Games weekend Thursday 7th to Friday 8th July

[sbgawa]

Thursday 7th

UCD v Bohemians 19:45


Friday 8th

Shelbourne v Finn Harps 19:45
Drogheda v Dundalk 19:45

First Division

Friday 8th (all 19:45)

Waterford v Wexford
Athlone v Bray
Galway v Cobh
Treaty v Longford

[sbgawa]

Bohs need 3 points against UCD they are 9 points off 4th (with 2 games in hand) and 6 points off 5th (with 1 game in hand) they need 3 points against UCD or they run the risk of being out of running for Europe even via the back door of 4th place.
Shels will be looking to not allow Harps beat them for the third time this season but are already safe and probably dreaming of a shot at a back door to Europe (they are 1 point behind Bohs so the maths are basically the same)
Can Drogs do us a favour and dent the Dundalk title ambitions, they would surely love to.

Treaty and Longford the pick of the first division.

[D24Saint]

Why is UCD v Bohs on a Thursday night.

[joey B]

Why is UCD v Bohs on a Thursday night.

Is it because of their game in Berlin maybe?

[El-Pietro]

Pretty boring weekend in the first division. No league game for us, and Waterford Galway have pretty straightforward games. Treaty Longford probably the most interesting game.

[joey B]

Hopefully our record against Shels this season can continue but I’d be pessimistic enough,think they’re a better side than the one we’ve played in both games already this season….

[Nesta99]

Bohs need 3 points against UCD they are 9 points off 4th (with 2 games in hand) and 6 points off 5th (with 1 game in hand) they need 3 points against UCD or they run the risk of being out of running for Europe even via the back door of 4th place.
Shels will be looking to not allow Harps beat them for the third time this season but are already safe and probably dreaming of a shot at a back door to Europe (they are 1 point behind Bohs so the maths are basically the same)
Can Drogs do us a favour and dent the Dundalk title ambitions, they would surely love to.

Treaty and Longford the pick of the first division.

Hate games in hand as it gives a false sense comfort. I am more positive playing in Drogheda as one if the games in hand. It was a chastening performance last time out so lessons learned I think, We need to make these games count even jut to give a hint of a title challenge.

[Kiki Balboa]

Drogheda away is a very sticky game for anyone. Hopefully Dundalk can get an early goal and try to make Drogheda come out of their own half.

Big game for Shels too. They are only 3 points ahead of Drogheda. If Drogheda some how overtakes them, that is a pretty terrible look for Duff. Would guess that would put him under huge pressure. In saying that, more than likely, they will be 6 points ahead come the end of the weekend.

[Nesta99]

There seems to be incremental improvements with Shels as the season has progressed. They do need to keep clear of play-offs but staying up and a sense of a team being built should keep Duff safe. He is more likely to leave due to a refereeing decision, just storming off never to return.

Its never easy on the tight Drogheda pitch, so yeah its spot on that an early goal for Dundalk is key but sure an injury time peno to win will do too, though by that stage im likely to have left or switched off.

[Peaky Blinder]

Hate games in hand as it gives a false sense comfort. I am more positive playing in Drogheda as one if the games in hand. It was a chastening performance last time out so lessons learned I think, We need to make these games count even jut to give a hint of a title challenge.

Win the 2 games in hand (which you should do to be fair) there'll be 4 points between the top 2 with plenty of games to go & Dundalk to still play Rovers in Tallaght, like it or not, despite your attempts to deflect, Dundalk are in the title race. Nonsense to suggest otherwise.

[pineapple stu]

There seems to be incremental improvements with Shels as the season has progressed. They do need to keep clear of play-offs .
Shels are in no danger of falling into the playoffs

[Jd2793]

"keep duff safe" what does that even mean? shels havent been in danger of going down at any point this season. duff has done a great job imo, its been clear from the start of the season what hes trying to implement. its always gonna take time. compare and contrast with pats etc

[sadloserkid]

There seems to be a real hunger among some people for Duff to fail (not specifically in this thread but in general). I find it a bit weird.

[sbgawa]

There seems to be a real hunger among some people for Duff to fail (not specifically in this thread but in general). I find it a bit weird.


