Fixtures 29th/30th/2nd

[L.T.F.C.]

Galway one up after 2 minutes...

[Town Legend]

Fantastic stuff. No doubt TC will say we had a decent start!

[Town Legend]

2-0 now. Time for the board to pull their finger out and sack Cousins before it's too late. He got rid of the older players cos he couldn't handle them and brought in younger lads. And from what I've seen so far he can't handle them either. I noticed one or two of them recently, when Cousins tried to give some advice they just turned their backs on him. He's lost the dressing room and going by his interview from the Sligo game he's lost the plot.
A lovely man outside the pitch and dressing room but I think his time has run out.

[Town Legend]

2-2 now! TC must of actually come up with a Plan B after all these years!

[dong]

To borrow a common internet phrase:
OMG
Also:
WTF?

[D24Saint]

Poor quaility game in turners X, I can't see Cork challenging Dundalk for the title. As for us I would love to say we are a work in progress etc but the truth is that we are just poor this season. No physicality to our play, poor passing & movement. It's going to be a long arduous campaign.

[Olander]

2-2 now! TC must of actually come up with a Plan B after all these years!
2-2 was probably the least Longford deserved. We were utter catpíss. It was a truly woeful performance from United that was nowhere near good enough. Very disappointing to drop points from being 2-0 up, we should have seen the game out comfortably. Big wake up call for all.

[placid casual]

I'm sure Dundalk and their new fans couldn't give a rats ass about it, but its clear for all to see that the quality in the league this season is at an all time low.I've seen cork,pats & Derry now and none of the 3 are very good. At all.

Don't even get me started on the troglodytes wearing the green & white hoops this season...
I can only hope whoever put money into bray wanderers has kept the receipt, cos they been robbed.

[White Horse]

A very controlled performance by Dundalk against a hard working, but limited Bohs side.

Last years games between the two sides were very entertaining. Dundalk play a much more defensive minded game this season, while Bohs lack a goal threat without the injured Akinade.

It will be interesting to look back on the red card that wasn't for Mulcahy. I didn't have a proper view of it from the away end, but Bohs fans in the Jodi stand told me it was the definite red.

[WoodquayBoy]

As said by Olander, we were absolute muck tonight. Laughable that Longford were 2-0 down at half-time, they were the better side throughout. That said, a real kick in the stones to drop two points at home when you're 2-0 up at half-time against a team struggling in the league. A performance like that against Dundalk next week and we'll be wiped off the park. Utter rubbish from us

[Yossarian]

A very controlled performance by Dundalk against a hard working, but limited Bohs side.

Last years games between the two sides were very entertaining. Dundalk play a much more defensive minded game this season, while Bohs lack a goal threat without the injured Akinade.

It will be interesting to look back on the red card that wasn't for Mulcahy. I didn't have a proper view of it from the away end, but Bohs fans in the Jodi stand told me it was the definite red.

I was sitting in the Jodi right in line with the play and it was a clear red as far as I could see. It obviously didn't matter in the end, it was a great free kick from Horgan considering it looked like it was Masseys to take.
Dundalk did enough to win and despite Bohs having a bit of the ball they huffed and puffed without really threatening Rogers.

[White Horse]

As said by Olander, we were absolute muck tonight. Laughable that Longford were 2-0 down at half-time, they were the better side throughout. That said, a real kick in the stones to drop two points at home when you're 2-0 up at half-time against a team struggling in the league. A performance like that against Dundalk next week and we'll be wiped off the park. Utter rubbish from us

Don't be too hard on them. They've been a credit to your club so far this season and every team can have an off night.

Perhaps it is a good wake up call that will dispel any complacency or cockiness that may have set in.

[D24Saint]

I'm sure Dundalk and their new fans couldn't give a rats ass about it, but its clear for all to see that the quality in the league this season is at an all time low.I've seen cork,pats & Derry now and none of the 3 are very good. At all.

