Matches Weekend 18th 19th March

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Our worst performance of the season but probably cause we were playing the best team in the league. Still think Shams will win the league handy enough.

[Jack B]

Must admit I was out tonight and didn't see the game but coming away from Derry feeling at least semi hard done by feels familiar. Will probably buy the game tomorrow anyway to watch it, seems some night of results.

[D24Saint]

Bah humbug. I think tonight will sum up our season if we don’t get reinforcements in. We were torn apart at times and were on top in other parts of the game. I wouldn’t think we deserved to win the game but could have nicked a draw. I think Derry are a very tough team if not pretty on the eye. As for the unsavoury episode at the end , such scum are not wanted and they should get lost.

[redarmyfaction]

We showed way to much respect to Shamrock TBH, 2 points dropped.

[Jack B]

What happened at the end of the game?

[D24Saint]

What happened at the end of the game?

I’ll leave it off here so the good name of SPA FC isn’t dragged through the mud by a few low life’s, pm me.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

I think we’re not as good as we thought we were.

Shams the better team easily enough.

[joey B]

Fun and games after the game in Drogheda aswell tonight,alot of pent up frustration being released in the first few weeks of the season ......

[Calcio Jack]

We showed way to much respect to Shamrock TBH, 2 points dropped.

Not sure how you can come to that conclusion - 1st half you had 2 chances one from our poor defending on a cross and the second from a disastrous pass by Cotter and each time you took your chance well - 2nd half you didn’t create anything and had a couple of half chances down to us again defending poorly i.e misplaced passes - meantime we created a good few chances first half and even more in the second half and a combination of poor finishing and some excellent saves we only scored 2 - nothing (in fairness to you) to do with you giving us too much respect ; we were simply way the better team on the night in a really entertains match

[Northsider]

Abysmal stuff from Bohs, lucky to get a point. The goal we conceded was one of the worst I've ever seen, impossible to understand how someone gets a free header on the penalty spot from a corner with 6 opponents standing around him.

We're getting worse with each game.

[Knocklyonhoop]

Agree with above and will add that once we continue consistently perform at those levels we’ll win the league - Sligo like any team coached by Buckley were easy on the eye and tried to play skilful ball ( aside from 2nd half time wasting) but simply couldn’t live with the pace, intensity and quality of us particularly in 2nd half ; and both sides deserve to be commended on putting on a fantastic nights entertainment- also a big shout out to McGinty who produced a number of top class saves

Fantastic match but how it ended in a draw. Rovers created enough to win 3 matches! But, while played well in each of the draw ‘ losses, pretty soon we have to be winning these matches. I think (sorry Harps) we are 6 behind already.

what happened Shels??

[DCWA]

Derry very deserved of all 3 points against a decent Pat’s team.

Unbelievably well we are doing considering P McEleney, C Harkin, M Duffy and M Smith all out injured.

Patching is a boy as we all knew already - technically he is just class.

I did always say there are no good teams in this league, well I take it back there is one - Derry.

[ontheotherhand]

Derry very deserved of all 3 points against a decent Pat’s team.

Unbelievably well we are doing considering P McEleney, C Harkin, M Duffy and M Smith all out injured.

Patching is a boy as we all knew already - technically he is just class.

I did always say there are no good teams in this league, well I take it back there is one - Derry.

Screenshot.

[D24Saint]

Derry very deserved of all 3 points against a decent Pat’s team.

Unbelievably well we are doing considering P McEleney, C Harkin, M Duffy and M Smith all out injured.

Patching is a boy as we all knew already - technically he is just class.

I did always say there are no good teams in this league, well I take it back there is one - Derry.

Id reckon well deserved pushes the boat out a bit. I think Derry shaded it overall but well deserved is a bit much.

[Jack B]

I’ll leave it off here so the good name of SPA FC isn’t dragged through the mud by a few low life’s, pm me.

Tbf in retrospect I don't think I want to know the specifics, obviously whatever happened it was divs being divs. Most clubs have them and fans could probably guess who the culprits are as well, hopefully that makes it easier for the club to stamp out also. Always liked Derry so would like to think relations wouldn't be soured over it anyway.

