Matches 14th/15th Feb

[sbgawa]

Friday

19:45 Cork v Shelbourne
19:45 Dundalk v Derry
19:45 Pats v Waterford
20:00 Finn Harps v Sligo

Saturday

14:00 Bohs v Rovers

[sbgawa]

Interested to see how good Cork are with a lot of new signings and Fenn in charge.
Pats might be lucky to get Waterford early as they are still coming together
Harps i am expecting to be better this year and tonight would be a good place to put a marker down, Sligo will be in and around them.

Bohs Rovers if it go's ahead weather permitting will be a hell of a start.

[nigel-harps1954]

Lack of any proven goalscorer for Harps might prove a nightmare, but we've improved all over the rest of the pitch. Quietly confident of a good mid-table season.

[El-Pietro]

We have a completely new team.
Expect the starting lineup to be similar to this

GK: Liam Bossin (new signing)
RB: Kyron Stabana (new signing - on loan from Wimbledon)
CB: Joseph Olowu (new signing - on loan from Arsenal)
CB: Joe Redmond (new signing - on loan from Birmingam)
LB: Ronan Hurley
CM: Alec Byrne
CM: Gearoid Morrissey
CM: Cian Coleman (new signing)
AM: Daire O'Connor
AM: Dylan McGlayde (new signing)
CF: Reyon Dillon (new signing)

Likely subs include
GK: Mark McNulty
RB: Charlie Fleming (new signing)
CB/LB: Rob Slevin (new signing)
CM Henry Ochieng (new signing)
AM: Dehsane Dalling (new siging - on loan from QPR)
AM: Cory Galvin (new signing)
CF: Beinoen O'Brien-Whitmarsh

Impossible to know how good we are. Theres a minute possibility we've built a championship calibre team, but more likely we've put together a team of players who will try to play ball but get bullied in the LOI. We will have to wait and see. A loss tonight would be worrying with Rovers and Dundalk to come next.

[sbgawa]

Shels didn't exactly run away with the first division last year and haven't added a lot.
I think they may be in for a rude awakening as to the gap between the first and the top division.

Cork a bit like Waterford could probably do with a few matches,
If you win tonight it will be a good sign.

[D24Saint]

We looked sharp enough against Drogheda last week particularly in the second half. I reckon we can win this one tonight I’ll go for Saints 2-0.

[Yossarian]

We have a completely new team.
Expect the starting lineup to be similar to this

GK: Liam Bossin (new signing)
RB: Kyron Stabana (new signing - on loan from Wimbledon)
CB: Joseph Olowu (new signing - on loan from Arsenal)
CB: Joe Redmond (new signing - on loan from Birmingam)
LB: Ronan Hurley
CM: Alec Byrne
CM: Gearoid Morrissey
CM: Cian Coleman (new signing)
AM: Daire O'Connor
AM: Dylan McGlayde (new signing)
CF: Reyon Dillon (new signing)

Likely subs include
GK: Mark McNulty
RB: Charlie Fleming (new signing)
CB/LB: Rob Slevin (new signing)
CM Henry Ochieng (new signing)
AM: Dehsane Dalling (new siging - on loan from QPR)
AM: Cory Galvin (new signing)
CF: Beinoen O'Brien-Whitmarsh

Impossible to know how good we are. Theres a minute possibility we've built a championship calibre team, but more likely we've put together a team of players who will try to play ball but get bullied in the LOI. We will have to wait and see. A loss tonight would be worrying with Rovers and Dundalk to come next.

Mad that there’s only one player in that starting 11 and one more on the bench from the double winning team only three years ago.

[total hoofball]

Shels didn't exactly run away with the first division last year and haven't added a lot.
I think they may be in for a rude awakening as to the gap between the first and the top division.

Agree with this. I'm a bit underwhelmed with our recruitment, squad is unbalanced and we have weakened at the backline which is the biggest worry

[elatedscum]

does anyone know what the tv packages are for 2020? have seen RTE are covering games but couldn't see anything from Eir on their website...

[Jack B]

Waterford are irritatingly unpredictable here. We've a solid team on paper and are the far more settled side though, hopefully that along with us playing at home will mean we can get it done well enough. This time last year we were probably the most hyped side in the league and then carried that on after what seemed to be impressively scraping past Cork, only for it to turn out that we were both just ****e. Hopefully no false dawns later...