He doesn't do himself any favours with his grumpy old man act but i also find it hard to understand the anti Duff sentiment that is fairly wide, he is undoubtedly good for the league for all that i might slag Shels a bit with the whole "Damien Duffs Shelbourne" thing

[RealJohn91]

He was a bit of an embarrassment against Bohs a few weeks ago. Jumping around his technical area and throwing temper tantrums most of the game.

[sadloserkid]

He was a bit of an embarrassment against Bohs a few weeks ago. Jumping around his technical area and throwing temper tantrums most of the game.

Could be any League of Ireland manager tbf.

[joey B]

It’s not limited to the LOI either,Conte,Klopp and PEP are pretty embarrassing at times aswell…

[wonder88]

I also find it strange the 'hoping Duff will fail' attitude amongst league of Ireland fans. I have only seen them in a pre-season friendly in Galway and one game on telly, but even from that you could see that Shelbourne had a bit of structure to them. Good to have him working in Irish soccer.

[PartySaint]

I also find it strange the 'hoping Duff will fail' attitude amongst league of Ireland fans. .

Do all fans not want managers of other clubs to fail? :confused:

[The Bowler]

UCD really need to get something tonight. Another week of player turmoil in the college is what I'm hearing. How Myler is still in his job is anyone's guess. Cmon the students, Harps are muck, the play off spot is defo up for grabs

[2 Year Contract]

Is it because of their game in Berlin maybe?

Not sure that that is the reason as UCD vs Rovers a month or two ago was also moved from a Friday to a Thursday night without any obvious reason if I recall correctly. I think tonights game may have actually been swapped to the Thursday before the Bohs Berlin game was arranged

[joey B]

Not sure that that is the reason as UCD vs Rovers a month or two ago was also moved from a Friday to a Thursday night without any obvious reason if I recall correctly. I think tonights game may have actually been swapped to the Thursday before the Bohs Berlin game was arranged

I think that was moved because of a UCD fundraiser but I might have remembered it wrong….

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, the Rovers game in May was our request for the main club fundraiser

Bohs are playing in Berlin on Saturday

[2 Year Contract]

Ah that makes sense so, I had thought the Berlin game was sunday

[pineapple stu]

Stunning goal from Lonergan to lift us off the bottom for a few minutes :)

Edit - ****ing Pat's again! Forgot that ended in a draw

[pineapple stu]

Well that was indeed just a few minutes.

Complete howler from our keeper to gift Bohs an equaliser

[joey B]

https://mobile.twitter.com/SSEAirtricityLg/status/1545126252876627972

UCDS commentary is always good value,”Sam Todd read that like a cheap novel “ ;)

[joey B]

3-1 Bohs win and UCD finish with 10 men...

[The Bowler]

Well, a brief moment of joy, didn't last long, sorry for the young keeper, but we have nothing much generally to offer. Todd now suspended. We officially have no centre halves available when Todd serves his ban (aside from 19s lads who aren't even close to this level..yet). Two of the recently departed were centre halves. You reap what you sow lads. Myler out.

[RealJohn91]

Well, a brief moment of joy, didn't last long, sorry for the young keeper, but we have nothing much generally to offer. Todd now suspended. We officially have no centre halves available when Todd serves his ban (aside from 19s lads who aren't even close to this level..yet). Two of the recently departed were centre halves. You reap what you sow lads. Myler out.
I thought Lonergan looked very handy and took his goal well. Bohs were awful for most of the first half but not much you can take from a game like that apart from the three points really.

[The Bowler]

I thought Lonergan looked very handy and took his goal well. Bohs were awful for most of the first half but not much you can take from a game like that apart from the three points really. Agree completely,.Lonergan was superb, and Bohs are pretty much a mid table outfit right now, hence my optimism before the game, they have been awful for one half in each visit to the Bowl this year. Anyway, I'm exhausted by this UCD team and the rubbish being played. Till next week.

[2 Year Contract]

Two of the recently departed were centre halves. You reap what you sow lads. Myler out.

Which players recently departed the club?

[The Bowler]

Which players recently departed the club? I was asked before about the departures names, and to be fair to the young lads in question, I'm not going to name them all publicly on here, as they've made huge decisions to step away, hopefullly for other clubs, and not that just packed it in. If you wanted to go all full on detective, I'm sure if you looked at the squad list from last night and compared to squad list at start of the season, you'd have most of your answers there. Harvey OBrien injured I believe, but 6 walkers apart from that.

