Week 24: 7/8 Sept.

[nigel-harps1954]

Absolutely desperate lack of coverage tonight.

Extratime continue their wonderful coverage of Longford Town with zero updates or even team lineups tonight v Harps.

[nigel-harps1954]

Shamrock Rovers 2-0 Cork City HT

Mervue beat Waterford 1-0 at home earlier today. Keeps them well in touch of a play-off spot.


Longford 1-0 Harps after 20 minutes.

[nigel-harps1954]

Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Cork City
Limerick 0-0 Pat's
Bohs 0-1 Sligo

Longford 1-0 Harps
Cobh 0-1 Athlone
Wexford 0-0 Salthill Devon

[nigel-harps1954]

50 minutes gone in Longford v Harps, still can't find a team lineup anywhere for Harps.

Team pushing for promotion can't even organise any sort of updates. No match programme there either, just a sheet of paper. Disgrace.

[nigel-harps1954]

2-0 in Longford now. No idea who scored.

[nigel-harps1954]

Rovers 2-1 Cork FT

Longford 3-0 Harps

[nigel-harps1954]

Longford 3-1 Harps

[nigel-harps1954]

Bohs 0-2 Sligo

Wexford 1-1 Salthill

[dundalkfc10]

Great weekend for Shamrock Rovers, 3 pts and the leaders drop 2 points.

[jinxy lilywhite]

massive game in Oriel Park tomorrow.

[White Horse]

Great weekend for Shamrock Rovers, 3 pts and the leaders drop 2 points.

Rovers' title march continues.

[wonder88]

Really big game for Dundalk against Drogheda, they have to win it if they hope to claim the title. Pats lacking upfront these days; they miss Russell's passing from midfield and I don't think that Fagan is good enough to be starting in a team that is top of the table. Still Pats favorite for me (just about). Mervue with the players they have have under-achieved again this year, but can still make the play-offs.

[Guinney]

Absolutely desperate lack of coverage tonight.

Extratime continue their wonderful coverage of Longford Town with zero updates or even team lineups tonight v Harps.

The Extratime updates are put up by volunteers and usually fans from the clubs. It would be more to do with no Longford or Finn Harps supporters covering the match. Extratime is by far the best League of Ireland website.

[Ezeikial]

Great weekend for Shamrock Rovers, 3 pts and the leaders drop 2 points.


Rovers' title march continues.

It's about time this has clicked with you boys.

Daniel McDonnell and Stuey Byrne among others have been calling this for weeks.....gap down to 16 points now

[Ezeikial]

Really big game for Dundalk against Drogheda,

It's probably the most important Louth Derby in a generation - another win would take Dundalk level with Pats


they have to win it if they hope to claim the title.

Thats a bit OTT. The result is vital, but the league wont be won or lost in Oriel on Sunday.

However it could clarify if a win is required for Dundalk on 20 Sept in Richmond



Still Pats favorite for me (just about).

The bookies will probably agree with you - but they have been calling it wrong on Dundalk all season

If Dundalk are level with Pats after they meet ..................

[nigel-harps1954]

The Extratime updates are put up by volunteers and usually fans from the clubs. It would be more to do with no Longford or Finn Harps supporters covering the match. Extratime is by far the best League of Ireland website.

100% it's the best website for League of Ireland football. It's coverage has been completely lacking right across the board in the First Division this year though. I've never seen a year so bad on Extratime since it started. I've always been hugely complimentary toward Extratime, I always thought it was fantastic, but this year, they're lagging behind badly.

[noddy102]

I always thought it was fantastic, but this year, they're lagging behind badly.

lagging behind who exactly? The league is run by the FAI not extratime.ie! So stop complaining about extratime when its the people running the league that fail to provide any real news or updates on games.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I note the owner of ET, on Twitter, stating frequently enough that the running of the site is increasingly time consuming and exhausting lately.

Delighted with the Limerick result tonight. A lot of doom merchants insisting we're in a relegation battle. I genuinely don't see it. Seven games left, nine points clear of play-off spot, with no team below us likely to manage results to overtake.