[Martinho II]

does anyone know what the tv packages are for 2020? have seen RTE are covering games but couldn't see anything from Eir on their website...

Saw online that Eir are showing 15 loi games this season!

[Martinho II]

Mad that there’s only one player in that starting 11 and one more on the bench from the double winning team only three years ago.

Alan Bennett is also part of the squad too as hes player coach!

[pineapple stu]

So is the first goal of the new season going to come in the First Division or what's the craic?

[Jack B]

Brian Murphy is Lev Yashin reincarnated and Robbie Benson was planted by Dundalk to stop us from challenging for the league.

[patrickccfc]

All the build up to the game tonight on Twitter was about Cummins late winner in 2011, only for shels to score a late, but not as late winner. Missed tonight's game but obviously disappointing to lose the opener and with the next 2 games against the top 2 we could he looking at 0 points from the first 3 games. Never seen such a squad overhaul so of course it will take time to gel and to figure out who the best 11 is so a lot of patience is required.

[D24Saint]

Damm that pesky Reynolds , they totally out fought us tonight if not outplayed. They were very hard to break down and very physical (dirty old money) side. On the other hand we lacked a creative presence in midfield and lacked a cutting edge when we got chances. To top things off Robbie Benson had a nightmare on his debut.

[Weatherman]

Benson non existant apart from his back pass for the goal. Michael O'Connor lead the line well but Reynolds has found a great pair of centre halfs in Odimayo and Burley. Solid all nite. Pats knocked the door down 2nd half to be fair with a few half chances, only for Brian Murphy's wondersave from Forrester's shot which was going top corner, it would have been a point each. Reynolds defo the happier of the 2 managers.

[D24Saint]

Reynolds has found a great pair of centre halfs in Odimayo and Burley.

Id agree with that , impressive performance.

[Burnsie]

Took in Pats v Waterford as a neutral

Was impressed by Waterford's shape and organisation. Very compact (as well as feisty - to say the least - in the tackle), which meant Pats had no space to play in at all (Benson really was anonymous until his set up the winner for the other team)

Rennie up front for Pats didn't look convincing at all - the two boys at centre back dealt with him very comfortably.

was keen to watch Tyreke Wilson and he looked a very nice player - he's not going to win many physical tussles but he is quick and tenacious and bombed on well

only positive for Pats was Billy King on the wing who looked lively (but i wouldn't put it any stronger than that) in the second half

[joey B]

Nice to start with a win,not much happened,Liam Buckley blamed the pitch! Welcome to Ballybofey Liam!!!

[D24Saint]

Rennie up front for Pats didn't look convincing at all - the two boys at centre back dealt with him very comfortably.

He is a hard worker in fairness to him , but imo has target man written all over him. If you are down a goal like tonight it should be more direct up to him, he is no Fox in the box type like Christy Fagan.

[Olander]

Nice to start with a win,not much happened,Liam Buckley blamed the pitch! Welcome to Ballybofey Liam!!!
The pitch at Finn Park is dire and Harps use it to their advantage, no shame in saying that. Great win for Harps. They scored two scrappy goals against Drogheda to stay up when the pitch was in absolute shambles too, you can't play on it. It's a leveller for Harps.

It's a great start for them but on the other hand Sligo's team looks very sparse, they look like they could do with 2-3 more signings, Mahon is a huge loss and they need to bring in better quality than Jesse Devers.

[D24Saint]

Nice to start with a win,not much happened,Liam Buckley blamed the pitch! Welcome to Ballybofey Liam!!!

Store bought excuse for a defeat in Ballybofey.

[2 Year Contract]

Brian Murphy what a signing for Waterford! Won that game for them tonight

[sbgawa]

Nice to start with a win,not much happened,Liam Buckley blamed the pitch! Welcome to Ballybofey Liam!!!
Should be ashamed to use that excuse. It's basically saying we can beat u if the pitch us good but we don't have the heart or commitment if it isn't...

[ToberonaTornado]

A fairly quiet 1st half in Oriel followed by a terrific 2nd one with loads of action.
Derry dug in after some early attacking play from them and let Dundalk play ball hoping to hit them on the break.They were a bit unlucky not to hit pay dirt a few times using this tactic.
Dundalk kicked on however 2nd half with some Derry players not on same fitness level as Dundalk and the goal for us was coming.
Great ball from a corner from the impressive Flores and Massey smacked it home.Derry kept going though and it was no cruise home for us last 10mins.
Some nice players on the pitch tonight from both sides(Flores,Smith,Nilson,McDonagh)
We deserved the win.Derry are a good side and will surprise a few when they get going and proper fit.

