24th/25th rounds LOI August 15th - 18th

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

If I was a Dundalk fan I'd be looking for odds on Dundalk -1 on Monday night

[Charlie Darwin]

You Dundalk fans love dialling down the expectation. I'm going to put €100,000 on Dundalk to win the league just to jinx you.

[born2bwild]

I actually thought you still had a game in hand for some reason, so it's not quite as clear-cut as I reckoned. Still, I would be shocked if Longford lost either of those games.
Tonight Shels put in the worst performance of any football team, anywhere, since some time in the late pleistocene and still managed to get a point.

Since Shels can't get any worse they will be better. Better than 1 point is ...3 points against Longford.

Logic.

[sidcon]

Beattie was lived with Brennan for diving get both sent off is all we know, Rico then went livid with Buttimer, Rico really should have been sent off his rambling held the game for at least 2 minutes.

[Ezeikial]

Rico then went livid with Buttimer, Rico really should have been sent off his rambling held the game for at least 2 minutes.

This reminds me of the Mark Twain gem:

"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”

[pineapple stu]

Damn, that was my next question. I take it full-time football would be beyond him, at least for the next couple of years?
Absolutely. Must be cotton wrapped in a student environment. :)

I don't know really. He has the physicality, but he was also fairly slow getting back from injury. He could make it though; reminds me of Duff in his prime at times. Needs a bit more end product, but he's still not played 20 games yet; time for that to develop.

[Yossarian]

That was a crucial win for us last night. We could have been 3 up at halftime but the finishing was woeful. Ryan was fantastic in goals, as he usually is against us. I definitely think the tension in the ground transferred to the players.
I think Kenny needs to make one or two changes for Monday as some of the players have had a poor few games notably Byrne and Horgan. I'd love to see Ward back in the mix as he offers us something different from the bench.

[bluewhitearmy]

That was a crucial win for us last night. We could have been 3 up at halftime but the finishing was woeful. Ryan was fantastic in goals, as he usually is against us. I definitely think the tension in the ground transferred to the players.
I think Kenny needs to make one or two changes for Monday as some of the players have had a poor few games notably Byrne and Horgan. I'd love to see Ward back in the mix as he offers us something different from the bench.

He usually is full sop for us since we came up tbh. Still think he is the best keeper in the league.

[Charlie Darwin]

He played very well against Rovers in Tallaght before he started playing judo. Couple of terrific stops.

[pineapple stu]

Always a super keeper playing for us. Must be the longest-serving player in the league at this stage, is he? Made his debut in 1997.

[Louth4sam]

He usually is full sop for us since we came up tbh. Still think he is the best keeper in the league.

Not many better and seems to fly under the radar with the media and pundits.

Thought Limerick were excellent in the first half last night and played some great stuff but for some strange reason came out in the second and played for the draw. We weren't at our best and Limerick could have capitalised if they showed any balls.

[bluewhitearmy]

Not many better and seems to fly under the radar with the media and pundits.

Thought Limerick were excellent in the first half last night and played some great stuff but for some strange reason came out in the second and played for the draw. We weren't at our best and Limerick could have capitalised if they showed any balls.

Myself and one of the lads were saying it after the game we had no intention of attacking second half was a bit annoying tbh.

[oriel]

Limerick were definitely one of the best sides to challenge us at home all season in the league that's for sure. Their central MF was impressive in the first half and they really put it up to us. It's possible if they had made the manager change and got those new signings in earlier, they may have pushed up the league further.

In saying that we certainly deserved to win last night, and i dont think Cherrie had to make a single save, but it was an extremely tense match, no doubt about that.

[nigel-harps1954]

Longford. You greatly disappoint me.

[PartySaint]

Good old Longford, the annual bottle job starts.

[avvenalaf]

I was in Longford tonight. Unrecognisable from the side I saw play Shelss a few weeks ago. Galway had more away fans than Bray had home fans last night.

[Town Legend]

Lost it on the line tonight. Tony bottling it again.

[PartySaint]

I fancy Limerick to get a result against us tonight. We can't defend and they're doing well under Russell, no doubt Lee Lynch will score.

[White Horse]

I fancy Limerick to get a result against us tonight. We can't defend and they're doing well under Russell, no doubt Lee Lynch will score.

Based on their performance in Oriel Park, they will be hard to beat. They will need to provide more support to Gaffney if they want to score.

[PartySaint]

Based on their performance in Oriel Park, they will be hard to beat. They will need to provide more support to Gaffney if they want to score.

Nah, one striker on his own up front will be enough to score against us.

[Ezeikial]

Has Stuey Byrne started to script the Indo's match previews?

Bohs V Rovers:


Irish Indo says: Rovers dropped points in Athlone and, realistically, Pat Fenlon's side cannot afford to drop too many more if they are to really get involved in the title shake-up



RTE is a tad more realistic


The Hoops sit 12 points off leaders Dundalk and European qualification is now perhaps the most realistic goal for Rovers.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/2014/0818/637807-dundalk-look-to-push-on-at-showgrounds/

[placid casual]

its quite comical how wound up you get about the press mentioning Rovers in the title shake-up.
You wont find a single Rovers fan who thinks we will be anywhere close to winning the league, if that helps you.:disdain:

[Ezeikial]

its quite comical how wound up you get about the press mentioning Rovers in the title shake-up.
You wont find a single Rovers fan who thinks we will be anywhere close to winning the league, if that helps you.:disdain:

You are great craic!

