Games Monday 29th August

[sbgawa]

Premier Division

Monday 29th (All 19:45)

Sligo v Dundalk
Shelbourne v Derry
Bohemians v St Pats

[sbgawa]

Cup weekend but there is some league action on Monday.
2nd 3rd and 4th away to 4th 5th and 6th so 3 away wins and the top 4 will be pretty much done and dusted as Pats in 4th would be 10 points clear.

With a win in their game in hand Pats would be 4 points off Dundalk and Derry (assuming Derry win their game in hand on Dundalk) so the order of the top 4 isn't set yet but its hard to see one of the current top 3 not winning the cup (wont be Pats obviously).
With all the new players signed up and Bohs going full time it looks good for 008 to hang on for next year(good news for Rovers)but i wonder are Sligo happy with John Russell ? the league form is uninspiring and hard to see much change since Bucko left.
The top 4 breaking away is as much because of the sameness of the bottom 6.
In the last 5 matches the bottom 6 teams have all earned either 6 or 7 points , hard to make up ground like that

[Nesta99]

Away to Wexford in the cup on a Friday, and then away to Sligo on Monday in the league - who makes these schedules will all that travel in one weekend???

[sbgawa]

Away to Wexford in the cup on a Friday, and then away to Sligo on Monday in the league - who makes these schedules will all that travel in one weekend???


We had a quiet word in Abbotstown :)

[Nesta99]

That whole 2.5 -3hrs on a nice coach playing cards will have us wrecked, so out of order!!

[TonyD]

Going to be a very interesting night. The table could look pretty different afterwards, depending on how the games go. Obviously hoping for Derry and Dundalk to lose and Pats to win.

[sbgawa]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict SOD will drop the high line nonsense

[Nesta99]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict SOD will drop the high line nonsense

You are not stuck out on a limb it seems!

[CorribsideSteve]

Joey N'Do, amazing footballer, awful co-commentator. Just awful.

[TonyD]

Good start from Pats. I’m not liking this new camera angle at Dalymount. Far too low.

[CorribsideSteve]

Dundalk have a serious gem on their hands with O'Kane.

[Nesta99]

Joey N'Do, amazing footballer, awful co-commentator. Just awful.

Ah he is not that bad, not really a commentator, co-commentator pairing i'd agree. He does like Ryan O'Kane and he makes a valid point on needing to press high if defending high. One Sligo ball through that defence timed well and we are goosed!

....and Leahy off trying to scramble back for one of those balls.

[TonyD]

Bohs right back in this now. We need to liven up a bit.

[CorribsideSteve]

Ah he is not that bad, not really a commentator, co-commentator pairing i'd agree. He does like Ryan O'Kane and he makes a valid point on needing to press high if defending high. One Sligo ball through that defence timed well and we are goosed!

....and Leahy off trying to scramble back for one of those balls.
I suppose he has his good moments. He just comes of as an irritating bufoon sometimes though IMO. Yeah pretty clear sending off, the act of grabbing the ball as he fell sealed his fate.

[Nesta99]

Dundalk have a serious gem on their hands with O'Kane.

He is a bit like a young Wes Houlihan, though a wide player.

[sbgawa]

All those flares on the pitch in dalyer. I'd expect a strongly worded letter from the committee over this. Scandalous stuff

[ger121]

Absolute ****e

[TonyD]

Second for Pats. Atakayi did great to get onto it and nice composure to play in Forrestor.. pats started well and got the goal. Bohs had a good twenty minutes or so mid half, without making any real clear cut chances. Great time to get the second goal.

[Philosophizer]

Good start from Pats. I’m not liking this new camera angle at Dalymount. Far too low.
Welcome to the club. We're banging on about it on the Stadium updates thread.

[Bohtastic]

Gifted Pats that second goal.
Our defence look like they have never played together.
In fact, our entire team looks like they have never played or trained together. I know Long signed a load during the window, but the lack of any organisation is criminal.

[DCSIL]

Bohs seem to be bad every other week, saved by the two stuck at the bottom.

[Nesta99]

That Bohs camera angle that has irked a few, its a bit like been at the game!

[TonyD]

Gifted Pats that second goal.
Our defence look like they have never played together.
In fact, our entire team looks like they have never played or trained together. I know Long signed a load during the window, but the lack of any organisation is criminal.

In fairness Serge showed great pace to get onto the ball, and then was very composed once he’d got there.

Crap. Didn’t need to let Bohs back into this. Game on now.

