Games Weekend Friday 26th March

[joey B]

Great result for us in Oriel Park, Foley has been an excellent find, shocked he's never played LOI for a Dublin club being from there,Ollie will hate all the attention now!

This Waterford /Sligo is an enjoyable game aswell...

[sbgawa]

Finn Harps deserved to beat both Bohs and Dundalk.
Ollie will still be looking to avoid relegation in public but Harps look like the team that finished last season with league winning form.
reminds me of the Leicester finish to 2015 before winning the league in 2016.............could it happen.

[Longfordian]

Dundalk will snap Ollie up halfway through the season.

[Martinho II]

Dundalk will snap Ollie up halfway through the season.

Read an interesting interview with that player from Harps that OH picked up from Dublin Airport think hes from Eastern Europe in todays Sun. I think ollie is destined for bigger things!

[Longfordian]

What a goal that is from Gibson. Brilliant.

[joey B]

2 cracking goals from Sligo!

[2 Year Contract]

Great finish by Jordan Gibson. John Kenny(?) on commentary just said that he’s on loan from Stevenage. He spent a few month on loan there from Bradford City 2 years ago, has since returned and played for Bradford and then moved onto Pats on a permanent move. I’d love to know where the commentators pull these wild inaccuracies from. Also Waterford, Sligo Rovers, Waterford United, Sligo City and Waterford City all seem to be playing in this match

[pineapple stu]

He was on loan at Stevenage in 2019.

[2 Year Contract]

He was on loan at Stevenage in 2019.

Yep just spotted that, still ridiculously lazy research to be coming out with live on tv

[boynemunich]

Great finish by Jordan Gibson. John Kenny(?) on commentary just said that he’s on loan from Stevenage. He spent a few month on loan there from Bradford City 2 years ago, has since returned and played for Bradford and then moved onto Pats on a permanent move. I’d love to know where the commentators pull these wild inaccuracies from. Also Waterford, Sligo Rovers, Waterford United, Sligo City and Waterford City all seem to be playing in this match

Last week the commentators were definitely mistaking Oscar Brennan for one of the Brennan brothers, kept saying he was a Drogheda native. If your not 100% sure of something don't say it on live TV.

Fabio was co-comms also and stayed silent every time it was mentioned as he knew it wasn't the case.

[2 Year Contract]

Last week the commentators were definitely mistaking Oscar Brennan for one of the Brennan brothers, kept saying he was a Drogheda native. If your not 100% sure of something don't say it on live TV.

Fabio was co-comms also and stayed silent every time it was mentioned as he knew it wasn't the case.

Ha! I actually noticed that but didn’t make the link to the Brennan brothers. I could’ve sworn Oscar was a Dublin lad but took him on his word at the time

[pineapple stu]

Yep just spotted that, still ridiculously lazy research to be coming out with live on tv
Yeah, that's fair - it took me five seconds of googling to find it - though at least he wasn't making stuff up completely. Maybe someone said it to him before the match and he misheard.

[sbgawa]

Finn Harps winner was ultra close call , tried to pause a few times and still not sure

[pineapple stu]

Stupid 93rd minute goal, just like the last game we played.

Happy enough up till then. Athlone have improved and will cause problems for teams this season. We look to be more resolute defensively than last season (despite conceding two) and that's important.

Onwards to next week in Cobh. Good to be back!

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Two great goals for us but thought we were lucky enough to win. Played a lot better last week.

[dlhoop]

Concerted effort by Galway and Shels to get Connor McCormack into the Guinness Book of Records for the most touches by a player during a game. Shels looked comfortable enough defending with 10 men.

[Johnnie C]

Fine game at the RSC with cracking goals. Sligo have a good squad assembled, should have a good season. Waterford were better than I expected.

[wonder88]

Some good stuff in the tv game tonight, and a good presentation by RTE sport. The RSC also looks well, hope fans will be back into Irish sports grounds soon. Early days, but interesting to see Northwest clubs setting the pace, now for Derry to step up.
That is a fine programme by UCD.

[MU1889]

Great result for us in Oriel Park, Foley has been an excellent find, shocked he's never played LOI for a Dublin club being from there,Ollie will hate all the attention now!

This Waterford /Sligo is an enjoyable game aswell...



Fair play to him - he had his moments in a Glenavon shirt, but ultimately I didn't feel he was consistent enough for NIFL Premiership football, at least for a team competing in the top half at the time. That made me a bit apprehensive when I heard he got a move into the LOI Premier Division, but by all accounts he's done very well since moving to Harps.