[pineapple stu]

Well, Eóin Farrell, Harvey O'Brien and Adan Verdon are no longer listed in the programme anyway.

[Finlay Harp]

Harps need wins at this stage. No more hard luck stories.

[The Bowler]

Well, Eóin Farrell, Harvey O'Brien and Adan Verdon are no longer listed in the programme anyway. OBrien is injured. Looking at UCD lineup last night, dont think a single one of the starting 11 came through the age ranks at UCD. And I couldn't be certain, but maybe 1 of the named subs was a genuine UCD academy graduate. Stu might know more than me. People are quick to slag off other clubs for not giving their own lads chances, but I'd hazard a mid sized bet that of all 19 clubs in the league, that UCD are propping up the league table of 1st team players that came thru their own academy structures.

[pineapple stu]

People are quick to slag off other clubs for not giving their own lads chances, but I'd hazard a mid sized bet that of all 19 clubs in the league, that UCD are propping up the league table of 1st team players that came thru their own academy structures.
Don't have those stats anyway. But does it necessarily matter if players stick to the same club from 14s to senior?

The UCD model is weird in that players applying for soccer scholarships are going to be at age 17/18/19. Kian Moore/Tommy Lonergan/Dylan Duffy almost certainly wouldn't have been getting game time at Bohs/Pat's/Rovers this year - but they're getting Premier Division games at UCD; does it matter that they weren't in our academy? Or go back a few years and take Daire O'Connor, Dylan Watts, Gary O'Neill and Robbie Benson. The first two played underage for UCD, the other two didn't. Does that really matter? Or what about Johnny Haist, making his debut last night after being promoted from the LSL team. He (I presume) bypassed the academy as well, but again, does it matter?

Rovers have a great academy, but very few of their first team squad have come through it I think.

[The Bowler]

Don't have those stats anyway. But does it necessarily matter if players stick to the same club from 14s to senior?

The UCD model is weird in that players applying for soccer scholarships are going to be at age 17/18/19. Kian Moore/Tommy Lonergan/Dylan Duffy almost certainly wouldn't have been getting game time at Bohs/Pat's/Rovers this year - but they're getting Premier Division games at UCD; does it matter that they weren't in our academy? Or go back a few years and take Daire O'Connor, Dylan Watts, Gary O'Neill and Robbie Benson. The first two played underage for UCD, the other two didn't. Does that really matter? Or what about Johnny Haist, making his debut last night after being promoted from the LSL team. He (I presume) bypassed the academy as well, but again, does it matter?

Rovers have a great academy, but very few of their first team squad have come through it I think. You are correct Stu, it doesn't really matter, unless you are a u15/17/19 player at UCD who thinks that you have more chance at UCD than other clubs, and I guess that was my point. My comment was sort of linked to some of my prior posts about really excellent players walking away from UCD, the bulk of them came thru the ranks. As for Heist, not sure he was even in the country back then, could be wrong there but great to see him get promoted (someone told me he is 26, but that could be duff info and a suggestion he was in USA for years ?). I think Rovers have given more of their young lads senior team action in recent years but that's a sales strategy, play them, then see if you can sell them, nothing wrong with that if that's the model. And re the 17/18/19 year olds coming to UCD, I have heard that a fair few of the young lads in and around the 1st team squad aren't in UCD on scholarship, and are unlikely to be any time soon. They will all be gone as soon as an offer comes in from anyone better than Longford ! Sure UCD will continue to get walk ups who get the entry points and sensibly see that football + education is best of both worlds, when you are the biggest Uni in the state, that's assured. But there is no big plan, its finger in the air stuff and hope for the best, and the cupboard will be bare by the time they cop on to the damage being done under the current regime. I will be happy to see them go back to the basics of what this club is all about, and always be building for the future, playing the right way, with a freedom and fearlessness that we always got at The Bowl

[SeanDrog]

Drogs 1-0 Dundalk 1min
Shels 1-0 Harps 15min

C. 20mins played

[SeanDrog]

Shels 1-1 Harps update

[pineapple stu]

