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

[Dunny]

Pivotal weekend in the LOI.

Premier Friday.

St.Patricks Ath v UCD 8pm Lve on Setanta Sports.

Athlone Town v Shamrock Rovers

BohemianFC v Drogheda United

Bray Wanderers v Sligo Rovers

Derry City v Cork City

DundalkFC v LimerickFC

Premier Monday.(all 7.45 k.o's)

UCD v Athlone Town

BohemianFC v Shamrock Rovers

Cork City v Bray Wanderers

Drogheda United v Derry City

Sligo Rovers v DundalkFC

St.Pats Ath. v LimerickFC

First Division Friday.

Waterford United v Finn Harps

Wexford Youths v Shelbourne 8pm

First Division Saturday.

Longford Town v GalwayFC 7.30pm

First Division Sunday

Shamrock Rovers v Cobh Rams 2pm

[dong]

I'm sticking my neck out and predict 4 points for us this weekend.
bray seem to be struggling with injuries and maybe the pressure is starting to tell on Kenny, who knows? If Limerick can take something from their game it will be squeaky bum time for sure.
we have nothing to lose at this stage anyways.
we are sh!t though so who knows.

[PartySaint]

2 wins a must for us in the race for Europe, hopefully Derry and Bohs can do us a favour this weekend.

[oriel]

I think we will beat Limerick but it might be a close game, we may not have played particularly well v Drogs, and we were excellent in the first half v Cork and just ok in the second, but still got 4 points from those two away games.

I'd be happy with another 4 this weekend, as Sligo away on Monday will be a tough match too.

Whatever happens I'd say the league table will look very different on Monday night. Let's see what happens, definitely a huge weekend for every team and for different reasons.

[brendy_éire]

2 wins a must for us in the race for Europe, hopefully Derry......can do us a favour this weekend.


Doubt it. Missing Patterson, Molloy and McBride. Cork missing a few too, but I reckon a draw is the best we can hope for.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish-soccer-league/2014/0815/637298-airtricity-previews/

"Athlone lost their last outing 3-1 to Sligo Rovers. Keith Long and James O’Brien are suspended, while Graham Rusk and Sean Byrne both doubtful through injury. "

I don't think Keith Long would have been getting a game even if he wasn't serving a ban from the dugout

[oriel]

Very quiet activity on here pre Friday night games, is no one going to any matches???

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think Keith Long would have been getting a game even if he wasn't serving a ban from the dugout
I've seen stranger things at Athlone this season?

I think Limerick could give Dundalk a real game in Oriel, but more likely Russell will send them out to attack and Dundalk will ruthlessly expose the gaps. Cork have a tough game in Derry that they need at least a point from, but if Patterson is as uninterested as he was against Rovers I wouldn't put it past them. UCD will take an early lead against Pats before going down 4 or 5-1, and Rovers will do a professional job in Athlone.

[nigel-harps1954]

Jesus, that's an absolutely desperate crowd in Inchicore. Is there 500 in?

[Charlie Darwin]

Cork 1 up in Derry, Bohs 1 up at home to Drogs.

[Charlie Darwin]

Jesus, that's an absolutely desperate crowd in Inchicore. Is there 500 in?
Poor enough alright. People saving their money for Monday I assume.

[nigel-harps1954]

Waterford 0-1 Harps

[NeverFeltBetter]

Watching Pats/UCD. Students have been torn open a few times already, but Saints shooting boots aren't on.

[nigel-harps1954]

Bohs 1-0 Drogheda
Derry 0-1 Cork
Waterford 0-2 Harps
Wexford 0-1 Shels

[NeverFeltBetter]

Fine individual effort by Fahey gives Pats the lead. Hard to see UCD getting back into it tbh.

[Charlie Darwin]

UCD have done their level best to gift Pats a goal and finally they have on the stroke of half time. Great finish but good god, that must be the seventh or eighth time UCD have been caught in possession 25 yards out.

