Fixtures 26-29 April

[pineapple stu]

From a Bohs-Rovers row to a Dundalk-Rovers row I'm sure.

But maybe interesting stuff will happen at other games too. Another full set of Monday games in the Premier this week.

Would like to see us start turning decent performances into results; probably need 4 points from this week (away v Pats and home v Sligo) to keep in touch

[marinobohs]

home to Waterford and away to Derry for us Friday / Monday.No idea what team(s) will be picked so little idea how either games will go.

[Nesta99]

Dundalk get too many penalties, masters of the dark arts, refs become 'homers' when they cross Hill Street Bridge, the magic pitch has blurred peno box lines to confuse refs - so its obvious what will happen...Rovers sneak out with an injury time penalty for a handball that hit the player in the face outside (or at) the box!Cue Dundalk fans' complaints about the pitch and having to stand out in the rain with no real curry cheese and chips!

[vinnie]

Dundalk get too many penalties, masters of the dark arts, refs become 'homers' when they cross Hill Street Bridge, the magic pitch has blurred peno box lines to confuse refs - so its obvious what will happen...Rovers sneak out with an injury time penalty for a handball that hit the player in the face outside (or at) the box!Cue Dundalk fans' complaints about the pitch and having to stand out in the rain with no real curry cheese and chips!

Don't forget to give out about the Jax and the supply of Tayto

[MattB11]

We'll probably lose...twice

[Nesta99]

Don't forget to give out about the Jax and the supply of Tayto

Oh Away fans have fancy *cough* new portaloos tonight!

[sbgawa]

16 year old starting at the back for rovers, can't figure out who is the 4th at the back....not feeling good about this.
With my positive hat on we will be top of the league tonight :) and grace and Clarke are having a .......rest

[Ezeikial]

16 year old starting at the back for rovers, can't figure out who is the 4th at the back....not feeling good about this.
With my positive hat on we will be top of the league tonight :) and grace and Clarke are having a .......rest

Probably Aaron Greene at left back.

Ready made excuses for Rovers

[DFCForever]

The line-up graphic on Rovers’ Twitter has Greene at left-back. Why they don’t give Kavanagh a shout I can’t explain...

[RathfarnhamHoop]

The line-up graphic on Rovers’ Twitter has Greene at left-back. Why they don’t give Kavanagh a shout I can’t explain...

I'll assume you're not talking about Brandon but Sean is injured

[DFCForever]

I'll assume you're not talking about Brandon but Sean is injured
I thought Brandon was the left-back but maybe I’m mistaken

[passinginterest]

Interesting game. Rovers started very well, central 3 started to look leggy and with Finn at right back and young Furlong on the left they’re very vulnerable down the channels. Wind seems to be really getting up and it’ll make for a very scrappy second half I’d expect. Would expect Dundalk to push on, if they get a second early they might get 3 or 4. If they don’t score early wouldn’t be surprised to see Rovers get a scrappy equaliser.

[passinginterest]

I thought Brandon was the left-back but maybe I’m mistaken

Brandon is an attacking midfielder. Not a lot on the Rovers bench really. Might switch Greene and Carr to give Furlong more cover.

[pineapple stu]

Do Cork have a decision to make ahead of Europe here?

Losing and scoreless again

[DFCForever]

Well Greene hasn’t been playing left-back so far but Ronan Finn at right-back makes equally little sense

[sbgawa]

Tough to make do without grace Clarke, Bolger , boyle,kavanagh chalk it up and move on.
Happy with things overall .
Need to get some of them back asap.

[pineapple stu]

Disappointingly straightforward win for Pats tonight. First time outside the opening two games we didn't really create anything up front. Can see a couple of heads dropping lately. Big game on Monday at home to Sligo; it really is a must-win. Then Harps away straight after

[nigel-harps1954]

Hard to take that one.

[DFCForever]

Dundalk win 2-1, could have been 5 in fairness
You don’t win titles by playing an attacking midfielder, a 16 year old and a fossil in defence

[patrickccfc]

Hard to take that one. The 3 points on Monday will atone for that Nigel

[sbgawa]

Dundalk win 2-1, could have been 5 in fairness
You don’t win titles by playing an attacking midfielder, a 16 year old and a fossil in defence

Lol , top of the league ��;)

[sbgawa]

Lol injuries , suspensions do happen you know, happy days, top of the league ��;)
........

