Euro First Round Tie Vs Vllaznia Home Leg (Match thread)

[Rovers1]

Would it not just be easier for them to buy tickets? I somehow doubt people will get in without a ticket. Its UEFA regulations. Its not as if it was a cup game or anything.

If 2,700 tickets are sold, I really think only 2,700 people will get in.

I think your right. Thats why the Railway and Shed End are closed, no standing allowed. And if it sells out, it sells out. Rovers would probably be in danger of a fine if they let people stand. Hope not though, as most of us on this forum will be standing.:(

[Kevin L]

Just to clarify lads if the tickets are sold prior to the game there will be no cash taken on the gates.Up to yesterday evening there was approx 100 tickets left for sale.
UEFA have stated quite clearly that everybody has to be seated and if people are found to be standing up during the game without seats they will recommend that we do not hold the next round should we win.

So if it was me Midget Gem, I would try and get somebody to buy your tickets this morning rather than take a chance later on.

[redobit]

Just to say to LOI fans.

I have absolutely no idea how this game is going to go tonite. But hopefully the club, players and fans will do our best for our Club, the League and the Co-efficent.

[Boo_Boy]

I don't think anyone knows to be honest. Hope we do well!!

Looking forward to hearing Vllanznia's starting 11 being announced..;)

[The Betting Man]

Right lads honest answer,who didnt get a wink of sleep last night and who has gone to the toilet alot already this morning? :)

Use have waited so long for this hope everything goes well for Sligo Rovers tonight and get behind the team right from the start

Best of luck again lads

[Ash]

Sounds like the Albanian Alan Moore.

Any relation to ex Celt, Rudi Vata?

[redobit]

Right lads honest answer,who didnt get a wink of sleep last night and who has gone to the toilet alot already this morning? :)


Me stomach is in knots all week any time i think of the game. I need a pint.

[bennocelt]

good luck to Sligo

about the betting - have to say was a bit surprised to see Sligo at 4/7 and the Albanian team at 4/1 with PP - so there must be some money on sligo at least

as I will be in mainland europe in a few weeks - hopefully i will get the chance to visit Austria - would be a great excuse to go there

[sligoman]

O'Grady interview (http://www.loi.ie/index.php/clubs/premier-division/sligo-rvs/latest-news/888-ogrady-ready-to-lead)

Brush interview (http://www.loi.ie/index.php/clubs/premier-division/sligo-rvs/latest-news/889-brush-ready-for-biggest-night)

[Dodge]

Nothing like the feeling you get before a European game.

Lets hope this is the first of many for you this year. Best of luck

[Rovers1]

O'Grady interview (http://www.loi.ie/index.php/clubs/premier-division/sligo-rvs/latest-news/888-ogrady-ready-to-lead)

Brush interview (http://www.loi.ie/index.php/clubs/premier-division/sligo-rvs/latest-news/889-brush-ready-for-biggest-night)

O 'Grady's audio is up too.

[The Midget Gem]

So if it was me Midget Gem, I would try and get somebody to buy your tickets this morning rather than take a chance later on.
Cheers will do.



UEFA have stated quite clearly that everybody has to be seated and if people are found to be standing up during the game without seats they will recommend that we do not hold the next round should we win.
Bit unfair that? I've been to some of European matchs in Anfield, Greece and in Ireland. Every game I've been at people were standing on steps, and standing in their seats. Just look at the Cop on European nights in Anfield.

Anyway, I can't wait for this today! So excited:D! Up the Rowvers!

[sligofan4ever]

O 'Grady's audio is up too.


he sound so dull and uninterested in it :p

[sligored]

just called up to club- all tickets are now gone - no money to be taken at gate

some people on here will be disappointed to hear that as it will have ruined their predictions. no names mentioned.......

roll on 7.00- see ye in mooneys

[Gaillimh Al]

Just re: the betting interest.

290k now matched on Betfair, compared to average of 25k on all the other Euro games tonight, so there is definitely a keen interest.
95% of that money has either gone on laying or backing Sligo.

[Dodge]

95% of that money has either gone on laying or backing Sligo.