[ToberonaTornado]

Dundalk awful tonight. Thats the story from HITG Park

Dundalk Front to back terrible - players who need a kick up the a*se

Lewis Macari= good game last week v Shams and got motm-was living of it last night and hardly lifted a finger - 3/10
Mark Connolly= Talks a good game and is very experienced but when asked seems to be hanging on sometimes = Young Drogs fellas bounced him all night 2/10
Pat Hoban = Gets to frustrated when things aren't going his way.3/10
Sam Bone= Terrible last night,Leahy's return may see his demise. 2/10

never a pen for Drogs and i dont care who you are

Some mad results so far. the league is set-up to be one of the best and closest in history imo.

[DCWA]

Id reckon well deserved pushes the boat out a bit. I think Derry shaded it overall but well deserved is a bit much.

Pat’s scored a freak goal start of second half we should have been a few up by then with McGonigle having a rare off night.

[ger121]

I know there has always been lots of criticism of a 10 team league as being too small, which results in a lot of repetition for clubs and fans alike, but when there are so many teams who can take points off each other like this season, it feels like every match week is packed full of exciting games and surprise results. Really enjoying this season so far as a spectacle.

[sbgawa]

I know there has always been lots of criticism of a 10 team league as being too small, which results in a lot of repetition for clubs and fans alike, but when there are so many teams who can take points off each other like this season, it feels like every match week is packed full of exciting games and surprise results. Really enjoying this season so far as a spectacle.
Couldn't agree more every week has matches that look important in title or relegation battles

[TonyD]

Pat’s scored a freak goal start of second half we should have been a few up by then with McGonigle having a rare off night.

Hardly a freak goal. We also had another couple of close things, Billy King header in the first half and a couple which shaved the bar from Forrestor. Close game. Derry on top for the first half hour and it was fairly even after that. Thought a point wouldn’t have overly flattered us, but at the same time Derry were good, so not too many complaints. The Brandywell will be a tough place for anyone to go this season.

[dong]

I know there has always been lots of criticism of a 10 team league as being too small, which results in a lot of repetition for clubs and fans alike, but when there are so many teams who can take points off each other like this season, it feels like every match week is packed full of exciting games and surprise results. Really enjoying this season so far as a spectacle.

Yeah no dead rubbers which is great.

[joey B]

Unbelievable save from McGinty towards the end of the game in Tallaght,great reactions…..

[ontheotherhand]

McGinty was superb all night. The second MoTM worthy performance in a row we've come up against from a keeper to hold us to a draw. (Yes I'm utterly bitter about it). He actually had our equalizer completely covered as well until his own player turned it away. Smashing keeper. Dealt well with the south stand behind him too. I'd love to see him with us.

Agree on the above as well, it's been a great start to the season and every game has something on it. Crowds are great although there's some obvious issues there that need to be stamped out. It would be a good season for coverage to have been improved for. A shame we have what we do.

[sbgawa]

Drogheda is a really badly run club, the Chairman always talks (and doesn't he love to) like a big picture guy but he is minowisim personified when you listen to what he is actually saying. Will be good to see them heading back down.

[pineapple stu]

I know there has always been lots of criticism of a 10 team league as being too small, which results in a lot of repetition for clubs and fans alike, but when there are so many teams who can take points off each other like this season, it feels like every match week is packed full of exciting games and surprise results. Really enjoying this season so far as a spectacle.
It's shaping up to be a really frustrating season too. Only Drogheda of the bottom six have won more than once, which is mad. Lots of draws though, which means lots of "If only" moments to mull over. We should have won all three of our home games instead of drawing them all for example. Would make a huge difference to the league table. And other clubs will have their own examples I'm sure.

[oriel]

Dundalk were indeed dreadful last night, peno was more clumsy than deliberate, ref didn't give it initially, that said we had 2 cleared off the line or that were going in, plus Drogs hit the bar, could have been worse for us, but Drogs def did enough to win the game, we were shocking.

We deserved nothing last night, disappointed with the senior players in Boyle, Benson, Hoban and Sloggett, didn't lead and overall second best all over the park, move on to the next game, one to forget.

