Games w/e 6 Sept

[redobit]

I dont think we will get to the EL groups this year, another year we'd be verging on expecting it with the draw. Inter is no gimme but at the same time the club will be in the ball park of 1mil for being rubbish in Europe. It could further whet the appetite of owners as one win changes a whole lot.
.

Would that not be one of the main concerns tho. When you say 1 million, of course thats an awful lot of money (sure top to bottom to run the Showgrounds is about 1.2m). In LOI terms its big money money, but when you are 'chasing Europa League' success ... thats small change. Especially when you are losing money hand over fist every season.

[Nesta99]

Again its hard to argue against that observation. Hopefully its enough to keep interest in that even a poor campaign nets circa 1mil. That could still increase with an Andoran side up next. The minimum required money each year to satisfy Peak6 has been long discussed by Dundalk fans but is all speculation. I still think Peak6 will roll the dice again with a new influx of players from outside the league and probably a new permanent coaching team also. If things still fall flat after a couple of attempts at cracking Europe, imo then the plug will be pulled.

[CorribsideSteve]

Again its hard to argue against that observation. Hopefully its enough to keep interest in that even a poor campaign nets circa 1mil. That could still increase with an Andoran side up next. The minimum required money each year to satisfy Peak6 has been long discussed by Dundalk fans but is all speculation. I still think Peak6 will roll the dice again with a new influx of players from outside the league and probably a new permanent coaching team also. If things still fall flat after a couple of attempts at cracking Europe, imo then the plug will be pulled.

If ye can find suitable replacements that are clearly better than Gartland and Rogers during the off-season, there might be half a chance of a successful Euro campaign.

[redarmyfaction]

A cynical Finn Harps try to kick themselves off the bottom of the table, faiingl in the attempt picking up 10 yellows including 2 for Horgan and finish with 9 men.

[thebronze14]

Rob Harvey:mad::mad::mad:

[Finlay Harp]

Jesus wept!

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Harps just kicked everything moving but then the 2 reds were harsh enough I thought. Crazy tackle for the penalty.

Really enjoyable game I thought

[The Lilywhites]

Harps play like thugs and then cry over cards being dished out. Horgan sent off again, what's new!

Their tweets tonight were very bitter too. Bad losers.

[redarmyfaction]

It was obvious from about 15 minutes in that Harps wouldn't finish with 11 on the pitch and then Horgan starts to try and referee it himself. Big questions need to asked about him as the suspensions picked up tonight could lead to the clubs deserved relegation.

[sbgawa]

I think some of the refs start off with that attitude towards harps and are quick with the cards compared to some other teams. Give a dog a bad name as such. Guarantee if that had been either dundalk or rovers card count would be different.

[redarmyfaction]

That is because the aforementioned teams would have concentrated on kicking the ball, the things is they didn't let up fouling when the yellows started to mount, instead they doubled down on it.

[pineapple stu]

It was obvious from about 15 minutes in that Harps wouldn't finish with 11 on the pitch and then Horgan starts to try and referee it himself. Big questions need to asked about him as the suspensions picked up tonight could lead to the clubs deserved relegation.
They've been that way for years. Not going to change now. Gas thing is how Harps fans seem to blame the ref each time.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

We have a real gem of a player in Niall Morahan

[thebronze14]

They've been that way for years. Not going to change now. Gas thing is how Harps fans seem to blame the ref each time.
Are you still crying about big bold Harps!!Haha! Derby match tonight, no bad tackles of any note. I'll be the first to admit it if there are. Our discipline has been very good this season in fact. Plenty of niggly fouls tonight which we haven't been doing this season eventually ended in bookings. My main gripes where that Junior ran into Coyle, didn't see how it could be a booking. Clear foul for Sligo's second goal also. The 3rd goal and Sadiki's sending off I think was fair enough. Just have no idea why it took so long. Pity all in all as we played well. Ollie's sending off again inexcusable though. If there was any complaining to do then he should have gotten someone else to do it!