[Charlie Darwin]

Athlone 0 - 1 Rovers (Sheppard)
Bray 0 - 1 Sligo (Zayed)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Bolger sent off. Life in this one yet.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Dundalk doing everything tonight but score

[Charlie Darwin]

Nasty, nasty boy, Greg Bolger. He's lucky to he (accidentally) stamped on the ball instead of Douglas's ankle.

[Charlie Darwin]

Brennan and Beattie sent off at Dalymount for a clash off the ball. 2-1 now, Byrne scoring after Brennan had levelled.

[nigel-harps1954]

Big goal for Wexford in the First Division. 1-1 between them and shels. Set for an interesting fight for play off places between them and Galway with Harps sneaking up behind, only 3 behind Galway now and 5 behind Wexford.

[Charlie Darwin]

Turning into a bit of a procession for Longford. I wonder how they're going to blow it this year, they're running out of time.

[Nesta99]

cityrebel will have fun rolling that one out every now and again!

[jinxy lilywhite]

gettttttttttttttttttttttttt innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

[Charlie Darwin]

Athlone equalise. #NutsyOut

[Nesta99]

Come on Derry........

[jinxy lilywhite]

full time Dundalk 1-0 Limerick

got 9 out of 9 now from last seasons bogey team

[nigel-harps1954]

Turning into a bit of a procession for Longford. I wonder how they're going to blow it this year, they're running out of time.

Still, if the score stays as it is, Longford are only 3 points clear with a tough game against Galway tomorrow night.


In other news, a massive win for Harps keeps play-off hopes alive. An 11th clean sheet of the season. 10 in 22 league games is a serious return for a team sitting in 5th position. Now if we could only score goals.

Gave debuts to three players tonight and had two goalkeepers on the bench due to injuries and suspensions, so it's fantastic to get a win.

[Nesta99]

FT in the Brandywell - good 3 points for Cork

[Longfordian]

Turning into a bit of a procession for Longford. I wonder how they're going to blow it this year, they're running out of time.

Lose to Galway and Shels in our next two league games and it's level on points again. I don't think we will lose both and we probably won't lose either of them but the next couple of games will be crucial either way.

[Charlie Darwin]

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.

[ger121]

Great win for us tonight and sets us up lovely for Monday. Quietly confident...

[ATFC-1887]

What a goal by Ian Sweeney. Unbelievable strike after beating 3 Rovers players. Delighted with that draw. Beat UCD monday and we might just do this.

[oriel]

Just back in from a very tense and nervous at times oriel park. You could sense the feeling all over the place. I really didn't think we would get the goal, missed 2 glorious chances in the first half, Byrne unmarked blazed over from 6 yards, then Towell intercepted a defender just outside the box, slipped, got back up and got a shot in but was virtually one on one, should have scored both.

Limerick really put this game up to us, and this was without doubt the toughest test we had at home this season. Rovers were excellent earlier in the year but only for one half. Limerick battled every inch and look to be a massively improved side under Russell.

Hoban didn't have a good game and was not his dominant usual self, he had very few chances, but what a massive goal with 5 mins to go, showed tremendous strength to force that late goal home, massive massive win.

Limerick will be disappointed with the result but I don't remember Cherrie making a single save in the match.

That's 7 points now from the last 3 and we only played well in two first halfs. We won't get away with that forever, but it's all abut collecting points at this stage.

The pressure continues now after Cork's impressive away win, but it's also pressure on Cork to maintain the challenge.

[White Horse]

At least we don't have to play against Barry Ryan again in the league this season. If he played against other teams the way he plays against us he would be Ireland's no.1.

Limerick were very organised and tried to nullify Dundalk without creating anything themselves. Having said that, we had four gilt edged chances and should have been out of sight. However, the lads kept their concentration and didn't panic even as the clock was ticking down. That maturity and composure bodes well for the run in.

[Ezeikial]

Just back in from a very tense and nervous at times oriel park.