As ever with Betfair, its important to point out that for every penny that is backing Sligo, there's the exact amount of money opposing them

[BohDiddley]

Best of luck Rovers! :D

[longfordjames]

Can anyone tell me is the match live anywhere?Commentary will do

[gustavo]

nil all so far we've been the better team , dont know how we havent scored

[sligored]

absolute rubbish - we should have hammered them

[Boo_Boy]

Feck our luck. Lets just hope the reserve keeper is ****e.

I will never understand the decision to let Alan Keane take a peno minutes after he scored a OG on what is one of the biggest nights of his football career, mind boggling stuff.

[Red&White Rover]

Possibly because he scored our last peno (only one who has I think) this season?

[Boo_Boy]

Possibly because he scored our last peno (only one who has I think) this season?

Did he score an OG a few minutes before he took that penalty?

[showgies]

This tie is not over.

We are capable of winning by two out there.

[SligoBrewer]

This tie is not over.

We are capable of winning by two out there.

On that performance, not a hope.

[brianw82]

Just mailed a friend my report, might as well paste it here rather than write a new one:


There's no way we should have lost that game, or even gone a goal down! We were better than them, no question. First half, we were first to every ball. The problem was that everything we tried was down the left, through Morrison. The guy is the epitome of the schoolyard showoff. He just won't pass, or if he does it's some hollywood ball that doesn't reach its target. Saying that, he did have one great cross towards the end of the first half, Boco connected with it but it came back off the bar. If that had gone in it would have been a different story.
2nd half, the Albanians tried to play a bit more. It was nothing we couldn't handle. They fired a warning when one of them fizzed a low cross right across the goal, but they had nobody in the area to connect with it. Their goal came when their left back ventured forward and no tackles came in, he kept going, found himself on the edge of the box and hit a cracking shot that beat Brush. He really should have been challenged, but credit to him for knowing what to do when he got up there. We pushed on then, and got hit on the break for their 2nd. Noctor came on at RB with Keane moving to CB, and he was skinned by their winger. He whipped in a nightmare low ball that Holmes (I think) could only divert into his own net. This goal was a sickener to concede.
We kept trying, of course. Got a pen when one of their defenders handled accidentally in the box. Keane stepped up and blasted against the bar. At that stage, it was obvious that it wasn't going to be our night. I thought it would end 2-0, but it turns out we hadn't used our get-out-of-jail card. Their goalie, after collecting a cross, elbowed Richie Ryan in the face. He was running back after the chance had gone. It was a blatant red and the ref showed it straight away. The goalie then wasted as much time as he could getting off the pitch, and they brought on their sub keeper. Raff took the penalty and scored, but we couldn't get another. There was one chance that fell to Boco, I think, but it just didn't sit right for him and he couldn't get a shot away. 5 mins of injury time, but we would've needed 50.
Their players were thrilled with the win, and their fans too. Reasonably large travelling support, probably more than I initially thought.

[sligofan4ever]

So, so unlucky but we played really well up until the first goal. Vllaznia were very unconvincing going forward in the first half and we should've scored atleast 1 header. What we lacked was the final ball, Morrison did everything right when he had the ball butg he couldnt deliver a dangerous cross. I hope we can bring in a big striker in time for the 2nd leg as our forwards are to small to get on the end of a good cross when theres a good few defenders in the box. Hopefully we can pull off a miracle in Albania and get a much wanted and needed 2nd round tie with Vienna.

A special word of congrats too all who worked thier arses off on getting the ground up to scratch and it looked really well. Can anyone tell me what the 2 tents behind the goal was ?

[red arrow]

back from the game. initially i found it very difficult to face up to the fact that we had lost. their first goal looked good but the player was allowed to run 40 yds, nobody attempted to tackle him. their 2nd goal was poor defending again. i am not to despondent because we deserved to get back into the game although missing a penalty we scored a second. i still believe that we can score over there and if we have gavin back we can keep a clean sheet. if we can score one we will score 2. i firmly believe this. on the positive side of things it was great to see the colour and the two stands packed& the pitch looking immaculate. i know people have gone home dissapointed but if we can beat drogheda on sunday it can lift the lads for next thurs. all those who are travelling enjoy the trip and things ain't over yet. lets not be two critical off ourselves the showgrounds looked immence tonight and there are much better days ahead

[SligoBrewer]

Extratime Report by Alan "Statto" Dooley (http://www.extratime.ie/fixtures/detail/11735/2/)

[Shedzer]

It was embarassing and gutting to watch.