[nigel-harps1954]

Just to clear it up, as I've already said, I think Extratime is fantastic. It's voluntarily run and it's an example to all for League of Ireland coverage generally.

It's not a dig at Extratime themselves, the Longford reporter has barely turned up most games this season.

Quite a number of First Division games have had no reporter which is just poor form.

Longford Town had no source of updates on the game whatsoever tonight. They constantly cry out as to how they've poor crowds, maybe that's why? They make zero effort to publicise.

[The Insider]

How do you know the Longford reporter hasn't turned up at games Nigel? For your information she works for the local media and has been to most Longford games this season - maybe her paying job is a bit more important to her. I know that today she rushed from a local GAA game to get to CCS - she's friends with my girlfriend & had told her that due to work commitments she wouldn't be doing updates. Bit annoying not to have extratime updates when you are away but I survived with texts.

[L.T.F.C.]

The club should really take a look at this. One post on the Facebook a week is pure ****e.

[ATFC-1887]

Gotta love Mervue. League has to be ours now. Great night in Cobh. Come on The Town

[outspoken]

The reason we had no match programme was down to a problem with the local printers nothing to do with the club. We had the programme finalised and sent off ready for printing only to be informed late the other night that they couldn't so all we could do was a team sheet. The people behind the match programme put in a huge amount of work and its without a doubt one of the better first division ones produced, it's come on leaps and bounds in recent years. As for the lack of coverage our 2 local reporters were late to the game as they were covering the local GAA championship and unfortunately that's what they are paid to do so no complaints there. We usually have twitter updates but the person who runs them must have been away too, agree with L.T.F.C that the Facebook page needs some serious work, section O's page was only set up at the end of last year and its flying.

[Ezeikial]

The reason we had no match programme was down to a problem with the local printers nothing to do with the club. We had the programme finalised and sent off ready for printing only to be informed late the other night that they couldn't so all we could do was a team sheet. The people behind the match programme put in a huge amount of work and its without a doubt one of the better first division ones produced, it's come on leaps and bounds in recent years. As for the lack of coverage our 2 local reporters were late to the game as they wee re covering the local GAA championship and unfortunately that's what they are paid to do so no complaints there. We usually have twitter updates but the person who runs them must have been away too, agree with L.T.F.C that the Facebook page needs some serious work, section O's page was only set up at the end of last year and its flying.

Although well intentioned, this post gives a glimpse of the sorry state of LOI in general.

[DRDoc]

not for the first time this season at longford the teams were not even announced before kick off . . . .

[geysir]

Dundalk leave it late to score the winner against Drogheda.
No hiding place for Pats now, we're coming to get you.

[Charlie Darwin]

Are Iceland making a late surge for the title?

[TonyD]

Dundalk leave it late to score the winner against Drogheda.
No hiding place for Pats now, we're coming to get you.

September 20th just got even bigger. Will be the biggest league game at home since Cork in April 99. (Which we won - with Bucko in charge btw :)

[oriel]

Massive massive win, such a cool finish by O'Donnell with 2 mins to go. As expected Drogs caused us problems all evening, battled very hard in midfield and will probably think themselves unlucky not to have gotten a point.

The roar around the ground was something else when the goal went in, really starting to believe we have the momentum to go on and win it now.

Lovely touch by the team holding the RIP banner at the end of the game of possibly our greatest supporter who died suddenly last night. Photos are on twitter.

[White Horse]

Drogheda can consider themselves very unlucky not to get a point.

They made it a battle and Dundalk were unable to play football, particularly in the first half.

Bringing on Dillon and McCaffrey shored up the midfield and Drogheda ceased to be a threat in the second half. However, I still couldn't see a goal coming for Dundalk but I have to hand it to O'Donnell. He chased and harried and eventually ceased up a sloppy pass from the goalkeeper.

I was convinced, going in to the game, that tonight would be our most difficult remaining fixture. That is how it turned out.

