Harps

[Town Legend]

Harps this weekend. Not overly confident on getting the three points required to keep pressure on Shels as our record isn't great up there. Won't be able to make it cos of work commitments. Be a long two weeks if we drop points before the summer break.

[nigel-harps1954]

We met ye during a very poor dip in form earlier in the season in CCS. Players are a lot more confident and playing a bit better football now, and a couple of wins under the belt in recent weeks have helped matters greatly as well as a couple of good draws along the way.

Safe money on a low scoring draw if you ask me. Reckon 1-1.

[Mister X]

say it will be a tight game too, lads should be in good form after the el clasico, going to go a 1-0 town win but realistically see it as a 0-0 draw

[Longfordian]

What's the mood like in the dressing room Mister X?

[Mister X]

What's the mood like in the dressing room Mister X?

everyone seems to be up for it, talk of two new players to come in during the break ;)

[Bosco]

Who's the longest in the shower?

[outspoken]

These are always dire games so expecting a drab 0-0 draw but something in the back of my mind tells me Davy o Sullivan will grab his 2 goals to level the record and win us the game. C'mon de town!

[Darklordsbane]

Brilliant, great result, hats off to Glen O' Connor, can't believe I'm writing that, but credit where it's due

[Longfordian]

Good win tonight we always struggle up there. Yet another clean sheet too. Shels slipping up was a nice bonus. Big game v Galway next time out, but we shouldn't be afraid of anyone with our team.

I see Conor O'Brien's registration has gone through now too by the way, he was on the bench tonight. Hopefully he can give us another option in the midfield. I remember an early pre-season interview with Willie Tyrrell where he reckoned O'Brien was the most impressive of the new players in training.

[nigel-harps1954]

Desperate game between two absolutely awful teams. Tyrrell can count himself very lucky not to have been sent off, and Tony Cousins knew it by taking him off very quickly after his last talking to by the ref.

Harps didn't create a single chance. Longford had a couple of half chances. Free kick was poorly given away, but while the ball was cooly slotted into the top corner, another keeper would have simply walked across and caught it such was the speed it was hit at. At 6'8, Conor Winn should be absolutely booted around a football pitch until he learns to dive for a ball. Shocking excuse for a goalkeeper.

Town largely bossed centre midfield, partly due to Pat McCann having a stinker for Harps. Davy O'Sullivan barely had a sniff at goal apart from a couple of half chances, including one snap shot on the turn from just inside the box in the first half. Nkololo had a bit of joy with his pace but had no end product.

On that performance, expect another long season for Harps and Longford.

[Longfordian]

Given that Nkololo didn't play according to extratime I'm not sure we should be relying on your report nigel! Is it you or extratime that's falling into the old "they all look the same" trap?!

[nigel-harps1954]

Oh dear. Egg on the face moment. It was Don Cowan. I missed the team announcements at the start of the game and someone told me it was Nkololo. Given the fact I couldn't name half the Longford team by looking at them, I guess I could be forgiven ;)

[Longfordian]

My friend is the racist lads not me, honest :)

[Town Legend]

So two differing reports from two Harps fans! I don't know who to believe! Considering we have a bad record up there, playing awful and getting 3 points.....I'll take that.

[Longfordian]

Any time I've been up there we've been shocking and I'm struggling to recall us ever winning by more than a goal. Same with Waterford, we never seem to play well there either so to come away with six points in those two games is good going. Decent unbeaten run coming together and a lot of clean sheets. Credit where it's due Paul Hunt has hardly let in a goal since he got in. Not saying it's all down to him and I'm sure he wouldn't either but as a unit the defence is very tight at present. Nice to see Jamie Mulhall keeping his place too. Cracking player.

[Mister X]

[QUOTE=Longfordian;1759835]Credit where it's due Paul Hunt has hardly let in a goal since he got in. /QUOTE]

considering he hasent had to pull off any great saves..
our back four really are saving us! hope TC brings in a striker as we need to start capitalizing on the chances we are creating, take away sully and nobody else has scored two or more goals for us in the league, you can go with the argument that shaw/hynes ect are creating the chances but we now have played 13 league games and between the pair of them shaw has scored just one, this simply is not good enough imo! just to put that into perspective ,glen o conner now has the same amount of goals as shaw and has scored more than hynes!

[nigel-harps1954]

Hunt didn't have a shot to save all night. He picked up a couple of balls in the air well though, but couldn't judge him at all on last nights performance.

There's about 15 differing reports from last nights game from Harps fans. I've heard people saying we should have got something out of it, which is mental considering how bad we were.

Couple of Longford players said after the game were saying they were all set for a point, and were happy to be getting a point because Harps are a tough and rugged side to play and tough to break down.