After 5 mins i sent one of the lads a text 'these are ****e' and nothing that happened over the next 85 changed that in my mind

I have rarely seen a game played at such a painfully slow pace. It was our job and the onus was on us as the home team to set the pace, as all home teams do, especially in Europe. We looked at them and looked at them, yet never picked it up and played into their strenghts.

They were so poor on the ball, couldnt put 2 paces together, their sole striker is **** and have nothing backing him up.
Had we full backs that liked getting forward we would have had more joy, there was never any need to have 4 sitting at the back, which became more apparent as the game went on.

You make your own luck in most cases, we werent qucik enough nor did we inject any pace into attacks. Too many high balls, mean Raf and Boco never got going from the off with any supply, no cutting edge in the middle.

Ryan was completely shown up, not on that level or near it. If he is there to pass the ball side to side, over 5 yards then he played well, if he is meant to be creative or inventive then forget about it. O'Grady usually gives you workrate, which every team needs, but tonight he didnt shine. It wasnt his kind of game, we had so much of the ball and did so little with it.
Ryans duty, to my knowledge is to add the spark to the attacks, not just spray a ball 5 -10 yards and pass the responsibility to Morrison.

I felt sorry for Morrison, things didnt always come off, but he kept going, put in some nice balss, some bad ones too mind you, but wanted the ball and was unlucky to not have a few assists as they are called (Boco hitting the bar)

Cash wasnt in the game, the less said about him the better.

Ventre doesnt know what to do when on the ball, his passing was so poor, while his heart is big, you cannot just overlook his passing.

Unfortunally Raf and Boco for many reasons didnt get or make the breaks.

As far as the goals are concerned, Holmes definately doesnt need telling that he could have stopped that first one from happening in the centre circle...O'Grady could touch the lad, who got by him and Holmes was soft as he avoided the issue, defence too far back and a great strike...

Second goal was terrible to give away. Keanes night was horrible for him id say.

And then, after saying it for 88 minutes, that all we needed to beat what are a seriously poor team was urgency, we up it, score and should have got a draw when Boco somehow missed that one.

Id still have hope as they are muck, id give no credit to them as a footballing team. We cant perform as badly again in my opinion, it wasn't what the fans deserved, and luck is a small part of it, but you make your own luck.

It was a game we could have won 3-0 and somehow lost 2-1

[Shedzer]

Extratime Report by Alan "Statto" Dooley (http://www.extratime.ie/fixtures/detail/11735/2/)





extratime.ie Man of the Match: Raf Cretaro
There goes that reports credibility straight away.

Raf was never as quiet, not all his own fault either

[sligofan4ever]

Would've given it too Boco, tought he was the most lively of our players when on the ball.

[The Midget Gem]

:mad:Very Very very very very very very bad night.
You have to hand it to those bucks. They came with a game plan and executed it brilliantly. When we had the ball they changed to a 5-4-1, their central midfielder filling in. Simple stuff, but we had no answer. Indeed we created 2 brilliant chances which Boco squandered, but really we didn't do near enough.
In the next leg they will beat us. They were very nervy in the first half, but in the second they seemed to settle and they showed us they could play. On their home turf they'll run rings around us. Laugh now some of ye but I'm telling you they will. The only positives at the minute is the fact I'm not going to Albania, decided to go to Oxygen instead, what a bloody good decision!:cool:

But fair fcuks to them though, Fortune favours the brave.

[prodsc]

Shedzer sums it up for me. Had a few scoops after, nobody could justify a MOM, did Raf get it for scorin a peno?

Hope the lads give it all next week on that dodgy lookin pitch..you never know

I hope for a much better performance on Sunday against a better team...