PS - CREDIT to both gk's for some really outstanding saves.

[nigel-harps1954]

Love that Buckley blamed the pitch. Typical excuse.

Pitch was bumpy, but in the best condition at the start of a season as it has been in 10 years or more.

[thebronze14]

Great start for Harps. Didn't play particularly well but still good enough value for victory. Really like the look of our backline. Sadiki from hibs looks immense, mcelaney composed too. Connolly and Webster worked hard and O'Sullivan had a touch of class. Still very much a work in progress but good early signs especially considering it took 16 matches to win a game last season! Sligo were abysmal. Heard a couple of their players getting into an argument with some of their young supporters after the game..... But early in the season for that sort of stuff

[D24Saint]

Horrible day for a game is the Bohs V Rovers game in any danger with the storm.

[TonyD]

Brian Murphy what a signing for Waterford! Won that game for them tonight

Superb save from Forrestor alright, without which we'd have got a point. We weren't good though. Agree about Rennie, seemed to spend more time falling over than anything else. Overall I thought Waterford just out muscled us. Poor start.

[White Horse]

Is the Rovers/Bohs game going ahead? Just looking at a social media video from Dalymount and the conditions look a lot more unsafe than it was for the President's Cup that was cancelled last weekend.

Fences and dug outs blown away.

https://twitter.com/JamieMooreSport/status/1228642864546144256

[nigel-harps1954]

Classic Liam Buckley to blame everything but his tactics and team last night.

It was a very poor game, but thought Sligo were absolutely awful.

The pitch in Finn Park has been in much worse condition than it was last night. For a season opener, I thought it was very good, despite being very bumpy.

[Breifne]

Was in Finn Park last night and the best team won. Could pick most of the Sligo team on the way up because they really only had 12/13 fit senior players. Squad is threadbare and the quality of the their signings just isn’t good enough.

Ed McGinty didn’t have much to do, had a reasonably solid performance but seemed to be caught out for the goal.

Serious question marks over Kyle McFadden, has struggled in patches over the last two seasons, no reason to suspect thats gonna change. On his day he’s a solid performer, just needs to be on his day more frequently.

Will Seymore never really got going, seemed okay and dealt with what he had to with the exception of a Stevie G style slip the only time someone ran directly at him. Looks a decent athlete though.

Danny Kane looks like the pick of the bunch at the back, solid, didn’t really make a mistake despite taking a big hit from Coyle (Who seemed lucky to only see yellow!)

Teemu P just looks out of place, doesn’t seem to possess the awareness of a player who’s played the game before never mind won a National league title and played in Europe. Will struggle and can’t see him making an impact in the league at all. Shouldn’t be selected when Banks and Donelan are fit. Needs to be taught how to take a throw in.

Darragh Noone had a bit of a nightmare, taken off set pieces after a horrendous start, just seemed bereft of confidence after ten minutes, juries still out on whether a player who wasn’t a standout in the first division can improve a premier division side. Might ask Teemu if there’s a group rate on that throw in course!

Niall Morahan one of Rovers best performers on an admittedly poor night. No surprise that the three times he’s been started and played the majority of games at 6 he’s been Sligo’s best performer. Played out of position last season at RB. Should be a permanent fixture at 6. Sent McNamee flying with a (fair) challenge just after his intro, although McNamee did return the favour skinning him a few moments later.

David Cawley hasn’t managed to regain his form of the early and mid 2018 season. Dead balls improved massively when he got in them. Still well able just needs to regain confidence / fitness. Rovers most important player, when he performs the whole team (and home crowd) react so positively.

Garry Buckley started brightly but then faded as the ball just seemed to be going over his head in both directions. Strange decision to withdraw him with 20 minutes to go. Wasn’t nearly the poorest out there.

Ronan Murray improved performance from last seasons horror show but still a step or two more on the ladder to take in what could be a career defining season for Murray. Seemed a little panicked at the late goal chance and snatched it a little. An earlier strike and score might have given a confidence boost and a draw.

Ronan Coughlan is still the most likely candidate to do something special in the final third. The problem is that he can’t both set up and score those opportunities. Looked lively without ever really threatening the Harps goal. Will grab a few goals this season but needs more support up top. Wasn’t able to compete against that Serbian giant who’s gonna earn clean sheets for Harps all season.

