LOI Week 1

[Charlie Darwin]

2-1 Sligeach, Evan McMillan. Sligo's title-winning season began with them going 1-0 down at home to Shels and they scored a last-minute goal through centre half Jason McGuinness...

[Fivesilver]

2-1 Sligeach, Evan McMillan. Sligo's title-winning season began with them going 1-0 down at home to Shels and they scored a last-minute goal through centre half Jason McGuinness...

It had crossed my mind Charlie. These are the kind of points we were digging out that season and failing to do last year - but of course it's not possible to read anything into one game.

That game against Shels was in Tolka. It was the game that Quigley got a red and ended up with a six-match ban. I can still see McGuinness's goal going in - it was like slow-motion.

[Keen2win]

Was that the game that the Sligo fans spat on the Shels winger?

[sligoman]

Was that the game that the Sligo fans spat on the Shels winger?No, we **** in his car.

[avvenalaf]

Good opening fixture at Turners Cross.
Draw was a fair result as City fought hard & put in a lot of effort.
Eight yellow & one red card but it was never a dirty game.
Sutton seemed to book everything all night.
Yes some were deserved but every foul is not a yellow card.

Pats have a fine squad & will be the one's to beat again this year.
City showed a commitment & willingness to work hard which was missing for large parts of last season.

A disappointment for me was every time anyone looked sideways at Anto Flood he was on the ground.
By the second half even the ref realized that Flood has a balance problem & just waved play on.
On one occasion he was on the ground with no one within ten yards of him.
He's a fine player & got an excellent goal but he doesn't need to exaggerate every touch.
Was also disappointed with Fahey who did very little throughout the game.

Super crowd at the game at nearly 5500.
Biggest I've seen at the Cross in years.

Hardly surprising since he's in Australia.

[Fivesilver]

Was that the game that the Sligo fans spat on the Shels winger?

Might have been. There's video evidence of him getting some abuse:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3I5XcsReT0

[dong]

The reality of Mick Cookes' teams is a pathetic one.

If he put a bit more emphasis on getting his teams to actually playa bit of football rather than ridiculous time wasting and being "well organised" he might have a bit more joy and at least the fans might have a bit of entertainment.

His apologists will if course say that his teams need to play that way because they lack talent well it doesn't excuse it imo.
It's not like teams like ourselves or Pats are going to carve them open at every opportunity if they came out and played a bit. In fact, it might give opposition defences a bit more to think about.

He's lost in the dark ages as a coach.

[Nesta99]

Very frustrating isnt it - which is exactly the desired effect!

[disgruntled]

Your poem doesn't rhyme disgruntled.

I'm sure it will improve by the time Sligo come to town :rolleyes:


Great crowd down in cork, brilliant buzz.
Shame They have a team of hatchet men though. Disgraceful tactics.

You must be new to watching Pats so ?


There were a lot more fouls than cards last night too. As mentioned above Dunleavy was spoken to twice after his booking


Flood left Pats in November

My mistake but they both look alike when they're on the ground & Fagan spend a lot of time down there.
He just couldn't stand up. At one stage in the second half he fell over with no one near him. Everyone started laughing.
I'm surprised the ref didn't have a word with him.

What you say about Dunleavy is true.
He was warned by the ref before being sent off.
It was just the inconsistency of the referee which got to everyone.
He was booking people for innocuous fouls & letting much worse go.
There was a nasty foul on Dennehy early on & the ref did nothing & late on a couple of Pats defenders had a go off O'Sullivan & again nothing.
Watching the League of Ireland you get used to inconsistent refereeing I suppose.

I was disappointed with Fahey as he never seemed to get into the game at all. I expected more from him.

[Keen2win]

Anywhere streaming the Rovers-Derry game? I'm out of the country!

[roversforever]

Anywhere streaming the Rovers-Derry game? I'm out of the country!
You're missing nothing,its been very poor so far.Strange that shams have Finn,Mcphail,O'Connor,McGuinness on the bench?Bayly starting?The starting side looks weaker than what they had last season.

[nigel-harps1954]

You're missing nothing,its been very poor so far.Strange that shams have Finn,Mcphail,O'Connor,McGuinness on the bench?Bayly starting?The starting side looks weaker than what they had last season.

Had the same thoughts myself. Rovers gone out with seemingly a weakened side. They're absolutely all over the place too. Very, very poor game.

[redarmyfaction]

Lots of talent on the shams squad but I wouldn't fancy Croly to get the.best out of them, very open league but there is more chance of Athlone finishing last than us top .

