LOI Fixtures 28/08 - 01/09

[Dalymountrower]

McPhail back fit for Tuesday. Can't imagine it'll make much of a difference, mind.

CD, is the Rovers v Bohs game on Saturday going to go ahead at 3? With Croker on at 5, it will take a couple of thousand off the gate

[Charlie Darwin]

CD, is the Rovers v Bohs game on Saturday going to go ahead at 3? With Croker on at 5, it will take a couple of thousand off the gate
Definitely, garda's orders. Hamstrings the clubs but, hey, no shock there.

[Dalymountrower]

Definitely, garda's orders. Hamstrings the clubs but, hey, no shock there.

also clashes with saturday shopping rush hour competing for parking spaces, 2 pm would make a huge difference, crazy stuff, will have to reluctantly give it a miss,

[placid casual]

CD, is the Rovers v Bohs game on Saturday going to go ahead at 3? With Croker on at 5, it will take a couple of thousand off the gate

No it wont take a couple of thousand off the gate.
any right thinking Rovers fan wouldn't be seen dead at a duds game, after their county boards stance to the "diet of association football in tallaght".

if it means less bozos at the game,then all the better. we dont need their greasy money.

[Dalymountrower]

No it wont take a couple of thousand off the gate.
any right thinking Rovers fan wouldn't be seen dead at a duds game, after their county boards stance to the "diet of association football in tallaght".

if it means less bozos at the game,then all the better. we dont need their greasy money.

Well I will be at the Dubs game with a good few wrong thinking Rovers fans.
Keep it pure Placid!.

[KeepersBall]

Why would he go back after the way he was humiliated?
I was being ironic.
But I'd love him back.

[nigel-harps1954]

Cork 1-0 St Pats after 22 minutes

[Calcio Jack]

Cork 1-0 St Pats after 22 minutes

Killian Brennan not playing or on the bench for Pats- is he injured suspended or gone AWOL ?

[kksaints]

Killian Brennan not playing or on the bench for Pats- is he injured suspended or gone AWOL ?

He has got a groin strain.

[nigel-harps1954]

Pats having a bad auld time of it in Cork. 2-0 just seven minutes later. Coming up to half time now.

[Calcio Jack]

Cork 1-0 St Pats after 22 minutes


He has got a groin strain.

Thanks

[mcgonigle]

Thanks

He's probably too embarrassed to show his face after his antics last time

[White Horse]

Looks like another humiliating night for Pats in Cork. Can Bohs get 4th place?

[nigel-harps1954]

3-0...bethejaysus...

[nigel-harps1954]

Make that 3-1. The comeback is on.

[D24Saint]

Another poor result , terrible collapse in the last four games .
I have great faith in Bucko to turn things around to get us back on track not all doom & gloom just yet.

[White Horse]

Another poor result , terrible collapse in the last four games .
I have great faith in Bucko to turn things around to get us back on track not all doom & gloom just yet.

I admire your faith but there is scant evidence for it over the last two seasons.

Pats in 20012/2013 were a terrific side. What has happened in 2014 and 2015?

[D24Saint]

Three players from 2013 were never replaced Kenna , Russel & Bisto flood need to get back to basics , need to get more movement, more direct & more physical there is a balance between route one & tippy tappy that I feel we found in 2013.

[White Horse]

Three players from 2013 were never replaced Kenna , Russel & Bisto flood need to get back to basics , need to get more movement, more direct & more physical there is a balance between route one & tippy tappy that I feel we found in 2013.

There was strength and steel to the 2013 side. I remember the final league meeting in 2013 when we were chasing Pats. Pats outmuscled and outplayed us that night.

I think there is a lot of rebuilding to be done and it won't be easy with Rovers and Dundalk competing for players and offering good money.

[Spudulika]

Is Bisto still in Oz? I thought he might have come back for a rattle or two. Always a decent player but with a strange attitude.

Pats have been prone to poor runs this season and Europe in 2016 looks gone, unless one of the teams above them wins the cup, but since it'll be Killester.....

