Sir, – Sports journalists – especially the speaking variety – often use clichés that I would not miss if I never heard them again. Frequently we hear the daft “denied by the woodwork” as if everything was going well with the attempt to score until some pesky piece of wood somehow got in the way. Woodwork, be it goalposts or crossbars, will not change position during a game except perhaps in the most extreme weather conditions. These failed attempts were just slightly inaccurate and off target. This may be unpalatable to some but that is all there is to it. – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’BYRNE,
Co Kildare.