Don't even get me started on the troglodytes wearing the green & white hoops this season...
I can only hope whoever put money into bray wanderers has kept the receipt, cos they been robbed.

I totally agree and it's not just schadenfreude because we are rubbish this season I've yet to see a decent side season apart from Dundalk.

[WoodquayBoy]

Don't be too hard on them. They've been a credit to your club so far this season and every team can have an off night.

Perhaps it is a good wake up call that will dispel any complacency or cockiness that may have set in.
Oh absolutely, completely take that point - give me a crap match ending in 2-2 any day over the two-year lockout we suffered. Jesus, back in 2012 and 2013 I'd have given anything for a 2-2 draw with Longford. Or 2011 - the year that shall not be mentioned - for that matter. But we were shocking and I would fear an absolute tonking next week. Still, might soften the cough of some of our fans who are talking about European qualification!

[El-Pietro]

Pats are a shadow of the side they were even a year ago. Not much better than the Rovers side we saw on Monday.

We weren't up to much but didn't need to be to beat them. Pats had a decent spell up until our goal and from then on it was us until the last 5 minutes.

Annoyingly for all our possession we never tested their keeper. 3 points though, 9 in 8 days. We'll take that happily.

[Longfordian]

If it's any consolation Woodquay we were flying this time last year. Now we're (rightly, all things considered this season) delighted with a point away to GUFC. Football is a fickle mistress as Swiss Tony might say.

[WoodquayBoy]

If it's any consolation Woodquay we were flying this time last year. Now we're (rightly, all things considered this season) delighted with a point away to GUFC. Football is a fickle mistress as Swiss Tony might say.
No offence - but no, it's no consolation!! 2-0 up at home against a side that has won once all season and is struggling badly, and then throw that away and finish 2-2. The pessimist in me said a draw at the start. Hate been right on occasions like that. Still, unbeaten at home, fourth in the table, last 8 of league cup - maybe a bit of realism is no harm

[D24Saint]

Pats are a shadow of the side they were even a year ago. Not much better than the Rovers side we saw on Monday.

We weren't up to much but didn't need to be to beat them. Pats had a decent spell up until our goal and from then on it was us until the last 5 minutes.

Annoyingly for all our possession we never tested their keeper. 3 points though, 9 in 8 days. We'll take that happily.

The support called for change after last season & it has blown up in our face.It wouldn't be so bad if it was a work in progress like 2012 but sadly this team isn't going in the same direction.Its set to be the worst season since 09 not as bad but the worst since !

[outspoken]

We were shocking first half, same as in Sligo sat off and let Galway play, luckily Galway as said above weren't great on the night and didn't make the most of it. We gifted them 2 goals, second one a howler by Skinner and he wasn't great for the first either, even though he had zero protection for his defenders for that first goal.

Second half Kaleem came on for Don and adddd something different, a bit of zip. We plugged away and as soon as we scored Galway began to crack. Only for Conor Powell clearing one off the line at the end we could have lost it but otherwise a fair result in the end.

Big shout out to the people at Galway, the ground is looking fantastic and everything is so professional from match programme to club shop. Longford could take note.

[Nesta99]

I'm sure Dundalk and their new fans couldn't give a rats ass about it, but its clear for all to see that the quality in the league this season is at an all time low.I've seen cork,pats & Derry now and none of the 3 are very good. At all.

Don't even get me started on the troglodytes wearing the green & white hoops this season...
I can only hope whoever put money into bray wanderers has kept the receipt, cos they been robbed.

That should be lots of new fans and long may it continue! Cant disagree with you but if the titles keep rolling in to Oriel Park long may it continue too!!

[redarmyfaction]

Oh absolutely, completely take that point - give me a crap match ending in 2-2 any day over the two-year lockout we suffered. Jesus, back in 2012 and 2013 I'd have given anything for a 2-2 draw with Longford. Or 2011 - the year that shall not be mentioned - for that matter. But we were shocking and I would fear an absolute tonking next week. Still, might soften the cough of some of our fans who are talking about European qualification!