You are correct Stu, it doesn't really matter, unless you are a u15/17/19 player at UCD who thinks that you have more chance at UCD than other clubs, and I guess that was my point. My comment was sort of linked to some of my prior posts about really excellent players walking away from UCD, the bulk of them came thru the ranks. As for Heist, not sure he was even in the country back then, could be wrong there but great to see him get promoted (someone told me he is 26, but that could be duff info and a suggestion he was in USA for years ?). I think Rovers have given more of their young lads senior team action in recent years but that's a sales strategy, play them, then see if you can sell them, nothing wrong with that if that's the model. And re the 17/18/19 year olds coming to UCD, I have heard that a fair few of the young lads in and around the 1st team squad aren't in UCD on scholarship, and are unlikely to be any time soon. They will all be gone as soon as an offer comes in from anyone better than Longford ! Sure UCD will continue to get walk ups who get the entry points and sensibly see that football + education is best of both worlds, when you are the biggest Uni in the state, that's assured. But there is no big plan, its finger in the air stuff and hope for the best, and the cupboard will be bare by the time they cop on to the damage being done under the current regime. I will be happy to see them go back to the basics of what this club is all about, and always be building for the future, playing the right way, with a freedom and fearlessness that we always got at The Bowl

I think that's a bit over-dramatic to be honest. I mean yes, the style of play this year (or last year for that matter) isn't vintage UCD. The game out in Bratislava was one of the best games I remember us playing, or we destroyed Shels in Tolka in 2009 when we both ended up challenging for the title, or we went toe-to-toe with Dundalk in the FAI Cup semi in 2018, having deservedly beaten Waterford in the quarters. We're not playing like that now, and I'd rather we were.

But no senior club exists to give its U15s/17s/19s a place in the senior squad. If they're good enough, they'll get a chance. None of the players who have left made any real impact on the first team (that's from a footballing point of view of course; if there's behind-the-scenes reasons they're leaving, then that's another matter).

There's no big plan? I don't really agree. Three years ago this week, we had two players on the bench and were really short after a number of players left in the summer (O'Neill, Molloy, Farrugia, Crowley, McDonald, Davis, Scales for a while). We had to bump up players who really weren't good enough, and we only beat Harps 1-0, an embarrassingly poor margin :)

It felt like we got caught on the hop there when a great team all moved on at the same time. I don't get that feeling now. Kerrigan and (essentially) Whelan have moved on as expected, but we've already started on the next generation with Moore, Lonergan, Duffy, etc. I'd argue the academy is (a) for the benefit of the players more than the clubs, so we do utilise that when signing Moore/Duffy/Lonergan, (b) is to supplement, not replace, the long-standing scholarship model and (c) is to build community links. In that regard, it's working fine I think.

As far as I can see, the plan is to keep the show on the road with a tiny backroom staff by mixing the best players from the underage teams as they come through with signings from other clubs (effectively the same as any other club) and to keep punching above our weight in that regard (certainly with regards crowd numbers). I'm not sure what more can really be expected. It'd be great to have the budget of, say, 1995 to 2005 and keep players for longer after they finish college - then we could be back to being a solid mid-table Premier side occasionally challenging for Europe. But we don't, so we can't.

[SeanDrog]

Shels 1-1 Harps update

Half times

Drogs 1-0 Dundalk
Shels 2-1 Harps

[culloty82]

Wexford undoubtedly the in-form First Division team, but still surprising they're 2-0 ahead at the RSC! Galway, as expected, 1-0 up at home to Cobh, Treaty have finally taken the lead against Longford, and Athlone putting up a decent showing against Bray, but have now fallen 1-2 behind.

[culloty82]

Galway and Treaty promptly double their leads as I type.

[brendy_éire]

Is there a drone at the Drogheda game stopping play?

[sbgawa]

Yeah I paid the 7 euro to watch and def a low flying drone. Cameras showed it

[sbgawa]

Fair play to drogs , Rovers stay 10 points clear

[SeanDrog]

FT Drogs 1-0 Dundalk
Shels 3-1 Harps

[nigel-harps1954]

Only a matter of time before UCD overtake us.

Can sign all the players we want but until the tactics change, we're going down.

[MattB11]

We are shocking, can see UCD overtake us