Weekend Games 5th May

[Charlie Darwin]

Looked like a clear shot to me so had to be denying a goalscoring opportunity.

[MattB11]

Meh yellow looked fair enough

[pineapple stu]

UCD's opener from Friday.

Whatever our keeper can do, our forward can do better. He'll be waiting for the call from soccerAM no doubt.

QLpXCJMaOCk

[Jofspring]

Just watched the Galway chance there. There was a Derry defender coming in close to the goals. Looks like he would easily have stopped it if it was on target. There was a Derry defender near the keeper, one nearer the middle of the box heading towards goal line and another defender coming in at the back post. Yellow probably the right decision. Deliberate hand ball, not a clear cut goal scoring chance and keeper not last man.

[brendy_éire]

At 17:50, Shiels's interview. Very unhappy with the pitch, amongst other things.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08pgpvk#play

[Guitd]

At 17:50, Shiels's interview. Very unhappy with the pitch, amongst other things.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08pgpvk#play

In fairness I thing Kenny Shields was only diverting from answering the question he was asked about the keepers handball ,the pitch in EDP is always poor this time of year I think there was something like 10 local cup finals playes there in the last week ,and no rain so pitch couldn't be great .

[bluewhitearmy]

In fairness I thing Kenny Shields was only diverting from answering the question he was asked about the keepers handball ,the pitch in EDP is always poor this time of year I think there was something like 10 local cup finals playes there in the last week ,and no rain so pitch couldn't be great .

Well then he quite clearly has a point so and isn't just diverting I'd think. Seen pictures of the pitch and it looks terrible.

[brendy_éire]

the pitch in EDP is always poor this time of year

It was very poor around the goals. That's a lot of games, but it looked in need of a good watering.

Shiels has been musing recently that teams aren't watering their pitches before we visit for the past few weeks. Last night seemed to set him off.

[brendy_éire]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0509/873744-shiels-i-subbed-players-because-of-poor-quality-pitch/

More comments on the pitch.
It did stop us from playing, but we need to be prepared to change our game successfully in order to still win on surfaces like that.

[Guitd]

It was very poor around the goals. That's a lot of games, but it looked in need of a good watering.

Shiels has been musing recently that teams aren't watering their pitches before we visit for the past few weeks. Last night seemed to set him off.

I was at the ground at 5pm and sprinklers were working away they were turned off as teams entered pitch for warm up so don't know whats shields is on about watering

[Charlie Darwin]

I haven't seen Maginn Park but it doesn't look great on TV and heard a few reports before the season that it was substandard.

[gufct]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0509/873744-shiels-i-subbed-players-because-of-poor-quality-pitch/

More comments on the pitch.
It did stop us from playing, but we need to be prepared to change our game successfully in order to still win on surfaces like that.

Pitch has been watered continuously in the current dry spell but the amount of games being played on it is the main reason its so bad now. Will be back to its best when the junior season finishes.

[brendy_éire]

I haven't seen Maginn Park but it doesn't look great on TV and heard a few reports before the season that it was substandard.

I wouldn't say substandard, but certainly could be better. Strange one, because before this year I'd have considered one of the best pitches I'd ever seen. Maybe it's being overused?

[WoodquayBoy]

Well then he quite clearly has a point so and isn't just diverting I'd think. Seen pictures of the pitch and it looks terrible.
"Kenny, should your goalkeeper have been sent-off?"
"Sent off? The pitch was terrible."
He may have a point on the state of the pitch - it was shocking - but he was diverting as he didn't answer the question put to him

[EAFC_rdfl]

Maybe McGinn wasn't great at the start of the season but it looked in great nick for the Harps game on Good Friday. Sprinklers at half time, though only at the end Derry were going to attack into!

[nigel-harps1954]

Maginn Park isn't a great pitch. It's good a good bed of grass, but it's very bobbly and heavily sanded. It looks a lot better than it plays.

The joys of summer football is that pitches are crap for the first half of the season and only start to come good now. They have absolutely no time to grow over the winter and no real rest during the off-season. We only get two or three months of good pitches in the League of Ireland.

[outspoken]

For once Shiels is right. Majority of pitches I've seen this season have been a total disgrace. Cobh's should be deemed unplayable it's that bad and Cabinteely is a broken leg waiting to happen. FAI need to do something but we all know they don't care about the league

[pineapple stu]

What, do you want them to man the lawnmowers themselves?

Blaming the FAI for stupid stuff like bad pitches just takes away from the stuff they should be blamed for.

[outspoken]

They need to look at it in some way. Clubs don't have the money for professional grounds men. Should the FAI provide professionals to them?

[wonder88]

I have to say Shields is correct. Last night on a perfect summer's evening the Terryland facilities looked beautiful and the pitch is in a bad state. We have no rain in the west since the call-off game against Sligo. The amount of gorse fires tell its own story, so it is a surprise that the pitch hasn't been watered more. Of course the number of games on it is also a big factor.

[pineapple stu]

They need to look at it in some way. Clubs don't have the money for professional grounds men. Should the FAI provide professionals to them?
No. That's a daft suggestion.

The FAI can't hold clubs' hands here. Clubs can pay players - they can afford a groundsman on tús or something similar from welfare.

The FAI can make more prize money available, but they can't dictate to clubs exactly how to spend it.

[outspoken]

No. That's a daft suggestion.

The FAI can't hold clubs' hands here. Clubs can pay players - they can afford a groundsman on tús or something similar from welfare.

The FAI can make more prize money available, but they can't dictate to clubs exactly how to spend it.

Well then if that's the case isn't it time the FAI started punishing clubs for poor playing surfaces? It's becoming a bigger issue which each passing season.

[sadloserkid]

It's becoming a bigger issue which each passing season.

I see what you did there. Nice work.