I dunno if Dundalk are all that, we should have beat them, by all accounts. Ye looked the best team I seen in the Showgs this year, I was impressed the last time in Terryland too, if there is depth on your squad, Europe is possible.

[TonyD]

The support called for change after last season & it has blown up in our face.It wouldn't be so bad if it was a work in progress like 2012 but sadly this team isn't going in the same direction.Its set to be the worst season since 09 not as bad but the worst since !

Maybe so, but I do think change was needed. The problem is that we haven't replaced the quality that left in midfield (Forrestor, Bolger, Brennan, even Chambers to a lesser extent.) In their place we've got Cawley, Kelly, Treacy and Dennehy, none of whom look up to much. The only new signing who's impressed has been Timlin, and he's been patchy enough. Baffled that Lee Desmond was left out last night.

[D24Saint]

Id admit I was one that called for changes but I never expected the midfield to be decimated as much as it was the signings of Cawley & Kelly haven't worked out I reckon that Treacy is the only half decent midfielder we have but clearly isn't fit after a third of the season gone. I was surprised to see Desmond dropped I know he was at fault for Brays goal but he was only back.

[patrickccfc]

Pat Jennings would want to coach himself on taking goal kicks, 9 times out of 10 it went straight out of play. Thought we took the lead against the run of play last night as pats has a good period of possession previous to the goal. But after that we were never really troubled.

[oriel]

I dunno if Dundalk are all that, we should have beat them, by all accounts. Ye looked the best team I seen in the Showgs this year, I was impressed the last time in Terryland too, if there is depth on your squad, Europe is possible.

Your post suggests you were not in oriel park for the game, Sligo played well, especially in the second half. I'd have said you probably did deserve a draw, but you only had one real chance to score, so not sure where you are getting that view from on winning.

Dundalk are hot and cold this season, but probably haven't really got into full flow yet. I think we have the same points as this stage last year though. Maybe one less.

Overall on the 2016 season, it appears some of the top 5 teams have weakened a little. Pats were solid enough last year but don't appear to be anything of the sort this year. Rovers are top 4 at best, but neither look to be in a position to challenge both Dundalk and Cork, and that's not good for the league. Derry might still challenge the top 4.

[Ezeikial]

I dunno if Dundalk are all that, we should have beat them, by all accounts.

I don't know what accounts you got, but at a stretch Sligo may have deserved a draw from what was described as a "hard fought" win by most journalist reports

Dundalk have rarely hit the high points or fluid style of last season yet, but have still achieved 25 points from 10 games. That is phenomenal by any standard and if maintained would deliver over 80 points over the full course of the season.

Of course Galway have a chance next week - but the odds will be well stacked against them.

[D24Saint]

There's no doubt that Dundalk have slipped slightly but players like Towell don't come along every season so his departure was always bound to have a big effect.The rest of the teams seem to not only fail to bridge the gap but drop in standard themselves, imo it is as poor a standard I've seen in the league in years , not one player had stood out as anything special. I'm not sure if it's down to finances or the coaching standards but something has to be done with the standard of play.

[Nesta99]

Nothing to do with the oodles of money being bandied about the Premier Division during a decade of national craziness. If there is a tiny positive of being in the first division during the last 15 years it is avoiding some of the players wages that no doubt we would have tried to pay.

[MattB11]

Only the 7 goals for Limerick tonight, anyone else think they are finally being found out?

[thomas72]

Only the 7 goals for Limerick tonight, anyone else think they are finally being found out?


John o flynn hat trick, paul o connor 2, Stephen kenny, Chris mullhall.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Was out there this evening for only the second time. Limerick gave away two soft goals - Hall badly at fault for both I thought - and defence gifted Waterford a lot of chances. But at the other end we created just as many, and just pulled away in the last 20 minutes. Just playing at a different level.

