22nd round LOI - 1st & 2nd August

[NeverFeltBetter]

Still a third of the season so play, plenty of points left to be fought over. Congratulating Dundalk at the start of August seems very premature.

[nigel-harps1954]

Not that it matters a whole lot, but that was an absolutely exhilarating second half in Finn Park tonight. Both teams knew they needed a win and both went for it, resulting in pure attacking football, end to end stuff for about 30 minutes solid. Fantastic viewing, although utterly despairing for Harps to throw away a lead twice and miss a penalty.

As well as that, we've had 10 red cards this season if you include Ollie Horgan getting sent off. Pretty impressive. Disgraceful decision by Simon Rogers to even award a free that led to the scuffle that resulted in a silly red card for Caoimhin Bonner, but, we come to expect goings on like that in Finn Park this season.

[nigel-harps1954]

Rather appropriate that on the night Stephen Kenny guides Dundalk to the title, that his permanent successor on Whitestown Way presides over another embarrassment. It is time Jonathan Roche acted. You didn't have the balls to stick with Kenny less than 24 months ago. Our club is in free fall since we all got bloated on the excess of Europa league in 2011. Get off the fence.

Rumours afloat that it was indeed Crolys last game and Ian Barraclough is all but certain to be taking over from him in the next week.

[Jofspring]

Couldn't get over how slow the rovers defence was tonight. Gaffney was burning them with easy if he got any kind of a run at them. I'd say it's curtains for Croly. Some very average players in that rovers squad. Another clear out on the cards there at the end of the season id imagine.

[bluewhitearmy]

Limerick one up through Gaffney. Weird to think he might have been playing against us tonight. ET man says around 400 at it, imagine a lot of them are Shams fans.

Edit: 2-0 now. Turner. Things are looking up.

Edit 2: Make that three. Shams OG. Croly's last game?


995 they are awful at crowds.

[bluewhitearmy]

Boccer Bayly and Kenna had a scrap after the game.

[Nesta99]

Rumours afloat that it was indeed Crolys last game and Ian Barraclough is all but certain to be taking over from him in the next week.

No way! They couldnt could they? Free flowng attacking football for the Rovers faithful it will be?! Give him a 5yr contract while they're at it...

[Nesta99]

Boccer Bayly and Kenna had a scrap after the game.

Probably over not locking TC out of the dressing room

[Lim till i die]

No way! They couldnt could they? Free flowng attacking football for the Rovers faithful it will be?! Give him a 5yr contract while they're at it...

Word on da streetz is the lad in oz who writes all the cheques doesn't like Nutsy.


Probably over not locking TC out of the dressing room

Probably over Conor Kenna diving in his own box looking for a free out allowing Rory Gaffney a clear walk in on goals (which he fluffed bless him)

[Longfordian]

Boccer Bayly and Kenna had a scrap after the game.

Always thought Boxer Bayly would have been a better name for our Robert.

[Lim till i die]

Always thought Boxer Bayly would have been a better name for our Robert.

He won handy by all accounts.

[Longfordian]

He won handy by all accounts.
The completely mental lads like Robert are not to be trifled with. Like that special lad at school that if you pushed him too far he'd completely lose it and make bits of you.

[DRDoc]

That is a very bad defeat for UCD, especially on the back of last weekend

Were Drogheda that good? Or UCD v bad?

[MeathDrog]

That is a very bad defeat for UCD, especially on the back of last weekend

Were Drogheda that good? Or UCD v bad?

Bit of both. Drogheda were excellent going forward though. Could easily have been 8 or 9.

[CityRebel]

I just can't believe Bayly would do something like that.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

5 league games without scoring in Inchicore now. Any chance Pats could move ground?

Torn apart in the first half. Quigley excellent. Played a lot better second half. North should have scored and Clarke made a great save from Zayed in injury time but Pats deserved the win.

[PartySaint]

The first half was our best half of the season so far. Should have had the game wrapped up by half time. Sligo came into more in the second half with North and Zayed both missing a great chance each.

Absolutely delighted with the win, we had no one on the bench and didn't make any subs.

Sign of Champions from Dundalk. They really have been excellent this season. Congrats to the new Champions

Treble still on the cards

[Ezeikial]

Sign of Champions from Dundalk. They really have been excellent this season. Congrats to the new Champions

Treble still on the cards

An air of resignation coming from Inchicore?

It was much better when ye were bristling with indignation about all sorts of things - now it seems that even a truckload of Queen CD's would do little for motivation and inspiration.

The gap is only 9 points and we are still due to come to Richmond Park on Sept 5

[White Horse]

Fair play to Dundalk, deserved champions.