It was certainly that all right - due to the inability to get the crucial goal until late in the game. On another night it could have easily been 5-0 based on the clear-cut chances created. An inspired Barry Ryan in goals combined with poor finishing kept the game on a knife edge.

Kudos to Limerick for their organisation and work-rate - the middle three of Lynch, Hughes and Duggan were especially impressive. However they created very few chances and one goal was always likely to be enough to win the match

A point in Sligo on Monday would be satisfactory but a win is really the achievable target

[adamd164]

Great win, 3 pts again.

Is this week's Soccer republic devoted to Fenlon again or might we get a look in??!

[Charlie Darwin]

Ah wind yourself in. Rovers have been well down the pecking order for most of this season on Soccer Republic, and rightly so. Croly and Fenlon was the big story that people wanted to know about so they rightly focused on it.

[ger121]

Great win, 3 pts again.

Is this week's Soccer republic devoted to Fenlon again or might we get a look in??!

"You even whinge when you're winning"

[MeathDrog]

Brennan and Beattie sent off at Dalymount for a clash off the ball. 2-1 now, Byrne scoring after Brennan had levelled.

Anyone hear what this was about? Didn't see it myself. All I know is that Buttimer took an eternity to restart the game. Really did milk the occasion.

Drogs were awful tonight and Bohs deserved the three points.

Jason Byrne showing his class by celebrating in front of the Drogs fans... At least he missed an absolute sitter.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

It was certainly that all right - due to the inability to get the crucial goal until late in the game. On another night it could have easily been 5-0 based on the clear-cut chances created. An inspired Barry Ryan in goals combined with poor finishing kept the game on a knife edge.

Kudos to Limerick for their organisation and work-rate - the middle three of Lynch, Hughes and Duggan were especially impressive. However they created very few chances and one goal was always likely to be enough to win the match

A point in Sligo on Monday would be satisfactory but a win is really the achievable target

Ye'll beat us no problem on Monday night

[White Horse]

Anyone hear what this was about? Didn't see it myself. All I know is that Buttimer took an eternity to restart the game. Really did milk the occasion.

I was wondering why the two lads were sent off, then I see Buttimer was the ref. No need to wonder anymore.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Putrid game of football in front of a very small crowd in the Carlisle Grounds. Two teams just intent on lumping the ball forward. In the middle of all that Zayed scored with an excellent finish. Bray should have knicked a point at the end. Awful stuff.

[Charlie Darwin]

I was wondering why the two lads were sent off, then I see Buttimer was the ref. No need to wonder anymore.
I can only assume their jerseys clashed.

[pineapple stu]

Not altogether sure why our best player is on the bench; can only assume he's still struggling with the injury from earlier in the season. But a big hand in both our goals from Ayman tonight. Those might just give us the confidence to go on and get a result on Monday; there was a real sense of deflation at 3-0 down. But now we know we can score - even if Pat's went to sleep - and maybe we can carry that into Monday. But only if Ayman starts.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not altogether sure why our best player is on the bench; can only assume he's still struggling with the injury from earlier in the season. But a big hand in both our goals from Ayman tonight. Those might just give us the confidence to go on and get a result on Monday; there was a real sense of deflation at 3-0 down. But now we know we can score - even if Pat's went to sleep - and maybe we can carry that into Monday. But only if Ayman starts.
Callaghan leaving him on the bench in the hope nobody else will notice how good he is and sign him for next season?

[pineapple stu]

He's a med student; seven year contract. :)

[Charlie Darwin]

Damn, that was my next question. I take it full-time football would be beyond him, at least for the next couple of years?

[oriel]

If I was a Cork fan of be lumping a good few bob on them to win the league, now let me explain.

Paddy Power latest odds are an insane 2/9 on Dundalk and 4/1 on Cork. Sure for christ sakes the lead could be down to 1 or 2 points on Monday night, tell you what I'd be having some of that if I was from the people's republic.