[Ezeikial]

Pats have been prone to poor runs this season and Europe in 2016 looks gone, unless one of the teams above them wins the cup, but since it'll be Killester.....

Europa League is far from gone from Pats. They are still only a point behind Rovers (who have to play Dundalk twice), so a 3rd place finish is not beyond them. In any event the 4th place finisher is still likely to qualify as Dundalk and Cork remain cup favourites.

That said, failure to qualify would be a disaster for Pats and could spell the end for Buckley

[Spudulika]

Europa League is far from gone from Pats. They are still only a point behind Rovers (who have to play Dundalk twice), so a 3rd place finish is not beyond them. In any event the 4th place finisher is still likely to qualify as Dundalk and Cork remain cup favourites.

That said, failure to qualify would be a disaster for Pats and could spell the end for Buckley

I don't know if it would be the end for him, though it would mean a real tightening of belts in the Stadium of Light. If that happens they are going to struggle next season.

[oriel]

There was strength and steel to the 2013 side. I remember the final league meeting in 2013 when we were chasing Pats. Pats outmuscled and outplayed us that night.

I think there is a lot of rebuilding to be done and it won't be easy with Rovers and Dundalk competing for players and offering good money.

I remember coming out of that game in Sept 2013, when Pats went into pole position in the race for the title and thinking the same, we were pushed about all over the park, esp in MF.

I'm convinced Kenny saw things in that match that we had to improve on if we were going to win the league. The physical strenght of the Dundalk sides of 2014 and 2015 would suggest he focused on that and another key area, speed.

Big match tonight and with only 5 points currently separating us and Cork this league race is far from over. It will take a big effort tonight to get the win we need to put some decent distance between Cork and Rovers. If we get the win, it will be another huge step towards the end line.

[TonyD]

I admire your faith but there is scant evidence for it over the last two seasons.

Pats in 20012/2013 were a terrific side. What has happened in 2014 and 2015?

We're on a bad run at the moment. but we've still played some quality football over the past two seasons so it hasn't all been terrible. We've lost key players since 2013, notably Kenna and Russell. We've also had some terrible luck with injuries which hasn't helped. The back 4 in particular, which was one of our strengths when we won the league, has been severely disrupted since, with the result that our defensive record for the last two seasons has been so poor. Lack of strength in depth has also killed us, notably with lack of back up for Fagan this year. I daresay most teams would struggle if they lost the amount of key players we have, even the mighty Dundalk. I don't know how we're fixed budget wise next year so I'm not sure if things are going to get any better, but I share D24Saints faith in Bucko.

[Dunny]

1-0 Dundalk

Finn

[Charlie Darwin]

Rovers just haven't been up to the speed of the game yet. Dundalk are first to everything.

[nigel-harps1954]

http://cricfree.tv/watch/live/dundalk-fc-vs-shamrock-rovers-live-streaming

Stream here for anyone that wants one.

[geysir]

In general Dundalk have recovered well since the bitter disappointment of being beaten to the CL group stages by Bate,
but this evening they are playing poorly against Shamrock Rovers with hoofing a plenty, late tackles etc.

[geysir]

Dundalk score some quality goals, brilliant 2nd goal there.

[Charlie Darwin]

Difference in quality clear - Dundalk have created two chances all game and lead 2-0. Rovers have had all the ball but no great chances.

[geysir]

Rovers had a great chance in the first half which the very impressive Rodgers saved at full stretch.
2nd half has been easy enough for Dundalk, both when they have the ball and not have the ball.

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah, Rovers didn't really have anything bar endless crosses, which suits Dundalk's big centre halves. I think they were happy to let Rovers have all the ball.

[geysir]

Whatever Towell is earning, i'd raise it double. he's quality.

[White Horse]

Rovers had one shot on target in the whole game, one shot.

[Charlie Darwin]

Fair play to Gary Rogers making those two big saves then.

[Yossarian]

That was a great result if not such a great performance. I thought we played very well for the first 20/25 mins but Rovers were really running through our midfield before half time and at the beginning of the second half. Shields made a huge difference when he came on and I don't understand how he isn't the first name on the team sheet.
Two great goals and two great saves by Rogers was the difference.