I don't want to take away from Dundalk, but Sutton has consistently ****ed us over in every one of our games that he has ref'd. To be clear, I have no complaints about the result.

Ref was very poor all night. City need to convert possession into goal scoring chances. I thought that Dundalk bossed the first half and should have gone in two up. The second half was very different, City bossed possession but apart from set pieces, posed no real goal threat. In my opinion, that is the difference between the two teams at the moment; Dundalk always look threatening when they have possession. However, Caulfield will put that right. Cork are going places.

The moment in the game that defined why Dundalk are six points clear at the top was just after City scored. Dundalk won a free kick with the chance to put pressure on the City goal. Kenny sent both centre halves up. Many clubs after being under the cosh for 40 minutes of the second hall, playing away from home, and getting a result that would preserve their 3 point lead would have kept the four defenders back. Dundalk sent the two centre halves up and one got the winner.

As the man said, you have to earn the right to win.

[pineapple stu]

That is a very bad defeat for UCD, especially on the back of last weekend

Were Drogheda that good? Or UCD v bad?
We fairly gifted Drogheda two or three goals. Can't really do that.

First goal was three Drogheda players on the edge with acres of space to find the best man; shot was straight at the keeper (making his debut; O'Donnell must have been injured) and through his legs. He seemed to be a bit flat-footed; messed up his footwork.

Second was an absurdly short back-pass.

Third was a breakaway from our attack; Sami laid the ball off to Creevy on the edge of the area and then went to ground jumping over a Drogheda tackle. He wasn't looking for anything and it wasn't a foul; think it was an awful call by the ref gave a free out and book him for diving, but Drogheda went straight up the pitch and scored. Fourth was similar - Sami missed an open goal; Drogheda went straight up the pitch and scored.

Drogheda played well, but they didn't tend to have anyone on the ends of all the crosses they were putting in. Against a better team, they might have lost 2-1 or something and been likening it to that Man Utd v Fulham game.

For our part, whenever Benson or Ayman got on the ball, Drogheda fouled them, and that stifled our only plan really.

So we were wasteful up front and absent in defence; can't have any complaints really. I think it was good that Bray equalised in injury time, even though it drops us down to eleventh.

We have to be the most inconsistent team in the league though. We've played some super stuff this season - against Pat's twice, in Derry, gave it a right go in Dundalk, beat Sligo. Played really well in Cork. And then we go and concede ten in two games to mid-table sides. Ridiculous.

[pineapple stu]

On another note - is that now ten games in a row without a goal for Shamrock Rovers B? That must be getting on for a league record?

[adamd164]

Hugely disappointing for us to concede straight after equalising having worked so hard to get back into the game, especially with 6000 people there. Congrats to Dundalk.

Hopefully we can consolidate 2nd place and get back into Europe.

[CityRebel]

Ref was very poor all night.

It's a shame what he did last night. Two of the best teams in the league playing in front of over 6000 people, live on tv, it was a great chance to show off the league.

[NeverFeltBetter]

On another note - is that now ten games in a row without a goal for Shamrock Rovers B? That must be getting on for a league record?

Making up the numbers, well and truly.

[El-Pietro]

Unlikely to get top 4 so no real difference between finishing 5th and, say, 8th and they're clearly good enough to stay 5th anyway. Save a few quid and look at players for next season? It might be the smart thing to do
already down to 6th

[Longfordian]

Making up the numbers, well and truly.

It must be very disheartening for the young lads. I genuinely think some of their attacking players didn't touch the ball at all apart from kicking off after goals last night. Daniel Purdy could be doing better than wasting his time there. Maybe he feels he'll get in the first team at some point but he's not exactly got a platform to show how good he is. He could have stayed with us and I'm sure he had other offers.

[oriel]

We have to be the most inconsistent team in the league though. We've played some super stuff this season - against Pat's twice, in Derry, gave it a right go in Dundalk, beat Sligo. Played really well in Cork. And then we go and concede ten in two games to mid-table sides. Ridiculous.

I though apart from one half v Rovers, possibly 15 mins v Pats, the only other side to challenge us at home so far was during a 20 min period in the second half v UCD. They were excellent and may have got a result had we not been 2 goals up at the time. It did finish 5-1 but it was far from plain sailing at times.

It just have been very disappointing last night from Corks viewpoint and they will have thought they deserved a draw, but they took a very long time to really threaten us, I think 75 mins before the first real chance. They did improve in the second half and are a decent team, but I thought we deserved huge credit for getting the winner 2 mins later. As mentioned above, sending both centre halfs up immediately after losing the lead showed the hunger to get the winner.

