Athlone (H, 27/9/12)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Lot of talk over the last week over whether Limerick are certs to get promotion or not. Run in continues tomorrow. Form and past games this season would say that we should have an easy win, but the pressure, suspensions and loss of Gaffney could all combine to make it a but more difficult. A confidence-inducing performance is needed.

I'd say 2 or 3 nil.

[Jofspring]

I'm usually iffy about Athlone but they have lost a few players and their manager since we last played them. They are also on the worst run in the league. We should be confident and look to beat them by 2 or 3. Would like to see Cian Collins start again after it was cut short last week.

Prediction 3-0 Att: 650

[gael353]

5 0 to Limerick.

[CraftyToePoke]

This has become a big home game, that's the bother, the closer Friday looms the more twitchy I am. I'd take 1-0 but I'd love to be 2-0 up after half an hour, wrap it up comfortably and apply the pressure in Longford and Donegal come Saturday evening.

[Treaty Gooner]

How has the game been marketed around the town? Biggest 3 weeks in the club's recent history coming up, any posters? Radio? Newspapers? Social media?

[bluewhitearmy]

How has the game been marketed around the town? Biggest 3 weeks in the club's recent history coming up, any posters? Radio? Newspapers? Social media?


No to most.

[leather]

Best of luck to Limerick Tonight... lets finish it off...

[NeverFeltBetter]

Camera crew in Jackman Park tonight. Anyone know what the story is? Something to do with that IT story?

[bluewhitearmy]

Handy win never in doubt :p

[Jofspring]

Camera crew in Jackman Park tonight. Anyone know what the story is? Something to do with that IT story?

He's been at the last few games. Same lad that did the documentary on Limericks rugby clubs and Munster which was shown on Setanta and ESPN.

[Minesapint]

Well done again tonight, it was a tough game and we didn't have it all our own way but we kept at it another 3pts puts us closer to the line, a very clever substitution from the manager to get the winner well done to all.

[gael353]

a very clever substitution from the manager to get the winner well done to all.

:)

first up, well done to the 718 people who paid in to watch that ****e. One of the worst managerial performances and there have been many in the four years hes been there. Started the game with no width, playing a 4 4 2 with 3 central holding midfielders and a slow winger who cut in all the time. The back 4 were redundent and soon the full backs became our best attacking option. The center halves with nothing to do went looking for the ball and pushed onto the 3 sitting midfielders making the whole midfield a little crowded. A very limited athlone team saw this and went narrow. Making the game a non spectical. Then the subs, with one target man not working he took off the only bit of pace in the team and brought on another target man. Two target men but no one to knock the ball onto or back too as we still had 3 sittting midfielders chatting with the redundent center halves. Then the kids to the rescue both products of our under teams. Now we went with a straight 4 3 3. But no one in the hole for the two target men to be of any use. When the subs were made we then lost all shape and Athlone took total charge and should have taken the lead not once but five times in ten mins.
Then against the run of play Brosnan using his inititive dropped off and benifited from his insight. A cracking finish by the Castleisland man, brought the biggest cheer since Paul Danagher scored in the last min of a 3 2 win over shels in 2007. But it was relief more then anything.
Again well done to the fans tonight for sticking by this Team, who look destined to bludgen their way to the premier.

[Jofspring]

Wasn't the greatest performance and lacked width but we still dominated 90% of possession with Athlone just trying to catch us on the break. Foley made a difference when he came on winning more ball in the air. On another night we could have put 4 or 5 past Athlone but they stood strong defensively and crowded there half of the field. The only thing that let us down tonight was the finishing touches in the final third. Some good balls went across the box but nobody was there attacking it. Great finish by brosnan also.

[gael353]

and btw, i still went a celibrated with a heart attack burger from BK im that happy. Nearly there.

[NeverFeltBetter]

It was a such a frustrating night for most of it, but what a sense of joy and relief when it was over. I've never heard a bigger cheer for a goal in Jackman personally, you could see how much it meant to the fans and the players. Our Steve Bruce moment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkQiE3Ia7Rw)? Felt like it.

Some major problems with the performance though. Athlone weren't great, but play 11 men behind the ball and you're bound to cause some frustrations. Limerick passed the ball around well enough at midfield level, but there was this really telling inability to play the ball forward at speed. It seemed like every time a midfielder had to chance to pass forward into an attacking position with Foley or Behan calling for the ball, there was a few moments of hesitation that were very costly. Was it the pitch maybe? Extra bobbly tonight. Torrid time for the wingers as well, moving up from defence, the crosses were poor all game. Even the one for the goal went straight to an Athlone defender, lucky he cleared it as far as Brosnan.

Whatever it was, it seemed like the team were scared to play it into the forward line. Gamble had a bunch of wasted passes, especially in the first half when he twice kicked it straight to the Athlone defence when Behan was running through. Cian Collins had a bad night, lack of supply certainly but he wasted what little he got. Wasn't surprised to see him come off.

We had so many chances, but it seemed like it just would not go in the goal. Three times in the first half the ball was crossed from the byline across the face of goal, and three times no one was there to give it the tap required. Collins was the worst offender just before half-time, and he looked really unhappy at that point. Behan seemed to just always be a foot too slow to get on the few through balls that came his way. It's clear that Limerick miss Gaffney, his pace and his scoring form, and I'm not sure that Collins is the man to replace him at the moment. A stated, the front two looked very isolated for much of the game.

