Shels v Sligo FAI Cup final - Lansdowne Road 6th Nov

**sligored** · 19/10/2011, 9:36 AM

Originally Posted by born2bwild

Sligo are 'overwhelming' favourites only if you haven't closely watched both divisions all season.

Shels' best back four is as strong as Sligo's.

Sligo have got Richie Ryan and N'Do and that is a serious plus.

Sligo don't have anyone with the striking threat that David Cassidy and Philly Hughes carry in combination.

Honestly, I've looked and followed Sligo a lot this year (went up to Sligo to see them play Shams, saw them in Dundalk, Dalymount and Tallaght twice, actually supported them fanatically in Europe and saw them in Tolka, of course) and I like the team. They should have done much better against Poltava at home (should have won in Ukraine) but I reckon Shels are getting second wind now and there is not much between the sides at all.

2009 - Dick Turpin? Rubbish. You've got to play the game for the whole duration or you risk losing.

just in case you hadnt noticed eoin doyle has scored 18 goals in this years premier division - more than north , twigg , sheppard , kilduff , quigley or fagan and only bettered by zayed

http://www.worldfootball.net/torjaeg...y-league-2011/

Philly hughes or david cassidy might be a good combination at 1st division level.
If they were any good they would have been signed by a premier league team at the start of the year.

**1st time post** · 19/10/2011, 9:49 AM

Originally Posted by born2bwild

Sligo are 'overwhelming' favourites only if you haven't closely watched both divisions all season.

Shels' best back four is as strong as Sligo's.

Sligo have got Richie Ryan and N'Do and that is a serious plus.

Sligo don't have anyone with the striking threat that David Cassidy and Philly Hughes carry in combination.

Honestly, I've looked and followed Sligo a lot this year (went up to Sligo to see them play Shams, saw them in Dundalk, Dalymount and Tallaght twice, actually supported them fanatically in Europe and saw them in Tolka, of course) and I like the team. They should have done much better against Poltava at home (should have won in Ukraine) but I reckon Shels are getting second wind now and there is not much between the sides at all.

2009 - Dick Turpin? Rubbish. You've got to play the game for the whole duration or you risk losing.

Your usually one of the more logical posters on here but have to take issues with a couple of things you say.
Firstly, i dont care how many times your strongest back 4 have played together or what but theres no way you can claim that its on a par with ours given we have played 34 games in the league this year and only conceded 17 goals. I think your record is something like 21 in 27, not far off a goal a game in a lower division.
Secondly, while we could have beaten Poltava in Ukraine they were on a completely different level when playing us in the Showgrounds. We gave them a scare over there but it certainly woke them up for second leg and remember we could easily have been 3-0 down after a half hour over there.
I do agree with ya though that whoever think it will be a walk in the park is nuts. I do hope that ye get promoted automatically because i think if ye had to play the playoff 3 days after the final it would take away a bit from the occasion. Is the first leg the wed before aswell??

**CMcC** · 19/10/2011, 9:59 AM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

Tickets are reasonably priced (10 euro adults, 5 euro kids) which should help attract a decent crowd. Expect a decent crowd from Sligo, even if it is the 3rd final in a row (enjoy it while it lasts) and Shels would have a lot of dormant support around the area which I expect will come out on the day. Usual day trippers and a few of us thinking "if only" (damn you Sligo

)

But remember last years final had the added novelty value of being a lot of people's first visit to the stadium. There was a serious amount of neutral day trippers who went as it was their first time in the new ground.

**Mr A** · 19/10/2011, 10:01 AM

I hope Shels win the cup and somebody from the FAI makes a speech like the one in Father Ted when he gets the Golden Cleric.

"Shels win this having overcome past allegations of irregularities, but despite bizarre irregularities in betting patterns, no charges were ever brought."

That would be epic.

