspur. Before the end of the season, Ian Power, Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, Roy Keane, John Sheridan, and Denis Irwin would all match the achievement.

An Irish player would not score in three consecutive Premier League games until 1999, when, as with many Irish goalscoring records, it was achieved by Robbie Keane. Following his move from Wolves to Coventry in August 1999, he went on to score against Arsenal in December 1999, followed by strikes against Chelsea and Wimbledon in January 2000

This record would stand until March 2003 when Damien Duff scored in five consecutive games for Blackburn Rovers, against Birmingham, Arsenal, Newcastle, Fulham, and Charlton. During this run, Duff also scored for Ireland against Georgia.

Keane has matched this achievement on three separate occassions for Tottenham, in 2004 against Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Fulham, and Portsmouth. Three years later, Keane repeated the run by scoring against Bolton, Reading, Wigan, Arsenal and Middlesbrough. He was sent off against Bolton, and missed the following games against West Ham and Watford, before returning to score against Reading. This run also included a strike against Manchester City in a cup replay. The following October, Keane would again scored in five successive league games against Bolton, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Blackburn.

Only one other player has scored in more than three consecutive games - Kevin Doyle scored in four games in a row for Reading during the 2006/07 season against Tottenham, Charlton, Fulham, and Bolton. Doyle also scored for Ireland against San Marino in the final international at the old Lansdowne Road during this run.

Can Shane Long continue his run against Newcastle this weekend?

Further Reading
Scoring Streaks Part I: Consecutive Games
Scoring Streaks Part II: Consecutive Appearances

Round up for weekend of Friday, 5th April 2019

Friday, 5th April 2019

Premier League

Southampton 1-3 Liverpool

In his first start in two months, Shane Long scored his 50th goal in the Premier League

Saturday, 6th April 2019

Premier League

Bournemouth 1-3 Burnley

Jeff Hendrick was shown his first yellow card since February

Championship

Blackburn 0-1 Stoke City

Derrick Williams was booked for the fifth time this season

Preston North End 0-1 Sheffield United

Alan Browne's start against Sheffield United was his 200th appearance for Preston North End
The seven Irish internationals that appeared in this game is the most to appear in a Championship game since Preston played Aston Villa on Wednesday, 1st November 2017

Sheffield Wednesday 1-3 Aston Villa

Glenn Whelan was booked for the fifth time this season

League 1

AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Accrington Stanley

Dylan Connolly was booked for the first time this season

Bradford City 0-1 Doncaster Rovers

Paudie O'Connor made his 25th appearance in English football
Sean Scannell second half introduction was his first appearance since October

Luton 2-2 Blackpool

James Collins's red card was his second time being sent off for Luton, thirteen months after his last red card in March 2018

Plymouth 0-2 Charlton

Graham Carey made his 100th appearance in League One
Niall Canavan's own goal was the first time the player had put the ball in his own net since May 2015

League 2

Carlisle United 3-2 Bury

Eoghan O'Connell was shown his fifth yellow card of the season

Cheltenham 1-1 Exeter

Sean Long came off the bench for his first appearance since October
Pierce Sweeney was named in a starting XI for the first time in a month

Swindon Town 1-1 Yeovil

Courtney Duffus was booked for the first time this season

Scottish Premier League

Hearts 1-2 Hibernian

Daryl Horgan scored for the first time in two months. This was the wingers second brace of the season

Kilmarnock 2-0 St Johnstone

Alan Power was booked for the tenth time this season

MLS

D.C. United 0-4 Los Angeles FC

Chris McCann made his first start for D.C. United

Slovakian Super Liga

DAC 1-0 Žilina

Connor Ronan scored his first goal for DAC, this was his first goal since November 2016

Sunday, 7th April 2019

English FA Cup

Watford 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Matt Doherty scored his 20th goal for Wolves

Australian A-League

Adelaide United 3-1 Wellington Phoenix

Cillian Sheridan scored his first goal for the Wellington Phoenix, four months after his last goal on Saturday, 8 December 2018(118 days)

Central Coast Mariners 0-3 Perth Glory

In his first start in a month, Andy Keogh completed his first assist since Saturday, 16th February

Round up for weekend of Satuday, 30th Match 2019

Saturday, 30th March 2019

Premier League

Fulham 0-2 Manchester City

Cyrus Christie was shown his fifth yellow card of the season in his first start since Saturday, 2nd February

Brighton and Hove Albion 0-1 Southampton

Shane Duffy made his 100th appearance for Brighton and Hove Albion

Championship

Aston Villa 2-1 Blackburn

Glenn Whelan made his 50th start for Aston Villa
Darragh Lenihan made his first appearance in two months

Nottingham Forest 2-1 Swansea

Daryl Murphy scored for the first time in three months

Reading 2-1 Preston North End

Paul McShane came off the bench for his first appearance since Wednesday, 22nd August
Callum Robinson was named in a starting XI for the first time since Saturday, 24th November

Sheffield United 2-3 Bristol City

Scott Hogan scored his first goal of the season, almost a year after his last goal on Tuesday, 3rd April 2018

League 1

Blackpool 2-2 Plymouth

Graham Carey assisted a goal for the first time in a month

Charlton 1-0 Bradford City

Paudie O'Connor's start was the defender's first appearance in two months

Gillingham 1-1 Rochdale

Graham Burke made his 25th appearance of the season

Scunthorpe 1-2 AFC Wimbledon

Shane McLoughlin started his first game since Tuesday, 19th February

League 2

Bury 1-3 Swindon Town

Jay O'Shea made his fifth assist of the season

Cambridge United 0-1 Colchester

Jake Carroll made his 150th appearance in League Two
Jake Doyle-Hayes came off the bench for his first appearance in a month

Crewe Alexandra 1-3 Cheltenham

Kevin Dawson scored his first goal since Tuesday, 8th January

Morecambe 1-0 Crawley

Barry Roche's start was his first appearance since Saturday, 27th October

Stevenage 0-3 Notts County

Michael Doyle made his 150th appearance in League Two

Scottish Premier League

St Mirren 2-1 Dundee

John O'Sullivan's first assist since November was his fifth assist of the season

Motherwell 3-0 St Johnstone

Charles Dunne made his 50th appearance in the competition
Carl McHugh made his first assist of the season

Hearts 2-1 Aberdeen

In his first appearance in seven weeks, Conor Shaughnessy made his first assist of the season

Kilmarnock 5-0 Hamilton Academical

Gary Dicker was booked for the first time in two months

Sunday, 31st March 2019

Premier League

Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea

Harry Arter completed his first assist of the season

Scottish Premier League

Celtic 2-1 Rangers

In his first start in five weeks, Jonathan Hayes was booked for the first time since the same game

Football League Trophy

Portsmouth 2-2 Sunderland

Aiden McGeady's brace in the final was his first goals in the competition

Norwegian Eliteserien

Viking 2-0 Kristiansund

Sean McDermott was named in the starting XI on his return to the Kristiansund first team. This was his first start since Sunday, 17th February

Monday, 1st April 2019

MLS

Orlando City 1-2 D.C. United

Chris McCann came off the bench for his D.C. United debut