[nigel-harps1954]

I guess I'll need to get the passport renewed for the European football next season.

[ontheotherhand]

I guess I'll need to get the passport renewed for the European football next season.

And the trip to the Aviva.

[vinnie]

I guess I'll need to get the passport renewed for the European football next season.

Not renewing at present, ye'll have to wait like the rest of us ;)

[joey B]

1 league win in the last 7 for Dundalk at Oriel Park, found that pretty mad...

[ToberonaTornado]

Lucky Fillipo isn’t manager of Dundalk or he could be looking at the sack soon.

Dundalk won't sack Fillipio,he's the prize wee pet for Bill and the Peak6 lads.
Fairly even game that i thought we should have won but Harps took their chances,we didn't and here we are!
Too many c(r)ooks and all that jazz!

Interesting scenario coming up for Dundalk next week v Shams. i can feel the pressure already.

[sheao]

On the balance of play, a draw would have been a fair result for me in the Cork City and Cobh Ramblers game.

City a side who should improve as the season progresses. George Heaven looks a decent addition and a solid presence at the back


Cobh look improved for this season and should be in the mix for playoffs if last night is anything to go off. Griffin was impressive up front for Ramblers and took his goal well, looks decent addition from Munster Senior League.

[sadloserkid]

Cobh have a nice sprinkling of experience in there too with Dave O'Leary, Darren Murphy and Ian Turner. Could be beneficial.

[Nesta99]

Great result and performance for Harps, commiserations to Ollie

That made me lol and with a mouthful of tea nearly choked! Never mind Sligo as some sort of dark horses, its Harps we should have tipped. Ollie has always gotten the best out of whatever squad he has had, but seemed to lack that slice of luck, and there was some last night albeit deserved as ye make yer own luck too. Next week is now a pressure game for Dundalk regardless of how early in the season it is. Hopefully its a kick in the aras for the players and they will have the bit between the teeth.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Harps just bringing in their form from the end of last season

[sheao]

Think both City and Cobh will improve as season progresses

Ramblers played with good intensity didn’t drop off at all. Better balance between experience and youth there this season

[placid casual]

Next week is now a pressure game for Dundalk regardless of how early in the season it is. Hopefully its a kick in the aras for the players and they will have the bit between the teeth.

Serious question, in your opinion, if Rovers beat Dundalk next week, do you think that either giovagnoli/keegan/both , will be fired?

[Nesta99]

No! I think there will be a stubborn resistance to doing anything that could infer any error/s were made last summer. There are already rumours that change could happen this summer - why I dont know, but on the balance of things it is likely to do with how long it will take to get people on courses (2022 for pro license unless other associations have space and the courses are always oversubscribed). Maybe its too much of a gamble for Filipo too, I'd not be surprised if he is on a 12 month sabbatical from his US job and has to make up his mind by July. Whatever happens I think it will be spun in a way that isnt a sacking. It will be too late to save the season by then, or if we are in the mix and Filipo takes the safe option of job security in New York it will be because of ('backward and restrictive regulations' on) coaching qualifications in LoI.

[D24Saint]

Listening to siobhan madigan is about as enjoyable as nails on a chalkboard. It’s an awful match so far to boot.

[2 Year Contract]

Big late drama in both games! Pats getting a late winner which is something they haven’t done in a long time. Bohs bottling a 2 goal lead at home to longford with 14 minutes to go also. What a league!

[sbgawa]

What a start to the league for Longford and Harps...
Bohs Pats next week already looking like a big match

[Jack B]

Bit worrying that we've already a small squad as is and have started picking up injuries right away, but on the whole I'm quite encouraged by these opening two games. For one we actually created a good few chances in a game here and then showed the necessary character to score one of them. Happy days.

Looking forward to competing to finish second to an unstoppable Harps side.

[Longfordian]

That's a great result for us. A fighting performance, Bohs could have been out of sight but we worked our way back into it. Great for Conor Davis to get a couple. We'll need all of our strikers contributing.

[Dalymountrower]

Well done Longford deserved the point.
Bohs were awful in the last twenty minutes.Sleepwalking. great spirit from Longford.

[joey B]

Great weekend in the league, shocks, comebacks and a few good goals, unpredictable seems be the right word for it so far......