Neither side look capable of promotion in my view. Galway and Shelbourne are miles better, for sheer tactical preparation going into games. Town side is full of journeymen there for the wage packet, while inept tactics continue to play havoc with a side that should, in theory, be walking away with the league.
Harps lack a midfield, something the board know, and something the manager knows, but are unable to fix without the money, which at this point in time, is not in any sort of supply.

It's very disappointing really as that game had all the hallmarks of being a good one.

[Macy]

Its always good to come back from north of the wall with everyone intact after beating the wildlings.

[Town Legend]

Just going from last year whenever ye were beaten by Athlone, they were useless in your eyes even though they beat ye 4 times (I think) and won promotion. Now we've beaten ye twice this season (rare as that is in recent seasons) and we're useless!! Fair enough we haven't been playing fantastic stuff and more times than not our manager seems to be out of his dept, but to claim it's going to be a long season for us when we're two points off top with a game in hand is ludicrous!!!

[Longfordian]

Here's the goal from last night. Cracking strike not sure there was a lot the keeper could do to be honest.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=656243837800494&id=135987519826131

[Mister X]

Free kick was poorly given away, but while the ball was cooly slotted into the top corner, another keeper would have simply walked across and caught it such was the speed it was hit at. At 6'8, Conor Winn should be absolutely booted around a football pitch until he learns to dive for a ball. Shocking excuse for a goalkeeper.

very harsh after seeing o conners free! no stopping it

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=656243837800494&set=vb.135987519826131&type=2&theater

[Keen2win]

Hard luck Nigel!

[nigel-harps1954]

Lads, I've said it was a well hit free, but there was no great amount of pace on that. Conor Winn at 6'8 should be getting to it, there's no two ways about it.

[nigel-harps1954]

Just going from last year whenever ye were beaten by Athlone, they were useless in your eyes even though they beat ye 4 times (I think) and won promotion. Now we've beaten ye twice this season (rare as that is in recent seasons) and we're useless!! Fair enough we haven't been playing fantastic stuff and more times than not our manager seems to be out of his dept, but to claim it's going to be a long season for us when we're two points off top with a game in hand is ludicrous!!!

3 losses and a win against Athlone last season. The proof is in the pudding too, they only got up last season because Longford blew their chance. Athlone have been nothing short of a disaster this season too.

If you're happy enough watching football like Longford are producing though, fair enough.

[L.T.F.C.]

I love when people say that our team is full of journeymen looking for a packet - cos its complete ****e!

[outspoken]

I was at the game on Friday night lads and we totally deserved our win. Our back 4 (and keeper) were solid as f*ck and never ever looked like conceding and it was fantastic to see Jamie Mulhall Close up because he really is a talent and a half and it's great to see the support he gets from Ricer and Pat Sully during a game.

Stephen rice was absolutely superb and bossed the midfield with Mark Salmon continuing his fine form. Only disappointing thing was Don Cowan who couldn't get into the game at all out wide on what was by far the worst pitch I've seen this season.

Up front Sully was immense yet again his pace is frightening and he was never beaten to a ball while Shawsy won a lot of flick ons. We had 3 good chances in the first half all for Sully and he should have converted at least 1 of them. Despite Don being poor he provided a magic cross for Sully who should have don better with his header.

We all know I'm a huge willie Tyrell fan but he had a rare shocker of a game and Tony Cousins deserves huge credit for changing it before it was too late and in the end his brave substation was rewarded.

Harps are absolute dirt to watch and they were set up to hack us out of the game and would have been delighted with a point so to come away with a win shows the fantastic character in the team.

My only concern would be the lack of a plan B on Friday night we kept playing the same way but perhaps we were right too do so so well done to Tony and the lads and let's hope we can continue this form going into the 3rd series where it went all so wrong last season. The game against Galway is shaping up to be the biggest in the division so far this season and there will be a mega crowd at that one. A few addictions in the window and the luck we've lacked in recent years and this could be our time after all!

[atfconline]

My only concern would be the lack of a plan B on Friday night we kept playing the same way but perhaps we were right too do so so well done to Tony and the lads and let's hope we can continue this form going into the 3rd series where it went all so wrong last season. The game against Galway is shaping up to be the biggest in the division so far this season and there will be a mega crowd at that one. A few addictions in the window and the luck we've lacked in recent years and this could be our time after all!

Yeah picking up a few addictions during the window should ease the pain to follow.

[Martinho II]

after seein GOC winner I am confident in our chance now. Unfortunately I wont be able to make Galway due to work so once again I hope we will do da business again in my absence!!

[Macy]

Happy enough going into the break this time. Haven't made many games this season, but my recollection of the last two was the wheels came off just before the break and we never picked up afterwards. This season we seem to be bringing the form into the second half of the season, after staying in touch, which is ideal I think.