FAI Cup 2013

[SeanDrog]

Very disappointing result, but of course this is not Drogs fault.

Just a pity the game was not allowed to continue as a fair contest, but Buthead saw to that. I watched the pen a few times, Shields got the ball, contact was made with O'Brien, but after the ball was won. Another mistake was the red, there was another defender infront of Shields.

Shocking display by Buthead as felt we would have got a replay with even 10 men on, and a cup final appearance would have been a decent reward for this seasons efforts.

Good luck to the teams left, Drogs and looking like Sligo.


Before the sendings off it was anyone's game as neither side created anything of interest. At the time I felt both where sendings off but on watching replays when I got him I think the first was a red (dangerous tackle leading with studds). Second I think would always be given as a penalty but he didn't look like last man back so not a sending off IMO . Of course ppl can analyse slow motion replays and argue he brushed the ball etc but in live time IMO these kinds of tackles result in a penalty.

Hard to know who would have won if there where no sendings off as I believe till then neither side dominated .

Hard to breakdown a concentrated defence (as Dundalk was in second half) and when Dundalk came out in the last five mins drogs got two great chances and wasted them (although Dundalk keeper did make a great save). I think drogs did find it difficult to break down the packed defence and where too cautious but they got the result .

Overall strange game due to the decisions.

All in all I am of course over the moon to be in the final .

[bennocelt]

I Guess Croly is still happy with the two cups Shams won then this season:eek:

[MiniMourinho]

Quite an unbelievable game. Ist red was just messy, had to go. 2nd wasn't even a penalty.

Ref ruined the game, simple as that.

If that's the standard or reward for a side getting to the FAI cup final, with less than 1,000 home fans bothering to turn up, I give up.

Even considering the dodgy ref decisions, the conduct of some of the Dundalk supporters and their chairman in particular was nothing short of a disgrace. Absolutely disgraceful way for the leader of the club to behave at half time. Actually embarrassing!

I didn't realise that you had to have a large support in order to qualify for cup finals either?

Third final of the year! For a club with less 1000 supporters! :-)

[legendz]

Congrats to Sligo as well for making the final!

[dong]

It seems nobody's afraid of the big bad wolf anymore.

[MeathDrog]

Quite an unbelievable game. Ist red was just messy, had to go. 2nd wasn't even a penalty.

Ref ruined the game, simple as that.

If that's the standard or reward for a side getting to the FAI cup final, with less than 1,000 home fans bothering to turn up, I give up.
I take it you're done with LOI so.

[White Horse]

Even considering the dodgy ref decisions, the conduct of some of the Dundalk supporters and their chairman in particular was nothing short of a disgrace. Absolutely disgraceful way for the leader of the club to behave at half time. Actually embarrassing!

I didn't realise that you had to have a large support in order to qualify for cup finals either?

Third final of the year! For a club with less 1000 supporters! :-)

Fair play to Mick Cooke for coming over to a group of Dundalk fans and saying we were robbed. No wonder he is being thrown out of Drogheda. He has too much class.

[SeanDrog]

Fair play to Mick Cooke for coming over to a group of Dundalk fans and saying we were robbed. No wonder he is being thrown out of Drogheda. He has too much class.


ROFL ... I believe you .... Many might think you just made that up but I believe you :)

On Cooke isn't it amazing 3 cup finals and he is being let go ! Seriously if it is just a clash of personalities you would think someone would bang heads together and bring both parties together ... Amazing stuff altogether.

Watching Sligo on tv ...... Tough game for us coming up .

[MiniMourinho]

Its not just a clash of personalities though. The board clarified that much. More more serious than that.

All the Mick Cooke contract stuff aside, and I know were in a third final and its hard to argue with results, but we are awful this year. There was no football at all played by us today. Most Drogs fans were delighted with the result today, but embarrassed by the football.

[White Horse]

ROFL ... I believe you .... Many might think you just made that up but I believe you :)

On Cooke isn't it amazing 3 cup finals and he is being let go ! Seriously if it is just a clash of personalities you would think someone would bang heads together and bring both parties together ... Amazing stuff altogether.

Watching Sligo on tv ...... Tough game for us coming up .

Hopefully, getting to a third final will knock some sense into the powers that be.

[Hibs4Ever]

So, are Dundalk the "Champions" yet?

[White Horse]

So, are Dundalk the "Champions" yet?