[Pablo Escobar]

I wasn't impressed too much by either side today. Derry edged it, but arguably Rovers seemed more dangerous. The selections were interesting to say the least. Teams are going to get at Derry in the air I feel.

[OldNassau]

Finn,Mcphail,O'Connor,McGuinness on the bench?Bayly starting?.
Sheppard also on bench, very poor affair, how long will Croly last especially when Fenlon is hovering in the background?

[Briuk]

I can understand what Derry did, to put young bodies, defensively minded going for the draw. And then keep the guns for second half, to play the counter if they were up, or to keep doing the same but lest time.
But there is no reason for Croly to bench McPhail and McGuiness, I can understand that maybe Finn it's not in form yet and that he prefer McCabe and Waters on the wing... But Bayly for Mcfail???!!! Are we crazy? Cornwall for McGuiness???

I don't understand it. In fact i thought when they signed those two that they were going to play in B team...

[wonder88]

Did not get a chance to watch the game today on tv, but from following on twitter it seemed a poor standard of a match. This happens a lot with live games, especially at start of season. While it is early yet, it looks like it could be a very open league which I think along with the ultras/fans displays is one of the strong points of the loI.

[Charlie Darwin]

I can understand what Derry did, to put young bodies, defensively minded going for the draw. And then keep the guns for second half, to play the counter if they were up, or to keep doing the same but lest time.
But there is no reason for Croly to bench McPhail and McGuiness, I can understand that maybe Finn it's not in form yet and that he prefer McCabe and Waters on the wing... But Bayly for Mcfail???!!! Are we crazy? Cornwall for McGuiness???

I don't understand it. In fact i thought when they signed those two that they were going to play in B team...
Finn and Sheppard are still struggling for fitness and McPhail has had a few issues too. Cornwall didn't play instead of McGuinness, O'Connor did and he justified his selection until his injury.

That was an appalling game and a really poor advert for the league. RTE screwed up by not showing the champions on the first week. The league should have begun last Friday when there was no underage 6 nations on, Friday night on TV. As for the match, Rovers looked clueless. Croly has gone from one extreme to the other: last season was all about passing the ball around midfield for 90 minutes and getting nowhere near the goal, this year it's all about hoofing it up as quick as possible. Derry were utterly dominant in the air and we just kept whacking it at them expecting something to change. It's a shame because whichever Brennan we signed this time looks a real player - him, Finn and McPhail could be a very good unit.

Derry looked the hungrier side throughout. They pressed well and played the game in the part of the pitch where Roddy likes to see it played, i.e. 40 yards above it. They looked fairly limited throughout but they're well-drilled and have plenty of pace on the counter. Apart from a couple of defensive errors, Rovers never looked like creating any meaningful chances against them, and they shut down the midfield completely. I know it's only the first day, but you'd hope for the league's sake that both teams find a bit more rhythm over the coming weeks.

[Lim till i die]

I never understand why people overestimate the crowds so much and refuse to believe the official figures. There is no benefit at all to the club to lie about the attendance, in fact the opposite is true.

There's a very obvious benefit to clubs underestimating crowds.

Not saying Cork did it but it goes on.

Of course some clubs go the other way and overestimate too, depends on whos running the show and what way they want to run it really.

[Dodge]

That was an appalling game and a really poor advert for the league

Only LOI fans were watching it. Any floating football fans were watching Man City/Wigan.

****e game. They happen.

[desaintsno.12]

You must be new to watching Pats so ?
.

you are suggesting we are a team that use ugly tactics ? :-)
good chap

[hedderman]

Finn and Sheppard are still struggling for fitness and McPhail has had a few issues too. Cornwall didn't play instead of McGuinness, O'Connor did and he justified his selection until his injury.

That was an appalling game and a really poor advert for the league. RTE screwed up by not showing the champions on the first week. The league should have begun last Friday when there was no underage 6 nations on, Friday night on TV. As for the match, Rovers looked clueless. Croly has gone from one extreme to the other: last season was all about passing the ball around midfield for 90 minutes and getting nowhere near the goal, this year it's all about hoofing it up as quick as possible. Derry were utterly dominant in the air and we just kept whacking it at them expecting something to change. It's a shame because whichever Brennan we signed this time looks a real player - him, Finn and McPhail could be a very good unit.