[pineapple stu]

Hmm. Lots of people criticising Harps, but you pick my post out. I wonder why that is?

Harps under Horgan are a nasty little side. Let's just accept it.

[redarmyfaction]

Are you still crying about big bold Harps!!Haha! Derby match tonight, no bad tackles of any note. I'll be the first to admit it if there are. Our discipline has been very good this season in fact. Plenty of niggly fouls tonight which we haven't been doing this season eventually ended in bookings. My main gripes where that Junior ran into Coyle, didn't see how it could be a booking. Clear foul for Sligo's second goal also. The 3rd goal and Sadiki's sending off I think was fair enough. Just have no idea why it took so long. Pity all in all as we played well. Ollie's sending off again inexcusable though. If there was any complaining to do then he should have gotten someone else to do it!

Coyle should have been booked twice before he picked up his first actual booking, one for a free kick outside the box he gave away after 7 or 8 minutes and a second free a late challenge on Junior after about 20.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Are you still crying about big bold Harps!!Haha! Derby match tonight, no bad tackles of any note. I'll be the first to admit it if there are. Our discipline has been very good this season in fact. Plenty of niggly fouls tonight which we haven't been doing this season eventually ended in bookings. My main gripes where that Junior ran into Coyle, didn't see how it could be a booking. Clear foul for Sligo's second goal also. The 3rd goal and Sadiki's sending off I think was fair enough. Just have no idea why it took so long. Pity all in all as we played well. Ollie's sending off again inexcusable though. If there was any complaining to do then he should have gotten someone else to do it!

This is very true. Harps were very good and shot themselves in the foot. Devers at the end of the first half and Junior early in the second half could have had penalties also. Ollie has done a great job but constantly getting himself sent from the line is no use to anyone.

[DCSIL]

Harps play like thugs and then cry over cards being dished out. Horgan sent off again, what's new!

Their tweets tonight were very bitter too. Bad losers.

Stephen...
I need some players...
STEPHEN

[nigel-harps1954]

Bitter pill to swallow having played well and looked like pushing on at 1-1.

Sadiki wasn't sent off for the penalty decision either. He was sent off after arguing with a Sligo player..which I can't understand.

It wasn't a dirty game, there wasn't a bad foul in it. Harvey has history with Harps and he was trigger happy with his cards again tonight.

Quite a number of similar fouls by Sligo players not cautioned by him.

Would fancy Junior to make an Olympic diving squad too.

[Charlie Darwin]

No idea about other games but we beat them on 23 September last year, I'm sure you remember that game, so you pulled your stat out of nowhere.

It's a strange year obviously but Rovers will be the worst champions here in over 20 years. They're so poor for a team with some of the quality players they have.
I've been on this board for ten years and pretty sure every new league winner has been declared the worst ever. I'd be fairly confident Kenny's Dundalk probably were the year they won it first.

[Charlie Darwin]

Harps just kicked everything moving but then the 2 reds were harsh enough I thought. Crazy tackle for the penalty.

Really enjoyable game I thought
The one for the penalty was silly but, to be fair, I think he was close to the ball (he just took the Sligo player down first). I assume he was sent off for mouthing off because the tackle was never a yellow. First red was never a second yellow either.

[redarmyfaction]

The one for the penalty was silly but, to be fair, I think he was close to the ball (he just took the Sligo player down first). I assume he was sent off for mouthing off because the tackle was never a yellow. First red was never a second yellow either.
You are right the first red was not a second yellow it was a fifth. Boyle is a decent enough CB but absolutely filthy. I believe he does be at the garlic football, let him go back there.

[redobit]

Wouldn't mind seeing the stats on Rovers / Harps game, especially the foul stats. Id tend to agree that it wasn't a dirty game but persistent fouling gets you yellow cards too.

[oriel]

I've been on this board for ten years and pretty sure every new league winner has been declared the worst ever. I'd be fairly confident Kenny's Dundalk probably were the year they won it first.