What is a Pats fan doing on a FAI cup thread?

[Calcio Jack]

Fairly clear to see that something more than just the crap what's happening on the pitch going on at Rovers - will be interesting to see is Croly now sacrificed by the Rovers Board to distract away from their own 'performances' over the last two seasons

Well done to Sligo - from 10 mins on it was clear they were in control.

[mcgonigle]

Even considering the dodgy ref decisions, the conduct of some of the Dundalk supporters and their chairman in particular was nothing short of a disgrace. Absolutely disgraceful way for the leader of the club to behave at half time. Actually embarrassing!

I didn't realise that you had to have a large support in order to qualify for cup finals either?

Third final of the year! For a club with less 1000 supporters! :-)

You're right everybody should of kept quiet and accepted the decisions and applauded Buttimer off at the end for his match winning performance, it's not as if 9 months of hard work was taken away by one man!

I'd be more worried if nobody was upset by Buttimers performance, would show a serious lack of passion.

Despite your troling, good luck in the final, I think you will need another Buttimer or Connolly not to lose 3 in a season.

[MiniMourinho]

You're right everybody should of kept quiet and accepted the decisions and applauded Buttimer off at the end for his match winning performance, it's not as if 9 months of hard work was taken away by one man!

I'd be more worried if nobody was upset by Buttimers performance, would show a serious lack of passion.

Despite your troling, good luck in the final, I think you will need another Buttimer or Connolly not to lose 3 in a season.

Genuinely no trolling on my behalf! I never said you shouldn't be upset or outraged. We'd feel just as hard done by if it was us in your position. And we were so bad today it want funny! But a female fan striking a steward and the chairman of your club actually having to be held back because he was trying to throw a punch, was really embarrassing. On the decisions, the first was a straight red. The second was a really questionable penalty and definitely not a sending off. So the way I see it Dundalk only had the one Chris Shields decision against them wrongly.

[SeanDrog]

At half time who was the Dundalk official giving the ref an earful till Kenny had to come on to advise him to walk away?

[MiniMourinho]

At half time who was the Dundalk official giving the ref an earful till Kenny had to come on to advise him to walk away?

If he walked away, I don't know who it was. If he was pushed away by security and guards, it was the chairman Mr. Bond.

[danthesaint]

First sending off was no better than Killers sending off against Dundalk earlier in the season, and Dundalk said that was defo a sending off.

Second one was harsh.

I thought Sligo played well, hopefully they rest a few players for next week ;)

[White Horse]

First sending off was no better than Killers sending off against Dundalk earlier in the season, and Dundalk said that was defo a sending off.

Second one was harsh.

I thought Sligo played well, hopefully they rest a few players for next week ;)

Brennan tried to do the player, big difference.

Then anyone who only thinks Shields perfectly timed tackle was just "harsh" is obviously trolling.

[mcgonigle]

Genuinely no trolling on my behalf! I never said you shouldn't be upset or outraged. We'd feel just as hard done by if it was us in your position. And we were so bad today it want funny! But a female fan striking a steward and the chairman of your club actually having to be held back because he was trying to throw a punch, was really embarrassing. On the decisions, the first was a straight red. The second was a really questionable penalty and definitely not a sending off. So the way I see it Dundalk only had the one Chris Shields decision against them wrongly.

Well I'll have to take your word for it, I'm not condoning it but if Buttimer was put in front of me now it would take all my strength not to smack him, there would be plenty of four letter words anyway.

I think the Shields one was really two wrong decisions in the one passage of play, first it wasn't a foul so no penalty, second there was cover so not a red, he couldn't have gotten it anymore wrong! I've seen the mennan one again and can see why he went however I think a good ref would have booked him and had a word given the importance of the game.

Having seen how Drogheda played against 9 I think we would have got something at 0-0 with 10 men. Anyway no changing it now, time to look forward!

[redarmyfaction]

Fairly clear to see that something more than just the crap what's happening on the pitch going on at Rovers - will be interesting to see is Croly now sacrificed by the Rovers Board to distract away from their own 'performances' over the last two seasons

Well done to Sligo - from 10 mins on it was clear they were in control.

15 minutes, ye were on top till then, but McCabe aside and he didn't have ablinder does any other player actually gives.a particular fc.uk

[White Horse]

Anyway no changing it now, time to look forward!