[oriel]

Drogheda is a really badly run club, the Chairman always talks (and doesn't he love to) like a big picture guy but he is minowisim personified when you listen to what he is actually saying. Will be good to see them heading back down.

Conor Hoey ! He's some boyo, must have the mobile in his hand at all times, he was lightening speed replying to Dan McD last night about the home fans invading the pitch at FT remark. Seems to be on the defensive all the time.

Don't get me wrong now, they deserved to win the game, but in comparison not sure the StatSports guys who are main owners of DFC would be tweeting replies the min the game is over, (or any other club officials) not even sure they are on social media actually!

[brendy_éire]

Pat’s scored a freak goal start of second half we should have been a few up by then with McGonigle having a rare off night.

We should have been a few up at half-time, yes, but Pat's had a decent enough second half. I presume you day 'freak goal' because it may have been meant as a cross? We certainly thought so at the time.

We'd a great first half, but took until the lady 20 minutes of the second to actually get going again. McGonigle had his worst performance of the season. Akintunde had a good first half, then seemed knackered in the second. Other than his two goals, Patching didn't do an awful lot.
Shane McEleney was solid though, and his distribution was good.

On Pat's, impressed with Anang. Some shots may have been straight at him, but perofmed well. Took command during our many corners and seemed vocal with the other players. Pat's certainly seem like an improved side from lady season, though I'd still expected the likes of Burns to be away come rhe summer.

Overall, not much between the sides, and I thought we were fortunate enough to come away with the win. That's a couple of injury time goals this season now, I could get used to that

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

McGinty was superb all night. The second MoTM worthy performance in a row we've come up against from a keeper to hold us to a draw. (Yes I'm utterly bitter about it). He actually had our equalizer completely covered as well until his own player turned it away. Smashing keeper. Dealt well with the south stand behind him too. I'd love to see him with us.

Agree on the above as well, it's been a great start to the season and every game has something on it. Crowds are great although there's some obvious issues there that need to be stamped out. It would be a good season for coverage to have been improved for. A shame we have what we do.

Really don’t understand how he hasn’t got a move to someone in the UK. A brilliant keeper. Maybe they think he’s too small. We have a ready made replacement in Luke McNicholas.

[Nesta99]

Conor Hoey ! He's some boyo, must have the mobile in his hand at all times, he was lightening speed replying to Dan McD last night about the home fans invading the pitch at FT remark. Seems to be on the defensive all the time.

Don't get me wrong now, they deserved to win the game, but in comparison not sure the StatSports guys who are main owners of DFC would be tweeting replies the min the game is over, (or any other club officials) not even sure they are on social media actually!

He's great craic altogether! I'd miss his wee snipes if they (our us) were relegated. It is actually a thing to see how quickly Conor jumps on any criticism, is critical himself, while counting his Dundalk FC related posts - on that metric he must be a number one fan.

Still disappointed today with the performance put i by the lads. Maybe its harsh with the 3 game in 7 days schedule but Im still not sure if we were flat due to games or whether we were made look flat by Drogheda's better energy and work rate. In general I think improvement is need by a few players, Boyle has been a bit soppy and need to improve, Connolly the same - that are better players than whats been on show picking up points/clean sheets or not. Sloggett is become a bit of a hit or miss player imo, and the peno while a tad harsh he was wrong side and it just seemed careless. He needs to sharpen up as even his simple possession passing can be wayward. As TT mentions, Hoban sulks too much when he isnt scoring, yes it shows he cares, he continues to graft, but there is a sense that it gets under his skin (missed chance v Rovers carried in to Drogs game and he misses a pretty big chance there at 0-0), starts to give away niggly fouls and is in the refs ear more.

It truly was an awful spectacle of a game but Drogheda got their tactics right especially after their goal where they let us have the ball and spoiled very effectively and we lacked the quality of a final ball to level the game, and they could and probably should have picked us off with a couple on the break. Big clap on the back for Conor Hoey then so!