[thesilverfox]

The only positives at the minute is the fact I'm not going to Albania, decided to go to Oxygen instead, what a bloody good decision!:cool:

You should never be allowed near the showgrounds again with such ****e like that. Even if we lose next week, I would far sooner be in Albania/Dubrovnik than at a ****ty music festival drinking a few cans.

Whens the next time ya might get away on an away European trip again? Sure who cares.... have to see the king of leon again. thats soooo much more important.

its that type of ****ty attitude that infuriates me. and maybe if ya actually supported the players instead of abusing thenm at every given opportunity it would be more beneficial. i doubt you could do a better job than noctor did tonight.

[sligofan4ever]

You should never be allowed near the showgrounds again with such ****e like that. Even if we lose next week, I would far sooner be in Albania/Dubrovnik than at a ****ty music festival drinking a few cans.

Whens the next time ya might get away on an away European trip again? Sure who cares.... have to see the king of leon again. thats soooo much more important.

its that type of ****ty attitude that infuriates me. and maybe if ya actually supported the players instead of abusing thenm at every given opportunity it would be more beneficial. i doubt you could do a better job than noctor did tonight.

Agreed we've waited 13 years for this too happen again and who knows how long it could be before it happens again, its not like Oxygen dosent come around every year.

[MMVIII]

Bit off topic here lads, but if anybody has pictures of the display in the Jinks could you/ye send them to forzarovers@gmail.com

Would be greatly appreciated.

[Guitd]

well lads traveled up from galway to game just back now have to say ye were very unlucky not to be going away with a win tonight thought ye had enough posession and chances to have won 2 games ,but if morrison got the ball into box more often he was so fustrating to watch at times ,cash was poor as well.feel sorry for alan he was gutted after game ,best of luck next week its not over yet,,,ps ref was outstanding why could we not have a few like him in this league ,made good decisions strong and decisive even his lino flaged for frees he missed

[sligo23]

well lads traveled up from galway to game just back now have to say ye were very unlucky not to be going away with a win tonight thought ye had enough posession and chances to have won 2 games ,but if morrison got the ball into box more often he was so fustrating to watch at times ,cash was poor as well.feel sorry for alan he was gutted after game ,best of luck next week its not over yet,,,ps ref was outstanding why could we not have a few like him in this league ,made good decisions strong and decisive even his lino flaged for frees he missed
have to agree there, was very impressed by the starndard of the officials. puts the ones in this league to shame

as for the match itself...gutted:( and can't really say much more

[forza rovers]

they were muck!and for a team that had not played a game since may they should have being hammered which was not good enough,their first goal the tackle should have being put in 20 yards earlier.other than that it was a great atmosphere

[Gaillimh Al]

Paul Cook's post match reaction:

http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/2092/

[The Midget Gem]

Sorry it took so long putting them up couldn't get them onto the internet.......
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810195o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810259o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810455o.jpg

[The Midget Gem]

http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810570o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810340o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810377o.jpg

[The Midget Gem]

http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810423o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810499o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810719o.jpg

[The Midget Gem]

http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810761o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810852o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810894o.jpg

[The Midget Gem]

http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152810981o.jpg
http://file047a.bebo.com/13/original/2009/07/03/10/442574243a11152811013o.jpg

Not great photos but it gives you an idea of the place your all goin! Good Luck(You'll need it);)!

[srfc1928]

We bottled it.

[Rovers Maniac]

We bottled it.

Ya spot on.

[SligoBrewer]

Paul Cook's post match reaction:

http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/2092/


Cookie got it spot on. Sums it up perfectly. :o

[dong]

The overall feeling I have is that it was a great opportunity lost by our team. Everything was in place for them: full house, great atmosphere and the showgrounds in great nick (sincere congrats to all of you who pitched in to help) but we left it behind us. With all the criticism of Morrison, at least he's not afraid to get on the ball and try to create something. Brush had so little to do it was amazing we ended up losing.
Great crowd. An awful lot of whingers though, constantly criticising fellas during the game and it's totally unnecessary and unhelpful. These boys have spent too much time watching Barcelona V Man Utd games on television. Fair enough, we were poor at times but the level of abuse was uncalled for. I wonder how many of them we'll see in the gate for Drogheda.