Delighted to see both the sizable collection for Waterford and the mountain of kids/families at the games.

[oriel]

There's no doubt that Dundalk have slipped slightly but players like Towell don't come along every season so his departure was always bound to have a big effect.The rest of the teams seem to not only fail to bridge the gap but drop in standard themselves, imo it is as poor a standard I've seen in the league in years , not one player had stood out as anything special. I'm not sure if it's down to finances or the coaching standards but something has to be done with the standard of play.

While I agree the standard has somewhat dipped a little, I think at times fans of clubs who's stock have slipped that little bit more tend to think the overall standard is worse than it is.

Rovers and Pats are two clubs that are at a crossroads in my opinion. Both are having modest starts but both can still challenge the top 4 if they want. They can both be competitive and have a good cup run for example, series 1 is only finished next week.

The comment (not you d24saint, I mean just in general) 'it's a really poor standard' can sound quite lazy at times. If I was a supporter or involved with a side who are in 4th or even 5th for example, I'd be demanding better performances from my side.

[WoodquayBoy]

if there is depth on your squad, Europe is possible.
There isn't really - a few decent players kicking their heels, but nothing great. We struggled last season as we had maybe 12 players capable of playing in the top flight - that might be up to 14 this season, but that's it. Folan out for a couple of months and that's a blow, waiting on the Swede from the FifPro tournament to get fit and get a run, so no idea if he is as good as we hope.
Still, much improved on last year and considering the base we started from, that is great and certainly not complaining about that!

[Ezeikial]

There's no doubt that Dundalk have slipped slightly.....

No argument about that.

After 10 matches last season Dundalk had 26 points (Goal difference +16) while right now we are languishing on 25 points (Goal Difference +18)

Without the Towell goal machine Dundalk have 22 league goals so far compared with 20 goals in the same period last season.

[disgruntled]

Dundalk have adapted to the loss of Towell.
Any team would would suffer because of the loss of such a talent but are still a fine side.
They still have Horgan who is a fine footballer. He is very important to Dundalk & it is imperative that he stays fit.
Without him Dundalk would suffer greatly as would any other club to such a loss.
The one thing Dundalk lack is a decent center forward.

The only real danger I see at the moment to Dundalk are Cork City who have evolved from last season.
Their first league team this season contained seven players I think who didn't play in the Cup final last season.
They have added strength in depth but still lack the creativity of a player like Horgan.
They are very strong across the back & midfield & have pace & goals up front.
I thought they might take the first round of the League to gel together & that seems to be happening now. Have just watched them three times in the past week & at no time did they ever look in danger of losing.
Some think the only thing holding them back is the safety first tactics from the manager but this remains to be seen.

Rovers & St Pats are going nowhere fast at the moment but in Pats case they have also signed some new faces so it make take time for them to show something. I'm not sure what to make of Rovers.
People should also remember that the Dundalk side have been together for several seasons now.

[Nesta99]

With the exception of McEleney and Benson yes Dundalk have had a very settled squad in general but yet have not hit the ground running and similar to how you describe Cork needing the first round to get up to speed Dundalk have experienced the same. We have been hit with enough injuries to unsettle a starting 11 a bit but that has allowed some squad rotation which will be of benefit in the long run. Minus a ruthless striker in front of goal it is a relief that this Dundalk squad contribute to the goal tally across plenty of positions. If that last piece of the jigsaw is addressed in July assuming a high calibre striker becomes available it would be hard to back against Dundalk being more consistent and continue to open a gap especially when Cork are on the road under Caulfield.

[brendy_éire]

Fairly awful stuff from ourselves on Friday night, with Sligo dominating the game. Sligo could have three goals by the time they got their first. Awful defending for it, we were just asleep.
Things didn't improve in the second half at all. Thought we had no game plan, and looked tired (why, I don't know).
Sligo were thoroughly good value for their win, despite Cretaro up to his usual diving antics.
Will be interesting to see how (if) we respond tonight down in Cork.