I am not even the slightest bit "wound up" - but I do think some of the Stuey Byrne type journalism is a real hoot.

Rovers and the medja BS continue to give me great entertainment.

[White Horse]

You wont find a single Rovers fan who thinks we will be anywhere close to winning the league, if that helps you.:disdain:

What do Rovers' fans make of the media constantly talking them up?

[colonelwest]

Daniel McDonnell ‏@McDonnellDan (https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan) 1m (https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/501429172179578881)

Bohs-Rovers called off because of a divot on the penalty spot. Referee deemed pitch unplayable.

ffs :D

[DannyInvincible]

Daniel McDonnell ‏@McDonnellDan (https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan) 1m (https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/501429172179578881)

Bohs-Rovers called off because of a divot on the penalty spot. Referee deemed pitch unplayable.

ffs :D

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvVv4GSIEAA3KWz.jpg

What on earth happened to it? No hope of a bit of sand or something sorting it?

[Olander]

Brace yourselves, smug Dundalk fans are coming.

[Yossarian]

Ridiculous to call it off for that if you ask me.

[Yossarian]

Brace yourselves, smug Dundalk fans are coming.

Oh yeh sorry. That wouldn't happen in oriel etc etc

[White Horse]

What are Bohs doing to Dalymount?

They didn't bother cutting the grass or lining the pitch when we played there.

Now there is a hole in the penalty area. Wouldn't happen in schoolboy football.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Is that really the reason the game was called off? The rest of the pitch is fine?

[BonnieShels]

Embarrassing

[Dunny]

Brace yourselves, smug Dundalk fans are coming.

We'll be more smug when we hammer you lot on Friday night....with our "cup side" ;)

[White Horse]

Is that really the reason the game was called off? The rest of the pitch is fine?

The other penalty area is worse.

http://cdn2.independent.ie/incoming/article30017078.ece/d0b05/ALTERNATES/h342/sink+hole+pics002.jpg

[Nesta99]

I hope that hooligan on BBC documentary that had attached himself to a Rovers hooligan group has forked out a good wad of cash only for the game to be called off!!

[NeverFeltBetter]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/2014/0818/637909-referee-calls-off-bohemians-and-rovers-clash/


Connolly said: "The pitch is not safe for players to play on. I’m not an expert on grounds but in the current state it’s not possible to play the match because of player safety."
The referee revealed that he had made the decision to call off the game after holding talks with the groundsman .

"I spoke with the groundsman and he informed me that it takes eight days for sand to bed down but in its current state it was not safe to play on," said Connolly.



I have a feeling there is more to this than a bad bit of turf next to the penalty spot.

[MeathDrog]

Wrong call to call it off, but to be fair the pitch at Dayler has been in a terrible state for years. Not that surprised.

[BonnieShels]

Did no one at Bohs know they were playing a match tonight? Moronic and embarrassing.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Both Dundalk and Cork losing at HT, Cork playing against ten men though. Title race could swing big time either way in next 45.

As things stand, both UCD and Bray have eight points on Athlone, which should just about see them sunk with eight games to play.

[nigel-harps1954]

Would be awfully interesting if Cork and Dundalk got beat and Pat's won tonight. All of a sudden, you could have three teams in the title race. Although, I could imagine the media reaction now, "Cork and Dundalk defeats opens the door for Pat Fenlon and Shamrock Rovers to claim the title".

[NeverFeltBetter]

Limerick go a goal up through Gaffney, might scupper those plans. He's in crazy good form under Russell.

[colonelwest]

McMillan with an equaliser for Dundalk! 5 mins injury time to go!

[NeverFeltBetter]

Cork will be kicking themselves tonight, after playing most of the game a man up. What a chance to close the gap.

[White Horse]

Important goal from McMillan. Surprised at Cork not beating Bray even though they had an extra man for over an hour.

[White Horse]

Would be awfully interesting if Cork and Dundalk got beat and Pat's won tonight.

Not with Derek Foran playing in their defence. It's like giving the opposition a goal head start.

[born2bwild]

Embarrassing
Annoying.

I went to the thing.

It was shambolic, actually - no announcement made in the stadium and the turnstiles were evacuated quicker than you could say "No receipt, no refund, buddy"

Wouldn't happen in Tolka I tells yeh.

[pineapple stu]

How the hell did Bray do that?

Even with Agent Barker getting sent off after half an hour.

Huge result for them. Bottom three really getting cast adrift now; any results they can pick up are getting more and more important. Bray v UCD next week is huge now. How's the play-off work again?

Also, is Martin Russell a half-decent manager so?

[Nesta99]

Bray v UCD next week is huge now. How's the play-off work again?


Bray lose it but stay up as 13th side...

[NeverFeltBetter]

https://twitter.com/RFJRogers

Some interesting photos of what is alleged to be the Dalymount pitch here. Looks like it is shocking condition altogether.

[Acer]

Another good win for us. We played well and deserved the three points. It's hard not to look back at our league campaign as one wasted but getting into the winning habit now will benefit us greatly for the cup.