[Martinho II]

Wot a signing Conor Davis has turned out for us. How come it didnt work out for him at cork city lads? Superb start for us. I never imagined that we would get 4/6 pts when I was expecting to lose the first two games considering we werent great in preseason.

[El-Pietro]

Wot a signing Conor Davis has turned out for us. How come it didnt work out for him at cork city lads? Superb start for us. I never imagined that we would get 4/6 pts when I was expecting to lose the first two games considering we werent great in preseason.
He was injured the entire season. We're not sure hes a real person because no one in Cork ever saw him.

[Longfordian]

I haven't seen him in person as yet but I believe the Bohs defence can confirm his existence. :cool:

[da bishop]

Its early days ,some terrific results , poor start for Dundalk under their new manager ..oh hold on their new manager is Shane Keegan so that explains that.

[sbgawa]

Big 3 points for Pats against Drogs, strange to see Bohs blow a 2 goal lead, last season they dug out a lot of late winners.
Crazy start to the league

Great to see Gavin Bazunu starting for Ireland tonight.
Rovers get a fee from City for him being capped..nice one

[Nesta99]

My league prediction should proably be updated to

1. Finn Harps
2. Longford Town

Pats definitely look a lot fitter this season and the late goal would back that up too. Longford have fight in them which is always worth points as we've seen with Harps in previous seasons too. Preseason game v Bohs was considered a good result but maybe Bohs have gone backwards too.

Since the most recent change in S+C at Dundalk (I think 2018) our fitness levels have gone backwards I think as much as other have improved. It was obvious that Graham Byrne's contribution back 2013 was more pronounced with other teams playing catch up but Im not sure he was effectively replaced. There has been at least 2 appointments to that position since Byrne so maybe there is a continuity issue. Small margins add up - turnover of S+C staff, goalkeeper coach change, tricking around with current management setup never mind Perth being let go. How much coaching, particularly during a game, do quality players really need? Their own ability as footballer should have them treading water if they were left to it. Formations and systems are being changed but not delivered a dozen or so games and its not a lack of ability with the players! Over coaching??

Its arguably brave to change players at HT, acting quickly if thigs are not working, but 2 changes so early seems more like a fook up before a ball was kicked. Bringing Perez on when he has had little impact on game previously and is untested in LoI? It all just messy and worrying.

[Nesta99]

Big 3 points for Pats against Drogs, strange to see Bohs blow a 2 goal lead, last season they dug out a lot of late winners.
Crazy start to the league

Great to see Gavin Bazunu starting for Ireland tonight.
Rovers get a fee from City for him being capped..nice one

Selling him twice. Bohs really are the trend setters!

[hollocaine]

Great comeback by the Town. Daire has the lads really fired up for the cause.

I'd say there were more people at Dalymount today for a behind closed doors game than there were for a good few First Division games around the country in recent years. Bohs had some amount of essential 'volunteers' seated towards the right of the Jodi. All of them combined will surely lead the club well in their pursuit of fighting climate change.

[sbgawa]

So if Kenny gets the push from the FAI would Dundalk fans welcome him back?
Would wild bill give up control?

[Nesta99]

So if Kenny gets the push from the FAI would Dundalk fans welcome him back?
Would wild bill give up control?

Yesl! All part of the masterplan, Bill has been planning this for years...

It would be interesting to see what would happen if SK was out of the Ireland job and Dundalk needed a manager at the same time - how capable is Bill in taking a proper back seat on football affairs.

[sbgawa]

I doubt Bill would havr to agree to take a back seat after all where does Kenny go from here? Cant see him getting a gig abroad. Although to be fair what difference would it make as once Kenny was in Bill could resume his interfearence regardless of promises.
Kennys time with ireland reminds me of his time at rovers , big step up relativly from his previous job and froze.
He is still an excelent manager not defined by these 10 games and the best thing i could say aboutbhim is that i hope ireland dont sack him as i would rather fillipo at dundalk

[D24Saint]

I doubt Bill would havr to agree to take a back seat after all where does Kenny go from here? Cant see him getting a gig abroad. Although to be fair what difference would it make as once Kenny was in Bill could resume his interfearence regardless of promises.
Kennys time with ireland reminds me of his time at rovers , big step up relativly from his previous job and froze.
He is still an excelent manager not defined by these 10 games and the best thing i could say aboutbhim is that i hope ireland dont sack him as i would rather fillipo at dundalk

He would get a job in the MLS or China no problem.