**legendz** · 19/10/2011, 10:48 AM

It's great to see Shels back. They are still a big name in Irish football. Generally in areas like Kerry etc. outside of the League of Ireland community, Shels and Bohs are held in a high regard.

**born2bwild** · 19/10/2011, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by 1st time post

Your usually one of the more logical posters on here but have to take issues with a couple of things you say.
Firstly, i dont care how many times your strongest back 4 have played together or what but theres no way you can claim that its on a par with ours given we have played 34 games in the league this year and only conceded 17 goals. I think your record is something like 21 in 27, not far off a goal a game in a lower division.
Secondly, while we could have beaten Poltava in Ukraine they were on a completely different level when playing us in the Showgrounds. We gave them a scare over there but it certainly woke them up for second leg and remember we could easily have been 3-0 down after a half hour over there.
I do agree with ya though that whoever think it will be a walk in the park is nuts. I do hope that ye get promoted automatically because i think if ye had to play the playoff 3 days after the final it would take away a bit from the occasion. Is the first leg the wed before aswell??

That last post seemed perfectly sensible when I put it up. It does seem a bit over the top in places. Still, Shels are not a first division team. St Pat's were beaten by them over two matches with dodgy reffing evenly balanced out.
What happened to Sligo in Richmond last week?

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 19/10/2011, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by born2bwild

That last post seemed perfectly sensible when I put it up. It does seem a bit over the top in places. Still, Shels are not a first division team. St Pat's were beaten by them over two matches with dodgy reffing evenly balanced out.
What happened to Sligo in Richmond last week?

We played against 11. So unfair.

**El-Pietro** · 19/10/2011, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by born2bwild

Still, Shels are not a first division team.

Of course they are, they've had 4 or 5 opportunities to get out of the division and haven't yet taken one.

Pretty sure the table reads that Shels are a first division team

**born2bwild** · 19/10/2011, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

Of course they are, they've had 4 or 5 opportunities to get out of the division and haven't yet taken one.

Pretty sure the table reads that Shels are a first division team

Oh yeah, just checked the tables there. You're right! Shels are curently in the 1st division. I was wondering why all the away matches were in places like Drom and Fahy's Field and not Dalyer and Tallaght. Thanks for clearing that up.

**hoops1** · 19/10/2011, 1:19 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

Pretty sure the table reads that Shels are a first division team

Since when did league tables mean anything in LOI?

**TiocfaidhArmani** · 19/10/2011, 1:37 PM

Shels as a club are a Premier Division club, we were demoted, not relgated. Our first year back we lost all our players bar one so we had to throw a team together in two weeks, we were on the back foot from the off.

We'll be back soon where we belong and European football would be the cherry on top!

**El-Pietro** · 19/10/2011, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by TiocfaidhArmani

Shels as a club are a Premier Division club, we were demoted, not relgated. Our first year back we lost all our players bar one so we had to throw a team together in two weeks, we were on the back foot from the off.

We'll be back soon where we belong and European football would be the cherry on top!

2007, 2008, 2008, 2010...

If Shels were a Premier Division club as you say then they would have been promoted by now.

Maybe they will take their opportunity this time around, (though they seem to be doing everything they can to stay down here) and if they do then they will be considered a Premier club but its not like Derry or Shamrock Rovers who were down in this division and got out at the first opportunity.

**born2bwild** · 19/10/2011, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

2007, 2008, 2008, 2010...

If Shels were a Premier Division club as you say then they would have been promoted by now.

Maybe they will take their opportunity this time around, (though they seem to be doing everything they can to stay down here) and if they do then they will be considered a Premier club but its not like Derry or Shamrock Rovers who were down in this division and got out at the first opportunity.

I would agree with you up to a point. 2007-10 Shels were not, on the field, at the level of the Premier clubs. This year they are at that level. As are Cork. And both will be in the top tier next March.
Even if Limerick are not promoted they are, in terms of ability, a premier league club.