[jinxy lilywhite]

after a performance like that I don't know how Drogheda Utd can call themselves a football club. they hacked us from start to finish.

thanks to captain fantastic he got what was needed, games like that can be the difference between 1st & 2nd. Delighted for the victory. Bring on shels in the cup

[outspoken]

not for the first time this season at longford the teams were not even announced before kick off . . . .

Something that really annoys the home fans, no excuse for it I agree with you there, anyone can read out a few names.

[White Horse]

after a performance like that I don't know how Drogheda Utd can call themselves a football club. they hacked us from start to finish.

thanks to captain fantastic he got what was needed, games like that can be the difference between 1st & 2nd. Delighted for the victory. Bring on shels in the cup

John Mountney summed it up in a tweet.

"Great win tonight. Best of luck to Drogheda in the six nations next year"

[Martinho II]

Something that really annoys the home fans, no excuse for it I agree with you there, anyone can read out a few names.

I was textin pauro 7 at the game with updates for town twitter. I unfortunately didnt have the harps team so was concentrating more from a longford town perspective... It was last minute stuff so I apologise for not having a Harps team put on town twitter.. I made the presentation to chris Bennion for player of the month before the game and stadium announcer wasnt there ten mins before KO.. He had arrived when I finished doing my bit.. But it was poor form from the club not to announce the teams... I know that things were against us regards the match programme but there could have being more teamsheets produced as one harps fan I was supposed to get one for I forgot to get it but by the time I came back to the programme sellers they had gone!

[Ezeikial]

After enduring 90 minutes of horrible hoofball I can understand better why the crowds are so poor in Drogheda this season.

The "direct" approach is effective to an extent but hard to watch. That said, Dundalk did not manage to get the normal passing game going and were poor.

Ultimately the 3 points is really all that matters.

[Charlie Darwin]

After enduring 90 minutes of horrible hoofball I can understand better why the crowds are so poor in Drogheda this season.

The "direct" approach is effective to an extent but hard to watch. That said, Dundalk did not manage to get the normal passing game going and were poor.

Ultimately the 3 points is really all that matters.
Drogs were away from home, to be completely fair. I know Dundalk have been playing good football this season, but yous did more or less the same when you came to Tallaght, hoofing the ball and kicking people's heels. Managers set up their teams differently depending on where they are, especially when you're playing superior opposition like Drogs were.

[White Horse]

Drogs were away from home, to be completely fair. I know Dundalk have been playing good football this season, but yous did more or less the same when you came to Tallaght, hoofing the ball and kicking people's heels. Managers set up their teams differently depending on where they are, especially when you're playing superior opposition like Drogs were.

Drogheda took hoofball to a new level tonight.

That is not a criticism. In fact, they did it very well and deserved a point from the game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Is there a new level of hoofball that's possible to reach in this league? I agree it's a strange approach to take at Oriel where the percentage approach would be to play it on the ground and take the weird bounce out of the equation. Mick Cooke has done an incredible job with that club against all the odds.

[Yossarian]

That was a fantastic result but a terrible performance. Drogheda had a very effective game plan and putting Byrne in front of the back four was a good move by Cooke.
The main thing though was the win,with so few games left only the points matter.
It's going to be some game in Inchicore now. A winner in that game should win the league.

[Ezeikial]

I agree it's a strange approach to take at Oriel where the percentage approach would be to play it on the ground and take the weird bounce out of the equation.

You agree? With White Horse?

[Charlie Darwin]

Should I not agree with White Horse? I'm no fan of the Oriel pitch but I do think it forces players to play on the ground. This is troubling for Irish players who are used to playing long balls as a tactic but overall I don't think it's a bad thing if it means players need to look for the short pass rather than route one.

[White Horse]

A really nice tribute by the Dundalk FC players in displaying the banner commemorating the recent passing of fan Marty Shields after the Louth Derby.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/97382318/BTrMvdjCAAA9Wlj.jpg-medium.jpg

[MiniMourinho]

John Mountney summed it up in a tweet.