Not sure I would agree with that, but the 1994/95 League win by Dundalk was up there for that argument. We were in 3rd spot on the final day, and won it by a point. I wouldn't say there was much style about that team, dogged would be a better word, we had two good wingers, the best player in Brian Byrne and also Joe Hanrahan on the other wing, but Byrne also played up front ! We ended up with at least 3 different main striker options, one being a GAA player, and changed keeper half way through campaign, and lost 8 games I think from 33, but only one after xmas.

It was of course brilliant to win it, esp listening to last few mins of the Athlone v Derry game played over the PA in oriel park, 1-1 draw, but I would have said 3rd spot would have befitted that season's efforts, but we did get the most points although no players made it on the league team of the year, that was hillarious.

[ontheotherhand]

There are good and bad champions but any club who achieves anything this year is worthy of it. That goes for the eventual champions and every team who manages to stay alive/qualify for Europe etc.

For Rovers, it's tough to take. I felt we were catching Dundalk on the field last year and just needed to add numbers to the squad as our worst spell came after red cards and injuries last season ruined our blistering start. Obviously it culminated in a great cup win against the champions and one of the best teams in league history. I think we were the better team that day and deserved it. We'd been the better team against Dundalk before but they'd always found a way to win. That was a Dundalk side who were chasing a treble with the Manager of the Year and with no outward signs of the madness to come. So it was a good Rovers side that started this season with expectations to really challenge Dundalk for the title. We started brilliantly..... and then all hell broke loose. It's still the same team, but the league has changed so much. Dundalk have imploded beyond belief, Bohs have gotten better while also dropping their two of their best players from last season in Talbot and Mandroiu, Sligo went from trying to have the league shut down to trying to win it and Alan Reynolds went from manager of Waterford to one of 4 coaches at Dundalk to unemployed. And John Sheridan arrived just to add that sense of calm and community we all need in these times.....

Regardless, you have a situation now where every point matters. Shels and Pats played for a draw against us halfway through the season. They are two teams who had designs on Europe and they parked the bus.....Every game is tough. It's a completely different animal and whoever comes out on top will have done well. There will still be an asterisk....but I'll be happy to claim it if we hold on. Plenty more upsets and dropped points on the way though and I wouldn't be shocked if Bohs get there. If we can't figure out a way to break down the bus and teams tend to be more open against Bohs you could easily see them picking up more 3s while we struggle along with 1s. Or Sligo will romp to a double.

[joey B]

Fair play to the FAI's youtube channel for doing a highlights package of the Sligo/Harps game and leaving out the most important incident!

[Martinho II]

Not sure I would agree with that, but the 1994/95 League win by Dundalk was up there for that argument. We were in 3rd spot on the final day, and won it by a point. I wouldn't say there was much style about that team, dogged would be a better word, we had two good wingers, the best player in Brian Byrne and also Joe Hanrahan on the other wing, but Byrne also played up front ! We ended up with at least 3 different main striker options, one being a GAA player, and changed keeper half way through campaign, and lost 8 games I think from 33, but only one after xmas.

It was of course brilliant to win it, esp listening to last few mins of the Athlone v Derry game played over the PA in oriel park, 1-1 draw, but I would have said 3rd spot would have befitted that season's efforts, but we did get the most points although no players made it on the league team of the year, that was hillarious.

Yeah that season was summed when ex Longford town player Stephen Kelly was Dundalks top scorer with 9!

[Nesta99]

I've been on this board for ten years and pretty sure every new league winner has been declared the worst ever. I'd be fairly confident Kenny's Dundalk probably were the year they won it first.

10 years? Scarily more like 18 years CD even when lurking in the shadows with Dundalk in the 1st Division every champion has been the worst ever. From Shels to Derry, Cork to Drogheda, Rovers just in general and Dundalk - most overated side ever!!

[Ezeikial]

There are good and bad champions but any club who achieves anything this year is worthy of it. That goes for the eventual champions and every team who manages to stay alive/qualify for Europe etc.