[oriel]

Two other classics I enjoyed from Conor Hoey, his giving out about betting sponsorship (not my cup of tea now, and would much prefer Fyffes, but Bet Regal offered P6 twice for the deal) when at the same time (will agree not strictly same as betting, but principle not far off, spending hoping to win) the Drogs lotto is in full flow.

The other was the little digs at DFC with the SOD episode, them went as far as thanking Pats for taking his manager for a paltry 10 or 20k.

He seems an odd character at the best of times.

[Martinho II]

Two other classics I enjoyed from Conor Hoey, his giving out about betting sponsorship (not my cup of tea now, and would much prefer Fyffes, but Bet Regal offered P6 twice for the deal) when at the same time (will agree not strictly same as betting, but principle not far off, spending hoping to win) the Drogs lotto is in full flow.

The other was the little digs at DFC with the SOD episode, them went as far as thanking Pats for taking his manager for a paltry 10 or 20k.

He seems an odd character at the best of times.

For a chairman hes a bit of a PR man hes always on Between the Stripes podcast. I dont think he would compare as much to his dad Vincent as chairman of same club!

[sbgawa]

I remember listening to him on a podcast talking about how drogheda could sign messi and offer him all the streaming money
....and he was actually serious, this was when he was rabbiting on about how we need to think BIG . "We need to improve standard of league and facilities" next comment let's have a 16 team league. He is good for a laugh anyway but judging by the stewarding in drogheda he should try stand up comedy instead of running a football club.

[Olander]

That Drogheda chairman is a dose alright, mouthpiece, a celeb chairman.

[mackend6]

Mark Connolly= Talks a good game and is very experienced but when asked seems to be hanging on sometimes = Young Drogs fellas bounced him all night 2/10

never a pen for Drogs and i dont care who you are


This year is my first season back in about 5 years so I actually thought that was Chris Shields not Mark Connolly and was surprised how bad he played. Ended up flat on his face a few times and didn't seem overly bothered about getting back up and in position with any sort of urgency.

Peno was a little bit soft alright and I wouldn't be complaining if we didn't get it, but on the other hand I think our lad did well to win it.

Still a couple of individual wobbles from our lads which meant I was never comfortable watching the game.

Very surprised with the result - hopefully onwards and upwards from here.

[Cosmo]

Two other classics I enjoyed from Conor Hoey, his giving out about betting sponsorship (not my cup of tea now, and would much prefer Fyffes, but Bet Regal offered P6 twice for the deal) when at the same time (will agree not strictly same as betting, but principle not far off, spending hoping to win) the Drogs lotto is in full flow.

100 per cent agree with ye on that. The attempt to be holier than thou is irritating, and you can look silly at times as a result. A serious contradiction to be anti betting and then trying to plug a club lotto.

I'd be one to give stick at times - and I've tended to disagree alot with his opinions on things re the league of irelanf - but overall , he alright

[Jack B]

Have found the random stick Dan McDonnell has gotten over the months gas, proper LOI stuff. Had Hoey having a go saying he was only critical of the ground because Drogs beat his "beloved" Dundalk, who had a large section of their fan base berating him last season for being critical over the P6 stewardship until the SOD situation where he was suddenly alright again because he was on SOD's "side", setting off some Pats fans in the process, which was ironic because according to Bohs fans he was biased towards Pats because he didn't unsettle them pre-cup final like he did with Bohs by reporting that several players would be leaving. You can't win sometimes!

[Jd2793]

Have found the random stick Dan McDonnell has gotten over the months gas, proper LOI stuff. Had Hoey having a go saying he was only critical of the ground because Drogs beat his "beloved" Dundalk, who had a large section of their fan base berating him last season for being critical over the P6 stewardship until the SOD situation where he was suddenly alright again because he was on SOD's "side", setting off some Pats fans in the process, which was ironic because according to Bohs fans he was biased towards Pats because he didn't unsettle them pre-cup final like he did with Bohs by reporting that several players would be leaving. You can't win sometimes!


strange behaviour. hoey embarrassing himself with those remarks. there are cows up and down the country housed in better conditions than fans in their stadium.