Quite.

Drogheda have a final to look forward to. We have to make sure we come back better next season.

[avvenalaf]

Smashing performance from The BitoRed today - full of passion and effort and Shams just didn't look like they wanted to know when they went one behind. There's too many good players at that club to be able to maintain a happy camp (Zayed wasn't even on the bench today) and now I'm hearing that Gary Rogers is joining them next season.

[Charlie Darwin]

If Gary Rogers joins I'm going to give this **** up and concentrate on golf.

[Fivesilver]

Reckon they should go for it - that "signing Sligo Rovers' best players" tactic was a resounding success this season.

[redarmyfaction]

Nobody ever came to sign Danny Ventre but he has been central to our story the last 6 or so seasons and for better and for worse he gave his pound of flesh and the blood above his contract for our club.

[D24Saint]

How anybody claims Meehan shouldnt have been sent off is boggling ,the second was a peno but never a red that can be Kennys only gripe.

[MiniMourinho]

Everyone is saying Chris Shields got the ball. Nobody is looking at his other foot. Just before he gets the ball with his right foot he clips Fabios ankle with his left foot. Literally milliseconds in it but I'm sure that's what Buttimer will say he saw! Penalty but no red card for sure.

The Meenan challenge isn't even debatable.

[poster]

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Shams?
:cat:

[White Horse]

Everyone is saying Chris Shields got the ball. Nobody is looking at his other foot. Just before he gets the ball with his right foot he clips Fabios ankle with his left foot. Literally milliseconds in it but I'm sure that's what Buttimer will say he saw! Penalty but no red card for sure.

The Meenan challenge isn't even debatable.

Comedian.

[MiniMourinho]

Hard luck.

[nigel-harps1954]

Someone within the FAI really wants Drogs in the final.

[Charlie Darwin]

Someone within the FAI really wants Drogs in the final.
I hear they were trying to engineer another Rovers-Drogs final after the attendance was so good last time.

[PartySaint]

It's sort of a shame that it's not a Sligo vs Dundalk final because I think that would have been a great game. Drogs are awful to watch but best of luck to them they play to their strengths

I do enjoy Dundalk losing tho, it's always someone else's fault. I'm surprised Anto Flood hasn't got any of the blame for today yet.

[Sligo Hoops.]

Roche & Co., it's time to go.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Shams?
:cat:

Obviously the Gardai. Never been at a game where the home crowd were held back after the game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Obviously the Gardai. Never been at a game where the home crowd were held back after the game.
Nice to see somebody is scared of us.

[Sligo Hoops.]

Sligo fully deserved the spoils. None of the Hoops wanted to be there. The difference in mentality of both squads epitomised by Danny Ventre. On the fringes all season yet how his goal spurred the bit O'Red. Nobody is afraid of us anymore, we are now a source of amusement.

[PartySaint]

we are now a source of amusement.

You always were.

[dejadem]

Someone within the FAI really wants Drogs in the final.

Darren Meenan too.

[Nesta99]

Drogs had us in the league match in Oriel and we nicked it, lose to Lims in similar fashion where they just got in to us too. V Pats we just didnt turn up and no matter what is said about Flood and to just a slightly lesser extent Brennan; played us on the the night and we folded. Today first red cant be argued with but Sheids got the ball and was never a red! That said we struggled against Drogheda the last two games and we lost a cup semi tonight. Gutting but it is what it is, Drogs will have played 3 cup finals this season - Cooke will be tough to relplace! Been a good season for us and for Drogheda. Stateing the obvious but from a potential double to nowt in a matter of two weeks is tough but to qualify for Europe and get much of our lapsed support back is incredible in its own right....doing my best not to be bitter

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought it was a stunning statistic RTE announced near the end of the game that even with 9 men Dundalk had 50% of the possession. I know Drogs have a limited-enough squad and they use the tactics that work for them, but surely any bog-standard side should be able to boss the ball with a two-man advantage. If nothing else, you tire the opposition out like Sligo did after McCormack walked.

[Straightstory]

Its not just a clash of personalities though. The board clarified that much. More more serious than that.

All the Mick Cooke contract stuff aside, and I know were in a third final and its hard to argue with results, but we are awful this year. There was no football at all played by us today. Most Drogs fans were delighted with the result today, but embarrassed by the football.