[redarmyfaction]

Very poor stuff in the Showgs, if we can't put clear blue sky between us and the likes of Cork we are fooked.

[DFCForever]

Lol , top of the league ��;)Might as well say that as much as possible while you still can

[Calcio Jack]

Might as well say that as much as possible while you still can

Interesting to see Dundalk fans rejoicing at beating league leaders who were shorn of 4/5 regulars and forced to play their best midfielder at r/full and give a debut to a 16 yr old transition year school boy. Still I guess you can only beat what’s in front of you, will be interesting next time out if hopefully both of us have our best 11 available

[D24Saint]

Disappointingly straightforward win for Pats tonight. First time outside the opening two games we didn't really create anything up front. Can see a couple of heads dropping lately. Big game on Monday at home to Sligo; it really is a must-win. Then Harps away straight after

UCD started the second half very strong after a bore all first half. The substitutions made the difference for us Jamie Lennon was a different class when he came on and is clearly an emerging talent and Darragh Markey did well off the bench.

[dong]

Interesting to see Dundalk fans rejoicing at beating league leaders who were shorn of 4/5 regulars and forced to play their best midfielder at r/full and give a debut to a 16 yr old transition year school boy. Still I guess you can only beat what’s in front of you, will be interesting next time out if hopefully both of us have our best 11 available
Interesting turn of events. I didn't realise the squad was so thin after the years of investment and underage development.

[joey B]

Interesting turn of events. I didn't realise the squad was so thin after the years of investment and underage development.

Worry about your own squad a shower of shi** in fairness....

[White Horse]

Dundalk were good in patches tonight but need to be more clinical. Rovers were carved open time and time again but poor decision making in from of goal resulted in a nervy final 10 minutes. Rovers started the game very brightly and had some lovely passages of controlled possession.

However, playing so many players out of position ultimately told; Carr in particular had a difficult task tracking an in form Sean Gannon.

Rovers will quite rightly point to so many players being unavilable. It looks like a good title race this year between Dundalk, Rovers, Bohs, and Derry. All four sides play good football as well.

[dong]

Worry about your own squad a shower of shi** in fairness....
Easy there, my enquiry wasn't to you.
I dont doubt how poor we are for a second actually.

[redarmyfaction]

Worry about your own squad a shower of shi** in fairness....
We still have a season to worry about, unlike some....

[joey B]

Excellent nice to be wrote off and depending on Coughlan and Parkes....,

[Asterix]

Thought Furlong did well considering Carr didn't help him out at all. Not an easy game to make your debut in.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Dundalk win 2-1, could have been 5 in fairness
You don’t win titles by playing an attacking midfielder, a 16 year old and a fossil in defence

Wait? What? Really? Someone should have said that playing a 16 year old at left back for their debut and an attacking midfielder at right back wasn't exactly ideal, good thing you were on hand to point that out or nobody would have realised that....
Oh by the way that "fossil" is less than a year older than Gartland.

[Ezeikial]

Thought Furlong did well considering Carr didn't help him out at all. Not an easy game to make your debut in.

Carr was woeful from a defensive perspective and Gannon waltzed past him continually.

I was astounded that Rovers did not switch Carr with Greene at an early stage when it was obvious that Furlong was so badly exposed.

[Ezeikial]

Interesting to see Dundalk fans rejoicing at beating league leaders who were shorn of 4/5 regulars and forced to play their best midfielder at r/full and give a debut to a 16 yr old transition year school boy. Still I guess you can only beat what’s in front of you, will be interesting next time out if hopefully both of us have our best 11 available

Dundalk fans tend to rejoice at every win, even the relatively routine ones. A 3 goal margin would not have flattered.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Dundalk fans tend to rejoice at every win, even the relatively routine ones. A 3 goal margin would not have flattered.

Does that not ring alarm bells? You were playing a team with a 16 year old debutant left back, an attacking midfielder at right back and a centre back with a dislocated shoulder who had pretty much all played 60/70 minutes with 9 players in a derby just 3 days before on your own astro which is a huge advantage yet you only won by a goal. Is that not worrying?

[sullanefc]

Do Cork have a decision to make ahead of Europe here?

Losing and scoreless again
I thought the trigger would have been pulled this week. It will surely be done next week but if we beat harps I fear JC gets a stay of execution and the whole thing limps on for another few games. GROANS.