[jinxy lilywhite]

That was a great result if not such a great performance. I thought we played very well for the first 20/25 mins but Rovers were really running through our midfield before half time and at the beginning of the second half. Shields made a huge difference when he came on and I don't understand how he isn't the first name on the team sheet.
Two great goals and two great saves by Rogers was the difference.

Ah we tore rovers apart in the first 20, scored and sat back. Didn't need to do anything else. Rovers only had 2 chances and other than that just huffed and puffed. Shields did make a difference when he came on but I would have Finn ahead of him every game.

[Dunny]

Fair play Charlie,one of the only people on the whole of the internet tonight who can spell Rogers proper good and right ;)
RODGERS is some shoitehawk name from Co.Antrim

Good game tonight,we soaked Rovers pressure up,SK never hit the panic button even when we were under huge pressure and when we scored the second it was lights out for the hoops and we coasted home there after.Bit surprised the Duff card never got played by Fenlon ?

[White Horse]

Fair play to Gary Rogers making those two big saves then.

Two shots on target then. Not enough for a must win game. Too mush hoofing up to two large centre backs. Poor Danny North. Did they think he was wearing stilts?

[Charlie Darwin]

Well it obviously wasn't enough, otherwise we'd have won. Our defence is a real problem I think - any time we try to push numbers up the pitch they just get caught out for pace and lack of organisation. It's not just Dundalk who have exposed it this year. Dundalk put up a shield (ironically) in front of the back four and we don't have the players to play through it like Dundalk do, so crossing the ball endlessly was probably the right idea, but Gartland and Boyle dealt with it well and even when our players did get headers there was nothing clean. Disappointing but I think Fenlon knows what the problems are and will address them over the coming months.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Personally I think the rat has lost his mojo since his return from Scotland.

Rotten style of play. You have players who can play

[Ezeikial]

. Disappointing but I think Fenlon knows what the problems are and will address them over the coming months.

Nutsy's preferred method of solving problems is keep throwing money at it till it gets fixed.

I am not so sure that he has dramatically improved Rovers this season over last - even if tonight's performance was a marked improvement on many recent efforts from Rovers

[Charlie Darwin]

I think you're probably underestimating how well Dundalk stopped us from playing. Your players did a brilliant job of cutting off our options and forcing us to make low-percentage passes. Anybody who has watched Rovers this season will have seen some devastatingly good football, but the better teams don't let you play like that automatically, which is the obstacle Dundalk have overcome and now we have to too.

[GCdfc]

Duff went down the tunnel about 10 minutes into the second half. Did he come back out at all?

[Charlie Darwin]

Duff went down the tunnel about 10 minutes into the second half. Did he come back out at all?
Yeah, he came back. Commentators said he was coming on before the second goal but I don't think he was ever coming on.

[White Horse]

Yeah, he came back. Commentators said he was coming on before the second goal but I don't think he was ever coming on.

I would have loved to have seen him come on. However, he did play a lot on Saturday and is only returning for a long lay off.

[Charlie Darwin]

Aye, even if he wasn't coming back from the injury I think two games in 3 days would be too much for him. I don't want to start another pitch debate either but, whether you agree with it or not, players who have had injury problems hate playing on it.

[White Horse]

Aye, even if he wasn't coming back from the injury I think two games in 3 days would be too much for him. I don't want to start another pitch debate either but, whether you agree with it or not, players who have had injury problems hate playing on it.

That could have been a factor too, but not one Stehpen O'Donnell would agree with.

Has Kieran Marty Waters fallen out of favour? He is a player who has always caused us problems. Our centre backs don't like pacy players running at them.

[Charlie Darwin]

Well I was just saying that players have publicly stated it so the perception is there whether it's true or not.

Waters was in favour until he got himself a three game ban for squaring up to a Pats player a few weeks back. Fenlon is huge on discipline so he's being rightly not walking back in ahead of players who've done well in his absence - Drennan got the same treatment.

[Dunny]

All the weekends premier league goals including Dundalks 2 v Shamrock from last night.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP93EbsSDio&feature=youtu.be