**TiocfaidhArmani** · 19/10/2011, 2:19 PM

Other clubs didn't go into the First Division after basically losing all their players and having to throw together a squad in two weeks taking on anyone that would join us. I think we've had a share amount of bad luck, which is typical Shels, but point taken.

**El-Pietro** · 19/10/2011, 2:25 PM

Originally Posted by TiocfaidhArmani

Our first year back we lost all our players bar one so we had to throw a team together in two weeks, we were on the back foot from the off.

Just spotted this part - we had 8 days to put a team together last year after doing everythign we could to remain a Premier Club, debts and all, and it showed last season.

We now look like going up at the second opportunity. We're still not a Premier Club even if I think we will do very well if promoted.

Originally Posted by born2bwild

I would agree with you up to a point. 2007-10 Shels were not, on the field, at the level of the Premier clubs. This year they are at that level. As are Cork. And both will be in the top tier next March.
Even if Limerick are not promoted they are, in terms of ability, a premier league club.

Thats not true though is it. If Limerick or any other club don't get promoted then any of their players who don't have contracts for next year will be given opportunities with Premier Clubs.

More so Shels and Mons than any of the other clubs do to their location. If they don't have contracts then the likes of Cassidy will have plenty offers next season for example, Conan Byrne etc

**S.E.P.1990** · 19/10/2011, 2:56 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

Just spotted this part - we had 8 days to put a team together last year after doing everythign we could to remain a Premier Club, debts and all, and it showed last season.

We now look like going up at the second opportunity. We're still not a Premier Club even if I think we will do very well if promoted.

Thats not true though is it. If Limerick or any other club don't get promoted then any of their players who don't have contracts for next year will be given opportunities with Premier Clubs.

More so Shels and Mons than any of the other clubs do to their location. If they don't have contracts then the likes of Cassidy will have plenty offers next season for example, Conan Byrne etc

But is it not easier for a team in cork to bounce back quicker? Its easier to keep players as there is no competition from a higher division team, all your nearest rivals are in the same division. All of our rivals are in the premier division meaning we are competing with them to put a squad together.

Maybe they will take their opportunity this time around, (though they seem to be doing everything they can to stay down here) and if they do then they will be considered a Premier club but its not like Derry or Shamrock Rovers who were down in this division and got out at the first opportunity.

Both Derry and Rovers started with a blank canvas with no debt.

**CSFShels** · 19/10/2011, 2:57 PM

Discussing Shels and Cork's situations are not discussing like for like. In our second season after the stability season, there was only 1 team promoted. If only 1 team was promoted this season, chances are it wouldn't be Cork. 2009 we really should have gone up, no excuses there. 2010 nobody had a hope of beating Derry, illustrated by how well a very similar squad is doing in the Premier division. This season, we're very likely to go up. Again may I point out that we did not have the luxury of ditching our debts, starting a new club and still getting a spot in the First Division.

**S.E.P.1990** · 19/10/2011, 3:01 PM

Plus, and this is not having a go, but when you reformed as Foras didn't you lose some/all of the debt of the previous Cork entity??

**El-Pietro** · 19/10/2011, 3:20 PM

Originally Posted by S.E.P.1990

Plus, and this is not having a go, but when you reformed as Foras didn't you lose some/all of the debt of the previous Cork entity??

we did, but only after exhausting every avenue to keep the old business alive

as for teams not having a hope of beating Derry, didn't Waterford and Mons run them close?

And we will be going up in second place at worst, Champions if Limerick do us a favour

**S.E.P.1990** · 19/10/2011, 3:27 PM

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

we did, but only after exhausting every avenue to keep the old business alive

as for teams not having a hipe ogf beating Derry, didn't Waterford and Mons run them close?

And we will be going up in second place at worst, Champions if Limerick do us a favour

So thats a yes

Run them close (as did we) but didnt go up either.

Congrats. If you finish 2nd, then you will match were we finished in 2008 (our second season down here) and in 2009. When there was only 1 auto promotion.