The way Dundalk are set up makes it difficult for teams to threaten our goal, a consistent back four, decent keeper then Shields sits in front. This means one less in 'regular' MF but when you have sometime like Towell charging forward it's a system that works well.

Still long way to go and almost 3 months left to play, anything could happen, but it's looking good for us, that's for sure. Just need to keep focus on the next match, and Drogs away will be a tricky match.

Edit, that game v UCD finished 5-2 not 5-1, and they were 1-0 up after 2 mins. During the spell I was talking about it was 4-2, and we were actually 'hanging on' at times.

[poster]

How did Gaynor do for Cork?

[adamd164]

How did Gaynor do for Cork?

He was ropey at first, with a few misplaced passes. I thought he settled into it though and looked more composed as the game went on. Overall not bad for a first start.

[pineapple stu]

I though apart from one half v Rovers, possibly 15 mins v Pats, the only other side to challenge us at home so far was during a 20 min period in the second half v UCD. They were excellent and may have got a result had we not been 2 goals up at the time. It did finish 5-1 but it was far from plain sailing at times.
5-2 - give us that bit at least!!

[PartySaint]

I though apart from one half v Rovers, possibly 15 mins v Pats, the only other side to challenge us at home so far was during a 20 min period in the second half v UCD. They were excellent and may have got a result had we not been 2 goals up at the time. It did finish 5-1 but it was far from plain sailing at times.

It just have been very disappointing last night from Corks viewpoint and they will have thought they deserved a draw, but they took a very long time to really threaten us, I think 75 mins before the first real chance. They did improve in the second half and are a decent team, but I thought we deserved huge credit for getting the winner 2 mins later. As mentioned above, sending both centre halfs up immediately after losing the lead showed the hunger to get the winner.

The way Dundalk are set up makes it difficult for teams to threaten our goal, a consistent back four, decent keeper then Shields sits in front. This means one less in 'regular' MF but when you have sometime like Towell charging forward it's a system that works well.

Still long way to go and almost 3 months left to play, anything could happen, but it's looking good for us, that's for sure. Just need to keep focus on the next match, and Drogs away will be a tricky match.

UCD were brilliant earlier on in the season in Richmond, we were very lucky to get a last minute winner.

[oriel]

5-2 - give us that bit at least!!

Apologies, I corrected this before I saw your post, it was indeed 5-2, also updated that we were actually 'hanging on' during that 20 min spell as it was 4-2 then.

[PartySaint]

An air of resignation coming from Inchicore?

It was much better when ye were bristling with indignation about all sorts of things - now it seems that even a truckload of Queen CD's would do little for motivation and inspiration.

The gap is only 9 points and we are still due to come to Richmond Park on Sept 5


Our title challenge ended a good while ago.

[Yossarian]

Not long home after a great night in Cork. I thought overall we deserved to win. Cork obviously decided they were going to try and kick us off the park in the first half. Definitely the dirtiest team we've played this season. Their lack of discipline clearly came from Caulfield as he was very animated every time a decision went against them. We should have went in 2 up at half time but in the second half Cork were much better and much more composed without actually seriously threatening us. I thought the decision to bring on Higgins played into Corks hands but it was good to see us respond so quickly after the equaliser.

It was great to see a full house there aswell. That's the first time I've been in Turners Cross since the league win in 91 and it is a fantastic ground. Definitely the best in the league. I think Cork are a bit like us last year and have plenty to build on.

[dfx-]

On another note - is that now ten games in a row without a goal for Shamrock Rovers B? That must be getting on for a league record?

Since Galway at home I think. They were alright last night given the two confidence levels and experience in the sides until the first goal. They get very demoralised as soon as a goal goes in. They need some experienced players to drop down to help them. Robinson, SOC and Kelly should be the ones doing it..

Questions for Hawkins since the away game in Longford.

[Longfordian]

Yeah it was like they have no belief now that they can get a goal. They were trying hard and frustrated us for the first half but as a development squad why are they being set up to have ten men behind the ball? Yeah they might have been hammered (probably not tbh) but they'd at least build up some moves as a team in an attacking sense.

[Dunny]

Fan cam for Dundalks winning goal on Friday night.Lad drops the phone in the celebration melee and then regains composure and keeps taping. :)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7WE5_qCiE4

[Pablo Escobar]

Not long home after a great night in Cork. I thought overall we deserved to win. Cork obviously decided they were going to try and kick us off the park in the first half. Definitely the dirtiest team we've played this season. Their lack of discipline clearly came from Caulfield as he was very animated every time a decision went against them. We should have went in 2 up at half time but in the second half Cork were much better and much more composed without actually seriously threatening us. I thought the decision to bring on Higgins played into Corks hands but it was good to see us respond so quickly after the equaliser.