[sullanefc]

Hilarious that people can equate a betting company with a club lotto. I've never seen someone lose a weeks wages on a club lotto. Fair play to drogheda on their stance irrespective of the opinions on Hoey. I wish my own club would adopt the same stance with gambling.

[Nesta99]

As Ive probably mentioned before..... the issue with gambling and sport runs a lot deeper as a social issue than simply banning sponsorship - piecemeal and tokenism is all it would be and would do a disservice to promoting safe betting habits, does anyone really think that stopping alcohol companies from sponsorship has/will reduce excessive or underage drinking??. I'd argue that banning online betting sponsorship specifically could have a greater impact than total ban due to the more invasive nature in to young peoples sphere. Conor Hoey would be missing the bigger picture on this issue. That said if betting sponsorship is totally banned I dont think you can say no gambling then sell goal time or club lotto, its an all or nothing thing then. Alcohol free club policy cant really then sell low alcohol rather than no alcohol. I get what you are saying sullen but there well could be someone who spends more than they can afford on a club lotto, maybe gambling addiction or misguided obsessive fan - an addiction in itself (maybe football should just be banned sure, hitting a clatter of issues at source, gambling, alcohol, pyro, public order, public money for other things etc).

[sbgawa]

As Ive probably mentioned before..... the issue with gambling and sport runs a lot deeper as a social issue than simply banning sponsorship - piecemeal and tokenism is all it would be and would do a disservice to promoting safe betting habits, does anyone really think that stopping alcohol companies from sponsorship has/will reduce excessive or underage drinking??. I'd argue that banning online betting sponsorship specifically could have a greater impact than total ban due to the more invasive nature in to young peoples sphere. Conor Hoey would be missing the bigger picture on this issue. That said if betting sponsorship is totally banned I dont think you can say no gambling then sell goal time or club lotto, its an all or nothing thing then. Alcohol free club policy cant really then sell low alcohol rather than no alcohol. I get what you are saying sullen but there well could be someone who spends more than they can afford on a club lotto, maybe gambling addiction or misguided obsessive fan - an addiction in itself (maybe football should just be banned sure, hitting a clatter of issues at source, gambling, alcohol, pyro, public order, public money for other things etc).

Sure didnt John Caulfield try that in Cork for a few years before he was run out for not playing like Ajax ;)

[Jd2793]

Sure didnt John Caulfield try that in Cork for a few years before he was run out for not playing like Ajax ;)

could have saved us all the hearthache if he banned it once maguire left.

[Nesta99]

Sure didnt John Caulfield try that in Cork for a few years before he was run out for not playing like Ajax ;)

True! but playing like Ajax? If they had just played a wee bit like media darlings of the Day, Dundalk FC rather than looking like a bunch of lads going OTT in WW1, they might have gotten some credit and he'd be canonised by now on Leeside! But ye know F*ck Dundalk and all that;)

[sullanefc]

As Ive probably mentioned before..... the issue with gambling and sport runs a lot deeper as a social issue than simply banning sponsorship - piecemeal and tokenism is all it would be and would do a disservice to promoting safe betting habits, does anyone really think that stopping alcohol companies from sponsorship has/will reduce excessive or underage drinking??. I'd argue that banning online betting sponsorship specifically could have a greater impact than total ban due to the more invasive nature in to young peoples sphere. Conor Hoey would be missing the bigger picture on this issue. That said if betting sponsorship is totally banned I dont think you can say no gambling then sell goal time or club lotto, its an all or nothing thing then. Alcohol free club policy cant really then sell low alcohol rather than no alcohol. I get what you are saying sullen but there well could be someone who spends more than they can afford on a club lotto, maybe gambling addiction or misguided obsessive fan - an addiction in itself (maybe football should just be banned sure, hitting a clatter of issues at source, gambling, alcohol, pyro, public order, public money for other things etc).
Woah. Stop everything. Nesta99 has figured out that banning alcohol sponsorship is ineffective and banning gambling sponsorship will be equally ineffective. Imagine all those poor, foolish, alcohol and gambling companies wasting all that money on advertising when it clearly doesn't work. What mugs.