For Rovers, it's tough to take. I felt we were catching Dundalk on the field last year and just needed to add numbers to the squad as our worst spell came after red cards and injuries last season ruined our blistering start. Obviously it culminated in a great cup win against the champions and one of the best teams in league history. I think we were the better team that day and deserved it. We'd been the better team against Dundalk before but they'd always found a way to win. That was a Dundalk side who were chasing a treble with the Manager of the Year and with no outward signs of the madness to come. So it was a good Rovers side that started this season with expectations to really challenge Dundalk for the title. We started brilliantly..... and then all hell broke loose. It's still the same team, but the league has changed so much. Dundalk have imploded beyond belief, Bohs have gotten better while also dropping their two of their best players from last season in Talbot and Mandroiu, Sligo went from trying to have the league shut down to trying to win it and Alan Reynolds went from manager of Waterford to one of 4 coaches at Dundalk to unemployed. And John Sheridan arrived just to add that sense of calm and community we all need in these times.....

Regardless, you have a situation now where every point matters. Shels and Pats played for a draw against us halfway through the season. They are two teams who had designs on Europe and they parked the bus.....Every game is tough. It's a completely different animal and whoever comes out on top will have done well. There will still be an asterisk....but I'll be happy to claim it if we hold on. Plenty more upsets and dropped points on the way though and I wouldn't be shocked if Bohs get there. If we can't figure out a way to break down the bus and teams tend to be more open against Bohs you could easily see them picking up more 3s while we struggle along with 1s. Or Sligo will romp to a double.

All very fair comment and analysis of the current position. I also agree with Oriel that the 1994/95 Dundalk champions team were somewhat underwhelming in the pantheon of league winning greats!

Although Rovers are obviously strong favourites to finish the league as champions, I'm far from convinced that the quality of the team performances even remotely justifies some of the bombast and braggadocio here.

I think that Rovers have recruited well over the last few seasons and have built on a fairly ordinary squad that Bradley first worked with. Bradley also seems to have matured somewhat as a person and a coach and presumably is the prime mover in changing from ball-in-the-air kick em hard style to something much more effective.

The good fortune in getting the benefit of a witless referee against Bohs - Rovers could easily have inexplicably lost that match - underlines the gaps are not as wide as some perceive. Dundalk's implosion could be temporary, or more long lasting, but either way have eased the pressure significantly on a side who may well jog to the title at the end of the shortened season.


For Dundalk, consolidation in the upper end of the table is clearly the ambition. Qualify for Europa League for 2021, get past Inter and have a crack off Sheriff, hopefully take home another FAI Cup trophy & a solid to radical rebuild of the squad for next season. Despite the alternative universe type of madcap stuff at Oriel Parl in recent times, most of the above is realistic and attainable

[Charlie Darwin]

Not sure I would agree with that, but the 1994/95 League win by Dundalk was up there for that argument. We were in 3rd spot on the final day, and won it by a point. I wouldn't say there was much style about that team, dogged would be a better word, we had two good wingers, the best player in Brian Byrne and also Joe Hanrahan on the other wing, but Byrne also played up front ! We ended up with at least 3 different main striker options, one being a GAA player, and changed keeper half way through campaign, and lost 8 games I think from 33, but only one after xmas.

It was of course brilliant to win it, esp listening to last few mins of the Athlone v Derry game played over the PA in oriel park, 1-1 draw, but I would have said 3rd spot would have befitted that season's efforts, but we did get the most points although no players made it on the league team of the year, that was hillarious.
Ha well I'm sure there is a legitimate 'worst ever' league winner there but it seems to come up quite often. Sligo fans were very fond of declaring everyone who won the title except them to be terrible (until they turned ****e and most of the posters disappeared into a black hole).

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

We were? Ye’re ****e by the way.