"Great win tonight. Best of luck to Drogheda in the six nations next year"

Typical one-sided bull from the home fans. Never seen so many clashes of heads or elbows. But there were just as many infringements from Dundalk players all night long. Dundalk players who are beginning to think they are so-called 'ballers' , were completely stumped and out of ideas of how to break Drogheda down. In the end they were blessed and gifted 3 points by McNally. They never looked like scoring and wether by hoofball or not Drogheda looked most likely all night.

Really don't want to bring it up again but that pitch is atrocious. It's quality is highlighted by the fact that before kick off and at halftime the Dundalk staff water it at only their attacking end, in order to squeeze some advantage out of a more football-like bounce of the ball.

[Nesta99]

The pitch, the pitch, if it wasnt for the pitch Dundalk would be fooked. When we move back to the green green grass, and we water the attacking end i'm sure there wouldnt be a word about it - as for eeking out some home advantage? well perish that thought as that would just be unfair, about as unfair as playing on a short, narrow pitch in Hunky Dozey Park!?!?

A more 'natural' bounce doesnt benefit the defenders one bit either, purely an attacker can take advantage of a ball not taking a bobble............

[GCdfc]

Really don't want to bring it up again but that pitch is atrocious. It's quality is highlighted by the fact that before kick off and at halftime the Dundalk staff water it at only their attacking end, in order to squeeze some advantage out of a more football-like bounce of the ball.

Funny that they watered the same end twice. Once before the match and once after. So Drogheda got the advantage (if there is any) in the first half!

[White Horse]

Really don't want to bring it up again but that pitch is atrocious. It's quality is highlighted by the fact that before kick off and at halftime the Dundalk staff water it at only their attacking end, in order to squeeze some advantage out of a more football-like bounce of the ball.

They water the pitch so the ball runs quickly when passed on the deck. I've even seen Old Traford and the Emirates watered at half time.

This may sound odd to Drogheda's dwindling number of fans, but the ball doesn't have to be punted 60 years forward in the hope a getting a knockdown. It can be passed from one player to the other on the surface of the pitch.

Try it sometime, people like it, and might start going to your games.

[dundalkfc10]

Best pitch in the League, FACT

[MiniMourinho]

Never said there was an issue with working the pitch to your advantage lads. That's what being the home team is all about!

But seriously, Drogheda has a small interest in LOI football, but we manage to keep a competitive team on the pitch which is competing for trophies. I'm happy with that. But don't start getting all arrogant about crowds because you are on the crest of a wave. Last year was very different and there is no guarantees that next year will be the same. Anyway a LOI supporter bragging about their good attendance is ridiculous! Any LOI crowd each week is embarrassingly low.

But on the issue of the Drogs being a rugby team, we got two yellow cards yesterday, whereas Dundalk received four yellows and a red. Take the rose tinted spectacles off.

The Drogs play a long ball game and it works for them. But Dundalk are hardly Barca. There were rare occasions where you kept the call on the ground yourself. To be honest I was so surprised by how out of ideas you were. That was also the quietest 3400 crowd I ever heard. Hardly a peep until the 88th minute goal. But I'm sure that was only because the nerves where kicking in from what they were looking at.

[dejadem]

Tight game, was looking like a 0-0, we had the slightly better of the chances, but Dundalk took theirs, we didn't, goals win games, etc.

Well done to Dundalk on their win & their season, but what's the story with the nonsense from Dundalk fans on here? Some amount of rhetoric in their good football v evil football fantasy. Both teams ended up going direct yesterday, Pendergast & McNally cleared most of Dundalk's attacks with headers.
Dundalk were just as direct & physical as Drogheda, they certainly weren't afraid to get stuck in, some games are like that, it's football.

[White Horse]

Just to make it clear.

Drogheda were excellent last night and should have got a point out of that game. They were the toughest opponents we've faced so far this year. I may not like their style of football, but so what.