It was great to see a full house there aswell. That's the first time I've been in Turners Cross since the league win in 91 and it is a fantastic ground. Definitely the best in the league. I think Cork are a bit like us last year and have plenty to build on.
I like your choice of words in saying we're the dirtiest team you've played against, as let's face it, you're right up there. The ref lost control of the game early on. Both sides were awarded baffling frees, and I think we came off worse in the area. Correct me if you feel I'm being one-eyed here as perhaps I am. However, Towell could have been sent off in the first have for a ridiculous challenge. Meenan hacked down one of our players on the edge of the area while on a yellow. Then John O'Flynn while apparently clean through on goal gets taken out and not even a free given. Having said that, that was the first time that I'd seen us with a genuinely nasty edge. But in that atmosphere, against a superb side, I'd probably have been the same. There's no doubting that you have better players than is at the moment, but we had a few missing and a few who probably should have played due to injuries and fitness. So we're not a million miles off.

On another note, I really want to like Richie Towell, but that guy makes it difficult. He's a brilliant player though.

[jinxy lilywhite]

I like your choice of words in saying we're the dirtiest team you've played against, as let's face it, you're right up there. The ref lost control of the game early on. Both sides were awarded baffling frees, and I think we came off worse in the area. Correct me if you feel I'm being one-eyed here as perhaps I am. However, Towell could have been sent off in the first have for a ridiculous challenge. Meenan hacked down one of our players on the edge of the area while on a yellow. Then John O'Flynn while apparently clean through on goal gets taken out and not even a free given. Having said that, that was the first time that I'd seen us with a genuinely nasty edge. But in that atmosphere, against a superb side, I'd probably have been the same. There's no doubting that you have better players than is at the moment, but we had a few missing and a few who probably should have played due to injuries and fitness. So we're not a million miles off.

On another note, I really want to like Richie Towell, but that guy makes it difficult. He's a brilliant player though.

I disagree, Cork's approach to the game was to get in our few faces and try to unsettle us. I didn't really see any malice in any of their challenges but they were cynical. Last season pats did it too us in inchicore and we succumbed to it and ended up loss don't the match and the league.
So I am delighted the way we were able to overcome that. What I wanted to see was us to run at the cork players on a yellow and make them foul us and hopefully get one or two of them sent off. Also our ruthlessness was magical. To score just after their equaliser only good to prove my theory that we just don't know when we are beat.

[Pablo Escobar]

I disagree, Cork's approach to the game was to get in our few faces and try to unsettle us. I didn't really see any malice in any of their challenges but they were cynical. Last season pats did it too us in inchicore and we succumbed to it and ended up loss don't the match and the league.
So I am delighted the way we were able to overcome that. What I wanted to see was us to run at the cork players on a yellow and make them foul us and hopefully get one or two of them sent off. Also our ruthlessness was magical. To score just after their equaliser only good to prove my theory that we just don't know when we are beat.

There was certainly malice in Towells challenge in the first half.

[Ezeikial]

There was certainly malice in Towells challenge in the first half.

That's like starting a fire and then complaining about the smoke.

[Pablo Escobar]

That's like starting a fire and then complaining about the smoke.
So are you agreeing with me in a roundabout way? No side was innocent.

[oriel]

Towell's challenge in the first half definitely deserved a yellow, the slippery conditions just made it look far worse. I wouldn't consider Cork to be a dirty team, they can be quite physical though, but I would agree with Paulo E above the ref got some decisions badly wrong in the first half.

I watched the game back and the free kick given against Gaynor on Meenan for example was ridiculous, he clearly won the ball. Also the two booked, one each side for hand bags when Dlk got a free mid way through first half was another example of unnecessary over reaction by the ref. A final warning would have sufficed.

And to balance things out, I thought we were very lucky to get away with not conceding a penalty late on, the ball did look as if it hit Boyle and possibly changed direction slightly, we were fortunate with that for sure, but everyone has seen more 'stonewall' decisions for penalties not given in other games, in this instance the Lino didn't flag either, so it appears we got away with it.

[Ezeikial]

So are you agreeing with me in a roundabout way? No side was innocent.

I don't agree with you in relation to Towell having malicious intent to hurt or injure - it was a foul and a yellow card challenge, nothing less, nothing more.

It was fairly obvious that part of the Cork tactical approach was to try to unsettle Dundalk through physical aggression - that aggression spilled over into foul play and yellow cards.