[sbgawa]

The worst winners ever is def an every year thing, even when Rovers won the 4 in a row there were people who didn't rate them.
Its fair to say Rovers were fortunate to not give away a penalty against Bohs last week but equally if it wasn't for the ball not breaking for us in the box against two backs to the wall performances from Shels and particularly Pats we could have a record of played 10 won 10.
I actually think the match in Cork this Saturday is a potential banana skin coming in between the Bohs and AC Milan Matches...100% concentration needed and hopefully Dundalk and or Bohs dont pick up max points against Shels and Waterford.

[holidaysong]

Qualify for Europa League for 2021

There's no Europa League spots now for our league. So it's the new Europa Conference League for us (hopefully)...

[redarmyfaction]

Ha well I'm sure there is a legitimate 'worst ever' league winner there but it seems to come up quite often. Sligo fans were very fond of declaring everyone who won the title except them to be terrible (until they turned ****e and most of the posters disappeared into a black hole).
It's a poor league look who's third.

[Nesta99]

Not sure I would agree with that, but the 1994/95 League win by Dundalk was up there for that argument. We were in 3rd spot on the final day, and won it by a point. I wouldn't say there was much style about that team, dogged would be a better word, we had two good wingers, the best player in Brian Byrne and also Joe Hanrahan on the other wing, but Byrne also played up front ! We ended up with at least 3 different main striker options, one being a GAA player, and changed keeper half way through campaign, and lost 8 games I think from 33, but only one after xmas.

It was of course brilliant to win it, esp listening to last few mins of the Athlone v Derry game played over the PA in oriel park, 1-1 draw, but I would have said 3rd spot would have befitted that season's efforts, but we did get the most points although no players made it on the league team of the year, that was hillarious.

I dunno really, that title was a bit unexpected after the disaster of the split league format the year previous that nearly killed us. The club and league refelcted the country being in some sort of doldrums. Hard to fathom a last day of the league with 3 teams able to win it and not long prior half the league in with a shout. Derry being huge favourites as besides being the 'best' teams that season overall, they were away to an already relegated Athlone in St Mels.

To have had barely 2k at the game showed the general apathy from the previous season. What happened was in itself madcap but at least on the pitch. James Coll being presented with the PoTY trophy as the league trophy was in St Mels. It was said a duplicate was in Tolka but I dont believe that the FAI would have bothered with a duplicate trophy!! It was a cobbled together squad, no outstanding team in the league but Dundalk had a bit more resiliance and started to grind out results as the squad settled. The Van Boxtel debate raged and it was a tough watch as Jody Byrne habitually dropped the ball in to his own net when he was No. 1 and you could physically see the confidence drain away and him not wanting near the ball as the crowd bayed for Van Boxtel. That squad wasnt bad at all though, solid if unspectacular with Coll, Coady, Lawlor, Whelan and Doohan if not up front. McNulty, Britton, Long, Byrne and Suds, on the wing. Kelly, Patmore* and Whitnell and Doohan were effective. Whitnell was a sight to behold the way he went through players and generally caused chaos, could shoot and knock out a floodlight one moment or bust the back of the net the next - all while shouting at the top of his particularly high pitched voice that either hurt the ears or could only be heard by every dog across the town.

A candidate for worst league champions ever? possibly. But as far as achieving what they did as journeymen on a shoestring its is also one of the most remarkable league winners. Runners up in the LC and LSC (its a lovely trophy). When it is considered how bad the finances were after the split season, and where things went after including European game in United Park. Ive a great fondness for that side and how they battled to the title. The scenes at the end (It was my wee radio that got handed up to the gantry to broadcast the remainder of the game in St Mels!!), the peno miss and the ball off the line we were telling the Dundalk players mainly to Joe Soap (one of a few variations on his nickname) who was then at the Dundalk players to lift it against a belligerent Galways side. I never thought Id be lucky enough to experience that sort of high drama with my own club again until the famous night in Station Road after even lower times than of 93/94; then the BATE match + a few.
So all this worst champions ever malarky is all so subjective. The only real guage is what happens in Europe but that even depends on factors like luck with the draw. If a team goes on to retain the title also but by the nature of LoI then, the league champions could be entirely different the following season.