[sullanefc]

We should also allow cigarette sponsorship again considering that advertising won't encourage people to smoke. Anyone for B&H Bohs? Silk Cut Sligo Rovers? Waterford John Player Blues? Goal of the Month competition sponsored by Lucky Strike?

[Mr A]

Hilarious that people can equate a betting company with a club lotto. I've never seen someone lose a weeks wages on a club lotto. Fair play to drogheda on their stance irrespective of the opinions on Hoey. I wish my own club would adopt the same stance with gambling.

Spot on.

I don't get why anyone would struggle to see the difference. Harps turned down an online gambling sponsor last year because it just didn't sit right. Sligo have done the same.

[Nesta99]

We should also allow cigarette sponsorship again considering that advertising won't encourage people to smoke. Anyone for B&H Bohs? Silk Cut Sligo Rovers? Waterford John Player Blues? Goal of the Month competition sponsored by Lucky Strike?

I was wondering if someone would throw up this quite valid point and fair play you got there in the end. They are not equal examples though, anti-smoking policies as with drink driving prevention are better comparisons. Long term cohesive, national multi-level, multi-agency, strategies that have produced positive results easily shown by the stats. Reduction in overall safe alcohol consumption levels have not followed suit irrespective of sponsorship restriction. Maybe Stu could offer an opinion with UCD banning alcohol sponsorship a lot sooner than anybody else and did it impact on the level of consumption by Students at UCD, as an opinion, or maybe whether figures have been produced to show positive impact. Certainly national figures would show that risky alcohol consumption, in particular among the cohort trying to be protected the most, has and is increasing. But there is a broadening of methods eg minimum unit pricing but a huge amount of work is still needed. Restricting betting sponsorship in sport will follow trend and not reduce risky behaviour in isolation. Those that have a gambling addiction, or a predisposition for same, will not be protected by a LoI ban or even a broader sporting ban. Football isnt even the most widely betted on sport.

I havent figured out anything, Im interpreting available stats, and considering the analysis of the impact of public health policies, what has worked and whar hasnt. I asked a question on opinion of alcohol sponsorship and related consumption, i didnt make a statement. I also said that I would argue (debate, consider or whatever) the potential benefits of a ban on online gambling sponsorship and how it might actually have an impact on younger fans. In the absence of broader recognition of the issues involved, social, psychiatric/psychological and subsequently what is effective to deal with these issues, I will say again that sponsorship bans are piecemeal but by all means give a good clap on the back if it make people feel better and think they have done the job and fixed things. Others that deal with the reality will continue to pick up the slack. I would fully back LoI involvement in working groups and the development of broader co-operative methods to deal with these issues.

I will throw in my own equivalent of the smoking ban like example - the total ban on illicit drugs and that use has continued to grow regardless. Maybe a change in tack is needed no? Less nannying and more digging to the root of these different but quite similar issues and mitigating against effectively. Yes companies market their products, where it can maybe let them and use revenue generated to target specific cohorts with intervention for risky behaviour rather than a scattergun effort. Not in entirety but there is more evidence that issues around social depravation causes addiction than alcohol/gambling causes deprivation. I will say no more on the issues and you may belittle what I have said as much as you like sullen but it doesnt negate that a narrow perspective on broad issues can be unhelpful even if well intended!

[Shinkicker]

Getting waaayyy off the topic with a load of sh1t. Keep to the thread title. Open another thread for drink, smoking and gambling sponsorship

[wonder88]

I remember Bohs had an offer from Phillips the Dutch electronics company to change their name for a big sum of money. In relation to Bohs, Roddy Collins had an interesting piece in yesterday's tabloids. He feels the club has sort of lost their way in relation to what a soccer club/team competing in a national league should be. Winning the FAI cup or league cup even matters a lot more that a Bob Marley 2nd shirt. Also he thinks that the 'community relations work' angle the club promotes is exaggerated, and that Bohs was always involved in their local area. I don't know Dublin much, but has Roddy got a point?

[Nesta99]

Getting waaayyy off the topic with a load of sh1t. Keep to the thread title. Open another thread for drink, smoking and gambling sponsorship

Yes sir Mr Mod sir!