[Ezeikial]

Does that not ring alarm bells? You were playing a team with a 16 year old debutant left back, an attacking midfielder at right back and a centre back with a dislocated shoulder who had pretty much all played 60/70 minutes with 9 players in a derby just 3 days before on your own astro which is a huge advantage yet you only won by a goal. Is that not worrying?

Which part do you think I should worry about?

That Dundalk fans tend to celebrate every win is great craic.

Winning by a single goal would only become a problem if they introduce bonus points for a bigger winning margin

[oriel]

Interesting to see Dundalk fans rejoicing at beating league leaders who were shorn of 4/5 regulars and forced to play their best midfielder at r/full and give a debut to a 16 yr old transition year school boy. Still I guess you can only beat what’s in front of you, will be interesting next time out if hopefully both of us have our best 11 available

Dundalk fans celebrating their 4th win in a row, and reducing a once 13 points gap to 4, nothing else.

Besides in the previous game in Tallaght, Rovers were at full strenght and failed to beat a Dundalk side at home missing most of their cup final MF.

Nothing won or lost at the end of April, but I will say this Rovers side is better than the standard Cork were at this time last year, so the challenge to retain the title is going to harder. Then again being 4 points behind with a game in a hand, and a deserved win, Dundalk will now be favourites, long way to go mind.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Which part do you think I should worry about?

That Dundalk fans tend to celebrate every win is great craic.

Winning by a single goal would only become a problem if they introduce bonus points for a bigger winning margin

There is, it's called goal difference.

[ToberonaTornado]

Does that not ring alarm bells? You were playing a team with a 16 year old debutant left back, an attacking midfielder at right back and a centre back with a dislocated shoulder who had pretty much all played 60/70 minutes with 9 players in a derby just 3 days before on your own astro which is a huge advantage yet you only won by a goal. Is that not worrying?

Know whats worrying? Your rivals for the title have beat yous in consecutive matches ;) We have players out injured as well.Take your salt(again :) )

How good was Sean Gannon tonight? Hoban smashes a 80+ year old goal scoring record,big crowd in @ Oriel,Shams hardly land a glove on us.Good days for Dundalk to cut back a 10 point deficit to 4 with a game-in-hand.
She's getting interesting this oul LOI title race.

[Yossarian]

In four games against the two sides directly below them rovers have taken one point and scored one goal. I’d imagine that might be a cause for some concern.

[Ezeikial]

To be fair to Calcio Jack and RathfarnhamHoop, it is probably only fair that, considering all the circumstances, to lose by only a single goal it should be declared as a moral victory for Rovers

Well done to all involved

[SkStu]

Lol , top of the league ��;)

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/401/347/312.jpg

;)

[SkStu]

Does that not ring alarm bells? You were playing a team with a 16 year old debutant left back, an attacking midfielder at right back and a centre back with a dislocated shoulder who had pretty much all played 60/70 minutes with 9 players in a derby just 3 days before on your own astro which is a huge advantage yet you only won by a goal. Is that not worrying?

Joking aside, what is worrying (for Rovers fans) about that post is how apparent you have made it that Rovers have such little strength in depth across their back line.

[sbgawa]

I've been saying since the start of t he season we need to be lucky with injuries and suspensions.
Rovers don't have dfc budget and have tried to have a competitive first 11 (which I agree with). Quality rather than quantity.
Hard to argue with the approach given our position.
The next few games are important, need to get another run going as so many teams tucked in behind us

[hoopy]

On a regular pitch with a first eleven I'd be quite confident of beating that Dundalk side who are definitely below their norm of the last few seasons. Interesting times ahead.

[placid casual]

For all the bluster from dundalk fans about creating loads of chances and "it could have been 5" $hite, their centre half got man of the match.
Clearly gartland can't be trusted in these games anymore anyway.
dundalk have good players and showed it last night. Everyone at oriel has been quick to mention the loss of their midfielder's as evidence of their slow start so far, well the loss of Rovers back 4 last night had a similar effect.
3 very winnable games coming up for Rovers.

[Ezeikial]

On a regular pitch with a first eleven I'd be quite confident of beating that Dundalk side who are definitely below their norm of the last few seasons. Interesting times ahead.

Rovers have a fine side and are much improved over last season. Optimism is laudable, but its the hope that kills.

Maybe with a decent striker and more tactically aware manager Rovers could have a better chance