*I actually dont remember Patmore playing tbh. His goals in the friendly but 94/95 season i dont recall too much of him. People thinking that Kelly wasnt good enough, not that liked, but was top scorer is another eccentricity to that season from my recollection.

[Nesta99]

There's no Europa League spots now for our league. So it's the new Europa Conference League for us (hopefully)...

Had forgotten this. Even more a reason to win the league this year with 3 different chances to progress through one of the comps. Rovers win one tie from CL/EL and they are within touching distance of a group stage. Has there been any indication of finances yet?

[pineapple stu]

I'd imagine even if there was (and I don't know), it would have to be up in the air with covid affecting everything.

[redarmyfaction]

I dunno really, that title was a bit unexpected after the disaster of the split league format the year previous that nearly killed us. The club and league refelcted the country being in some sort of doldrums. Hard to fathom a last day of the league with 3 teams able to win it and not long prior half the league in with a shout. Derry being huge favourites as besides being the 'best' teams that season overall they were away to an already relegated Athlone in St Mels.

To have had barely 2k at the game showed the general apathy from the previous season. What happened was in itself madcap but at least on the pitch. James Coll being presented with the PoTY trophy as the league trophy was in St Mels. It was said a duplicate was in Tolka but I dont believe that the FAI would have bothered with a duplicate trophy!! It was a cobbled together squad, no outstanding team in the league but Dundalk had a bit more resiliance and started to grind out results as the squad settled. The Van Boxtel debate raged and it was a tough watch as Jody Byrne habitually dropped the ball in to his own net when he was No. 1 and you could physically see the confidence drain away and him not wanting near the ball as the crowd bayed for Van Boxtel. That squad wasnt bad at all though, solid if unspectacular with Coll, Coady, Lawlor, Whelan and Doohan if not up front. McNulty, Britton, Long, Byrne and Suds, on the wing. Kelly, Patmore* and Whitnell and Doohan were effective. Whitnell was a sight to behold the way he went through players and generally caused chaos, could shoot and knock out a floodlight one moment or bust the back of the net the next - all while shouting at the top of his particularly high pitched voice that either hurt the ears or or could only be heard by every dog across the town.

A candidate for worst league champions ever? possibly. But as far as achieving what they did as journeymen on a shoestring its is also one of the most remarkable league winners. Runners up in the LC and LSC (its a lovely trophy). When it is considered how bad the finances were after the split season, and where things went after including European game in United Park. Ive a great fondness for that side and how they battled to the title. The scenes at the end (It was my wee radio that got handed up to the gantry to broadcast the remainder of the game in St Mels!!), the peno miss and the ball off the line we were telling the Dundalk players mainly to Joe Soap (one of a few variations on his nickname) who was then at the Dundalk players to lift it against a belligerent Galways side. I never thought Id be lucky enough to experience that sort of high drama with my own club again until the famous night in Station Road after even lower times than of 93/94; then the BATE match + a few.
So all this worst champions ever malarky is all so subjective. The only real guage is what happens in Europe but that even depends on factors like luck with the draw. If a team goes on to retain the title also but by the nature of LoI then, the league champions could be entirely different the following season.

*I actually dont remember Patmore playing tbh. His goals in the friendly but 94/95 season i dont recall too much of him. People thinking that Kelly wasnt good enough, not that liked, but was top scorer is another eccentricity to that season from my recollection.

Thanks, excellent account.

[Nesta99]

I'd imagine even if there was (and I don't know), it would have to be up in the air with covid affecting everything.

Had crossed my mind that this conference might be delayed. Certainly planned finances will be cut back. Be grand if it was postponed by a season and let Dundalk climb back to the top of the heap ;)

[pineapple stu]

It could well be delayed alright - though be careful what you wish for. At the moment, the LoI is on course to start in the EL preliminary round in 2021/22. So the new Europa Conference would at least avoid that embarrassment for us :)