Subs:
Jesse Devers looked lively when he came on but a lazy ankle kick when beaten to the ball by a Harps defender doesn’t show a fantastic attitude. He’s had a few LOI opportunities now and not set the world alight at lower levels. Not convinced he’s gonna make an impact at this level over a season. Questionable signing but beggars can’t be choosers.

Overall:
It’s hard to argue with the result, the pitch was horrendous, I’ve never seen the ball bounce up as much in my life but that’s not really an excuse. Actually felt it affected Harps more than Rovers, with the ball bobbling over Harps feet for throw-ins so often in the first half.

Sligo’s small squad and the mounting injuries is going to be a problem for them as the games come thick and fast. They need reinforcements upfront and on both wings. The fact that new recruits Noone, Teemu and Devers featured there and possibly need replacing already is probably the biggest sign that player recruitment has been sub par.

Verdict: It’s going to be a long season either way but Sligo need 3-4 solid recruits this week or it’s a potentially losing relegation battle ahead for the Bit O’Red.

[Nesta99]

Is the Rovers/Bohs game going ahead? Just looking at a social media video from Dalymount and the conditions look a lot more unsafe than it was for the President's Cup that was cancelled last weekend.

Fences and dug outs blown away.

https://twitter.com/JamieMooreSport/status/1228642864546144256

While Heath and Safety is the primary concern it will be poxy if the fixture was cancelled as I'd imagine is highly likely even at this late stage. I was really looking forward to the game. Is it televised or streamed anywhere if it goes ahead?

[Kingswood Rover]

Could not get a ticket settling down to enjoy the game in the bath tub and coverage is cancelled "Greatest League in the World" should of always been played last night absolute muppetry all round. Other than that though life is grand.

[Nesta99]

What covereage was it that was cancelled out of interest? Might be an indication of whether the game will go ahead. Other than that its been a shi1te few weeks!

[total hoofball]

Surely if it's unsafe for TV production it's then unsafe for players & fans?

[Asterix]

What covereage was it that was cancelled out of interest?

RTE just canccelled TV coverage for safety reasons, commentary still available on rte radio.

[Nesta99]

Obviously dont want people in the gantry. May not be such an issue at 'ground' level.

[D24Saint]

If it’s not safe for TV staff the conditions can’t be safe in general it should be called off, I wonder are cops pushing this ahead to get rid of it.

[The Lilywhites]

If it’s not safe for TV staff the conditions can’t be safe in general it should be called off, I wonder are cops pushing this ahead to get rid of it.

Are afternoon kick offs going to be the norm for this fixture from now on because of the guards?

[White Horse]

To top things off Robbie Benson had a nightmare on his debut.

Just saw the Waterford goal. Robbie Benson is not the player I'd want coming deep and facing his own goal. He made sloppy mistakes like that quite a few times for Dundalk. He is great going forward but not sitting deep.

[D24Saint]

Are afternoon kick offs going to be the norm for this fixture from now on because of the guards?

Rumour going around that the local superintendent is a GAA head and is making life tough for Bohs, wonder is there any truth in it.

[CorribsideSteve]

It's a disaster that it wasn't played last night. Not only was the opening day devoid of a live game, but now it's not being shown at all, on an awful day for weather.

[Martinho II]

I imagine with the Bohs Rovers game that the goals wont be on Soccer Republic which is a balls to say the least. Listening to it on radio one John Kenny and Paul Corry are on duty there.

[Martinho II]

He is a hard worker in fairness to him , but imo has target man written all over him. If you are down a goal like tonight it should be more direct up to him, he is no Fox in the box type like Christy Fagan.

Whats Christy Fagan now at?Is he involved in coaching or what? Pity way his career ended.

[The Donie Forde]

Bohs down to ten, andy Lyons red card.

[2 Year Contract]

Whats Christy Fagan now at?Is he involved in coaching or what? Pity way his career ended.

He was on the PFAI training camp but didn't play in either of their games, not sure why, maybe it was injury related again?

He's currently doing a college course to become a physio. Absolute gent of a man and I'm not exaggerating when I say he's the greatest footballer to ever play the game

[trevy]

Last minute goal from Shamrock Rovers from Aaron Greene. 1 0 Rovers.

[Calcio Jack]

94th min winner for Rovers ...... normal service continues