We just didn't seem to know what to do against 9 men. Unprecedented position to be in. Very frustrating for the Drogs fans - Really should have tried to kill the game off with a second goal.
Dundalk never stopped trying even though they lost two players and their support was brilliant. Kenny's done a great job and the future looks very bright for the club.
Sligo firm favourites for the final.

[redarmyfaction]

Sligo fully deserved the spoils. None of the Hoops wanted to be there. The difference in mentality of both squads epitomised by Danny Ventre. On the fringes all season yet how his goal spurred the bit O'Red. Nobody is afraid of us anymore, we are now a source of amusement.

I can think of one or two of yours who wanted to be in the Showgs yesterday but wearng different Jerseys, good call on Danny V he was a key player yesterday.

[danthesaint]

Brennan tried to do the player, big difference.

Then anyone who only thinks Shields perfectly timed tackle was just "harsh" is obviously trolling.

haha what are you on? What do you want me to say? It crime against humanity? Get off the stage will ya.

[Dalymountrower]

Drogs had us in the league match in Oriel and we nicked it, lose to Lims in similar fashion where they just got in to us too. V Pats we just didnt turn up and no matter what is said about Flood and to just a slightly lesser extent Brennan; played us on the the night and we folded. Today first red cant be argued with but Sheids got the ball and was never a red! That said we struggled against Drogheda the last two games and we lost a cup semi tonight. Gutting but it is what it is, Drogs will have played 3 cup finals this season - Cooke will be tough to relplace! Been a good season for us and for Drogheda. Stateing the obvious but from a potential double to nowt in a matter of two weeks is tough but to qualify for Europe and get much of our lapsed support back is incredible in its own right....doing my best not to be bitter

I thought that it was an incredible second half performance with 9 men, I was willing them on to equalise.
Very important that Dundalk fans show their appreciation for those efforts by travelling in big numbers for the game against Bohs next saturday. Bohs have laid on a sleeping carriage for any Dundalk fans who wish to queue overnight for tickets

[White Horse]

I thought that it was an incredible second half performance with 9 men, I was willing them on to equalise.
Very important that Dundalk fans show their appreciation for those efforts by travelling in big numbers for the game against Bohs next saturday. Bohs have laid on a sleeping carriage for any Dundalk fans who wish to queue overnight for tickets

A good time for Bohs to play Dundalk, the players will have to be deflated.

I hope that Dundalk fans will travel in numbers to support a team who have given Dundalk fans a lot of enjoyment this year, culminating in a Euro place next season.

I'll certainly be there.

[Dodge]

Brennan tried to do the player, big difference.
Mind reader now? Brennan had intent while poor little Darren got unlucky? gas man.. No difference at all between the challenges. Neither of them red cards (or both of them red cards if you're that inclined)


Then anyone who only thinks Shields perfectly timed tackle was just "harsh" is obviously trolling.
Wasn't perfectly timed. It was pretty clumsy. He slipped as he was challenging Fabio. It wasn't a penalty but I initially thought it was. Just looked awkward. That's given as a penalty more than it's not given. Doesn't make it right of course.

Taken on their own neither decision is *that* egregious but having 2 of them within a short timeframe clearly amplifies things.

After that Drogs were poison. O'Donnell said in the post much interview that Dundalk wanted to keep it at 0-1 until the last 20 minutes. They may have got an equaliser if they pressed earlier. 9 men certainly didn't look under pressure at all. Still a good season for Dundalk though

In the other game, Sligo were brutal for the opening 10 minutes but when they realised that the other Rovers didn't want to play, they steamrolled them. Ndo and Djilili were excellent. Croly's cautious approach showed up again. Needing a goal he stuck with Robinson in midfield. He's afraid to let players play when they're away from home.

[gormacha]

May as well add my tuppence ha'penny worth. I thought the first incident was a red. You could argue it both ways, but I think most refs most of the time would have given red.

The second one, when slowed down through replay, looks like a penalty was harsh. But on first viewing, at full speed, I thought it was a penalty, and that's all the ref has to go on. It shouldn't have resulted in a sending off though. Very hard luck on Dundalk, but the level of vitriol shown towards the ref by some for this decision was out of proportion.

[TopperHarley]

Laws of the game state the first Red was correct!

Second should not of been a red but was a correct penalty...sure the lad wins the ball....but after he creams through the back of the attacker.