The backline also seemed to fluctuate from confident stringing of passes to eye-raising mediocrity. One moment they'd be clearing the Athlone long balls with ease or passing it back to Ryan without a care in the world, the next they'd be kicking it straight at the opposition and letting them get behind him. Athlone had five amazing chances to get a goal, but were pretty hapless in the forward department, thankfully. The last one, when the ball was pulled back from the byline to an unmarked guy on the edge of the penalty area, I thought for sure was going in. A better team and we would have been in serious trouble. As it is, not surprised to see Athlone where they are.

Anyone notice the large amount of long passes from wing to wing, played to chests of the receiving player? I'm not sure what the deal was with that, half of them seemed to miss the target.

Referee was ok I suppose, not sure about the card for simulation. Was certain he was going to send Behan off in the first half for that really clumsy tackle from behind, but a yellow was all that came out, thankfully. Plenty of times Limerick could have done with some advantage and didn't get it though.

Foley worked hard when he came on, but that miss, and you all know the one I mean, was unforgivable from a striker of his experience (and ET says it was "narrowly wide"!?). His second effort deserved a goal, but it seemed the shooting boots weren't on. I was, as in other games, impressed with the work Behan put in, especially when he started helping the midfield and the wings out, but he is also guilty of some bad misses too. Great flick on during the build-up to the goal though, he made that chance possible. Seemed like Brosnan spent an age with the ball at his feet, but thank God it went in. What a moment.

The concern that we're stumbling over the line remain, but here we are. Match point. With the GD, we just need Waterford to drop points tomorrow and its done.

Didn't know someone was doing a documentary, good to see such interest.

Anyone know what the deal was with the van and all the smoke just before the second half? Obviously a bit of a fire, was it serious?

[thomas72]

Job done but yet again the performance was abysmal just goes to show how poor this league is i can't remember to many brilliant performances this season. I thought gamble and o leary were the two worst players tonight couldn't pass the ball five yards between them.
Some fans from other teams are prob scratching there head saying yer about to win the league what are we mad but if ye seen the football and the performance and crazy team selections for 7O% of the season ye would understand.

P.s what a moment when that goal went in time ;-)

[LFC-Zulu]

:)

first up, well done to the 718 people who paid in to watch that ****e. One of the worst managerial performances and there have been many in the four years hes been there. Started the game with no width, playing a 4 4 2 with 3 central holding midfielders and a slow winger who cut in all the time. The back 4 were redundent and soon the full backs became our best attacking option. The center halves with nothing to do went looking for the ball and pushed onto the 3 sitting midfielders making the whole midfield a little crowded. A very limited athlone team saw this and went narrow. Making the game a non spectical. Then the subs, with one target man not working he took off the only bit of pace in the team and brought on another target man. Two target men but no one to knock the ball onto or back too as we still had 3 sittting midfielders chatting with the redundent center halves. Then the kids to the rescue both products of our under teams. Now we went with a straight 4 3 3. But no one in the hole for the two target men to be of any use. When the subs were made we then lost all shape and Athlone took total charge and should have taken the lead not once but five times in ten mins.
Then against the run of play Brosnan using his inititive dropped off and benifited from his insight. A cracking finish by the Castleisland man, brought the biggest cheer since Paul Danagher scored in the last min of a 3 2 win over shels in 2007. But it was relief more then anything.
Again well done to the fans tonight for sticking by this Team, who look destined to bludgen their way to the premier.
You're like a broken record. We've established that you don't like Pat Scully. You've just blamed so many players there for their performances, and have called it "One of the worst managerial performances since he's been there." - Seriously?

[NeverFeltBetter]

He blamed the formation and the wrong choice of players for the positions they were played (like two target men with no one just behind them, or the lack of width or the bunched up defenders/midfielders). Those are managerial calls, and they didn't work very well last night.

That being said, if the chances had just gone in, it would have been a landslide, and no one could be too critical. I'm more concerned about the lack of accuracy in through balls and shots than the latest formational experiment.

[da bishop]

as with many of our games this season,especially at home,this game had some terrible passages of play,while we missed a hatfull this rather poor athlone team also missed 4 0r 5 chances,great reaction from everyone for the goal,it was relief but we have ground these results all season and they do win you leagues but being the old broken record again it beggars belief we are waiting on these last two games to tie it all up.

[gael353]

You've just blamed so many players there for their performances,


Did i? where?

[LFC-Zulu]

,


Did i? where?
"a slow winger who cut in all the time"
"The back 4 were redundent"
"The center halves with nothing to do went looking for the ball and pushed onto the 3 sitting midfielders making the whole midfield a little crowded"
"3 sittting midfielders chatting with the redundent center halves."
"Again well done to the fans tonight for sticking by this Team, who look destined to bludgen their way to the premier."

All of the above, Gael.

[osarusan]

Seems to me he's blaming the manager for the poor performances. The quotes you've chosen don't strengthen your argument, in my opinion.

The team are going to 'bludgen' their way to the premier division because that's how Scully sends them out to play, is what I think Gael is saying.

The back four being 'redundent' isn't criticism at all.

[gael353]

[/I]
All of the above, Gael.




im still waiting where is the criticsim of the players?

[ped_ped]

It was Brosnan's touch won us the division in the end, then . . . :p