[White Horse]

I like your choice of words in saying we're the dirtiest team you've played against, as let's face it, you're right up there. The ref lost control of the game early on. Both sides were awarded baffling frees, and I think we came off worse in the area. Correct me if you feel I'm being one-eyed here as perhaps I am. However, Towell could have been sent off in the first have for a ridiculous challenge. Meenan hacked down one of our players on the edge of the area while on a yellow. Then John O'Flynn while apparently clean through on goal gets taken out and not even a free given. Having said that, that was the first time that I'd seen us with a genuinely nasty edge. But in that atmosphere, against a superb side, I'd probably have been the same. There's no doubting that you have better players than is at the moment, but we had a few missing and a few who probably should have played due to injuries and fitness. So we're not a million miles off.

On another note, I really want to like Richie Towell, but that guy makes it difficult. He's a brilliant player though.

You make some fair points. John Caulfield appears to gone into the game with the tactic of ruffling Dundalk. It was a poor choice as Dundalk can be as nasty as any other team if they choose to go down that route. It also doesn't stop Dundalk creating opportunities, as they can counter-attack at pace. Cork played much better when they decided to concentrate on the ball rather than on Dundalk.

I wouldn't call Cork dirty, they was no off the ball stuff or genuine attempts to cause injury.

Cork need to look at the second half performance and figure out how to convert the possession they had into goal scoring chances.

[Yossarian]

I like your choice of words in saying we're the dirtiest team you've played against, as let's face it, you're right up there. The ref lost control of the game early on. Both sides were awarded baffling frees, and I think we came off worse in the area. Correct me if you feel I'm being one-eyed here as perhaps I am. However, Towell could have been sent off in the first have for a ridiculous challenge. Meenan hacked down one of our players on the edge of the area while on a yellow. Then John O'Flynn while apparently clean through on goal gets taken out and not even a free given. Having said that, that was the first time that I'd seen us with a genuinely nasty edge. But in that atmosphere, against a superb side, I'd probably have been the same. There's no doubting that you have better players than is at the moment, but we had a few missing and a few who probably should have played due to injuries and fitness. So we're not a million miles off.

On another note, I really want to like Richie Towell, but that guy makes it difficult. He's a brilliant player though.

Towell could have seen red for that challenge alright though I think the conditions made it look worse but in my opinion Cork came out as a team with the intention of trying to bully and physically intimidate Dundalk and we just responded to it. I think Cork would have been better served trying to play football rather than trying to kick us off the park.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

(sitting here waiting on Pats fans to bring up the first game of the season)

[Pablo Escobar]

I don't agree with you in relation to Towell having malicious intent to hurt or injure - it was a foul and a yellow card challenge, nothing less, nothing more.

It was fairly obvious that part of the Cork tactical approach was to try to unsettle Dundalk through physical aggression - that aggression spilled over into foul play and yellow cards.
That was an example as a response to a claim that we were malicious and Dundalk were not. It was the dirtiest tackle in the game as far as I was concerned, but I'd agree with some of the posters below you that it was over-physicality and no off-the-ball stuff. That is, I don't really think that Dundalk are an intently malicious side in the same way as I don't think we are either.

[PartySaint]

(sitting here waiting on Pats fans to bring up the first game of the season)

It got even dirtier in the game in Richmond. Interesting to see it's not just Pats fans moaning about it. Dundalk like us beat them as well so it's not as of their fans are looking for an excuse, just pointing it out.

But look it's worked for Cork this season so they shouldn't care what others are saying.

[Ezeikial]

That was an example as a response to a claim that we were malicious and Dundalk were not. It was the dirtiest tackle in the game as far as I was concerned, but I'd agree with some of the posters below you that it was over-physicality and no off-the-ball stuff. That is, I don't really think that Dundalk are an intently malicious side in the same way as I don't think we are either.

Get real Pablo - you say Not an intently malicious side, but you label charge Towell with malice! Nonsense!!


There was certainly malice in Towells challenge in the first half.


By the way the post you quoted made no such claim about Cork

I disagree, Cork's approach to the game was to get in our few faces and try to unsettle us. I didn't really see any malice in any of their challenges but they were cynical. Last season pats did it too us in inchicore and we succumbed to it and ended up loss don't the match and the league.
So I am delighted the way we were able to overcome that. What I wanted to see was us to run at the cork players on a yellow and make them foul us and hopefully get one or two of them sent off. Also our ruthlessness was magical. To score just after their equaliser only good to prove my theory that we just don't know when we are beat.