Derry looked the hungrier side throughout. They pressed well and played the game in the part of the pitch where Roddy likes to see it played, i.e. 40 yards above it. They looked fairly limited throughout but they're well-drilled and have plenty of pace on the counter. Apart from a couple of defensive errors, Rovers never looked like creating any meaningful chances against them, and they shut down the midfield completely. I know it's only the first day, but you'd hope for the league's sake that both teams find a bit more rhythm over the coming weeks.

Pfft. I thought the first half was very poor but that it improved a bit in the second half. We looked very vulnerable defensively in the first few minutes but improved as the game went on. It was disappointing to concede the goal but it was coming.

[micls]

There's a very obvious benefit to clubs underestimating crowds.


What?!

[gormacha]

McPhail has had a few issues too.

That beard, for one.

[gormacha]

RTE screwed up by not showing the champions on the first week.

Judging by the commentary, I reckon they think Shamrock Rovers are champs, and have been every year since independence: "Historic victory looming for Derry." "That equaliser has spared Croly's blushes." etc WTVeryF?

[Mr A]

What?!

If a club was minded to cook the books and hide a certain amount of income in order to pay players under the table or whatever, then under-declaring crowds could be helpful. Since match tickets are not subject to VAT the incentive is lessened, but not gone. Clubs in the UK are liable to VAT, so the incentive there is bigger again.

[nigel-harps1954]

Judging by the commentary, I reckon they think Shamrock Rovers are champs, and have been every year since independence: "Historic victory looming for Derry." "That equaliser has spared Croly's blushes." etc WTVeryF?

Commentary was shocking altogether. Stephen Alkin is probably the worst commentator in the history of football commentary. Rico is a disaster too. Some of the cringe they were coming out with was awful. Poor miscued shots trickling wide receiving "OOH, that was agonisingly close".

[SkStu]

I can understand what Derry did, to put young bodies, defensively minded going for the draw. And then keep the guns for second half, to play the counter if they were up, or to keep doing the same but lest time.
But there is no reason for Croly to bench McPhail and McGuiness, I can understand that maybe Finn it's not in form yet and that he prefer McCabe and Waters on the wing... But Bayly for Mcfail???!!! Are we crazy? Cornwall for McGuiness???

I don't understand it. In fact i thought when they signed those two that they were going to play in B team...

To paraphrase Alan Hansen, they'll win nothing with skids.

[Charlie Darwin]

Only LOI fans were watching it. Any floating football fans were watching Man City/Wigan.

****e game. They happen.
That was only on pay per view I thought?

Incidentally, I saw Paul Osam after the match, decked out in full Rovers regalia, along with his son. I always knew he was a Hoop At Heart.

[ThePrisoner]

I thought the programme was a bit disjointed. At the start it jumped between LOI and the ROI team. Hopefully as it progresses it will have more structure to it.

Had to laugh when Peter Collins asked Richie Saddler about Sligo Rovers and Saddler started talking about unrest in Shams' dressing room.

[gormacha]

Judging by the commentary, I reckon they think Shamrock Rovers are champs, and have been every year since independence: "Historic victory looming for Derry." "That equaliser has spared Croly's blushes." etc WTVeryF?

Christ on a bike, even the Airtricity League homepage is at it:

"Kilduff equaliser spares Hoops' blushes."

http://www.airtricityleague.ie/

[PartySaint]

Who was the right back for Cork last Friday? He was brilliant, MOTM for me.

[disgruntled]

Who was the right back for Cork last Friday? He was brilliant, MOTM for me.

Brian Lenihan.


http://www.corkcityfc.ie/home/squad/midfielders/brian-lenihan/

[Charlie Darwin]

Brian Lenihan.


http://www.corkcityfc.ie/home/squad/midfielders/brian-lenihan/
Brian Lenihan? *spits*

[El-Pietro]

Who was the right back for Cork last Friday? He was brilliant, MOTM for me.

As mentioned Brian Lenihan. Was signed as a central midfielder a couple of seasons ago and has had some injury issues, John Caulfield has been trying him at right back in pre season and so far in the new season and he's been our most impressive player in just about every game.

[Longfordian]

As mentioned Brian Lenihan. Was signed as a central midfielder a couple of seasons ago and has had some injury issues, John Caulfield has been trying him at right back in pre season and so far in the new season and he's been our most impressive player in just about every game.

Just think of all the bailout puns that can be used now he's a defender. Hours of fun.

[Mr A]

Or really tasteless ones about him stiffening the defence.

Fortunately we're way too classy for that.

[Charlie Darwin]

Just think of all the bailout puns that can be used now he's a defender. Hours of fun.
He's certainly pulled on his green jersey.