[CorribsideSteve]

Unlucky for Andy Boyle. Sligo have been wasteful with their man advantage though and probably should have been 1 up a little earlier than now. Dundalk had been doing a great containment job though. Will be interesting to see how both teams deal with the scoreline now. And just as I say that it should have been 2.

[DCSIL]

Shels v Derry zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[TonyD]

Pats hanging on here. Need Tundeon for a bit of threat on the break.

And as I’m typing that, on he comes.

[DCSIL]

That'll do, another late goal in Tolka

[TonyD]

And tha5 should be that at Dalymount. Typical Shels, losing to Derry just to spite us ��

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Ah he is not that bad, not really a commentator, co-commentator pairing i'd agree. He does like Ryan O'Kane and he makes a valid point on needing to press high if defending high. One Sligo ball through that defence timed well and we are goosed!

....and Leahy off trying to scramble back for one of those balls.

Ah Joey is awful. Not as bad as that high line Dundalk have all the same.

[joey B]

That Shels/Derry game was brutal,Derry deserved to win on the balance of play though….

[sbgawa]

Decent night for Rovers pity about the last minute goal for Derry though.
I had begun to think 008 was there until next season but i wonder can he survive a Rovers win on Friday...the natives appeared restless tonight at the end.

[legendz]

4 wins from their remaining 10 should seal the league title for Shamrock Rovers.

[Nesta99]

Ah Joey is awful. Not as bad as that high line Dundalk have all the same.

Well if you can keep the image of JaJa Biinks as a football commentator out of your head.....It think some of it seems a bit lost in translation, his analysis is basic but he wasnt wrong on it. The commentator oozes her patience being tested. But hey when you are watching your team cave to an inevitable result, conceding goals that have been seen in slow-motion from weeks back, everyone scratching the head on this tactic, well maybe one cringe overtakes another. Maybe there is a longer term method to the madness but Im struggling to thinking of it.

Nothing new to take from the game. We just dont have the ability to replace key players out. Martin is just too light up front trying to play in the Hoban role. The gamble on change in defense has handed the initiative to both Derry and Pats in the race for Europe, even with players leaving or out it didnt seem particularly broken too need fixing. Id mentioned Leahy as a possibility in the centre with adding additional pace but that went pear shaped and I think it will be tried again when he is back from suspension before the tactic is binned if he doesnt make any difference. The only positive really is how quickly O'Kane is developing with the games he is getting due to Kelly's injury. If he adds some strength without compromising his pace and agility he could genuinely be one to go on to have a great career at higher levels - he'd be a real handful playing more centrally with the close ball control and able to pick a pass too.

[D24Saint]

That was a hard fought win tonight. I’m very impressed with how the team dug in. I’d imagine Bohs fans are pulling their hair out after that one , they had much the better of the second half. I felt the ref was a bit biased towards Bohs , he flashed cards at our lads handy and was reluctant to show them to Bohs players. Overall and enjoyable start to the week. On a side note it’s sad to see the current state of Dalyer , it’s just about fit to house away fans in.

[sbgawa]

Huge win for Pats, combined with Dundalk loss puts them right in the mix for Europe.

[2 Year Contract]

Keith Long playing a blinder with these squad rebuilds at Bohs, they appear to be getting worse with each one. Bohs had Pats under a bit of pressure second half with set pieces and Feely long throws but their inability to create anything at all really from open play was astonishing. Home fans seem to be turning on him/the team too, utter silence in the Jodi for 90% of the night.

[patsdad]

Our league form hasn’t attracted much attention but it’s three wins in a row since going out of Europe, the gap to the top three has been greatly cut. Some of the transfer window signings have worked out really well, we’ve finally settled on a shape that seems to suit us and it’s hard not to be optimistic for the final round of games.
I’d say that top four is nailed down and top three is a strong possibility, most likely at the expense of our good friends in Dundalk.
Form guide (points from last 5 league fixtures): Pats 13. Derry 9, Dundalk 7.

[sbgawa]

4th will still get Europe unless bohs, shels or ucd win the cup. Anythings possible in one off games I suppose. The draw tommorow night is something to look forward too

[patsdad]

As you say, anything is possible, but it would be some upset on recent form for any of those three to win the cup. Having said that, I’ll be crossing my fingers that the top three stay apart in the draw.

[brendy_éire]

That Shels/Derry game was brutal,Derry deserved to win on the balance of play though….

Really the story of our season. 'Deserving' to win loads of games, but coming away with a draw.
We're just not clinical enough.
The second half was a bit more lively than the first, TBF. Some spicy tackles going in. Boyd was doing his best to get sent off, giving off the ref all game. Took until after the final whistle to actually get the red.

Flukey goal, but we'll take it. Harsh on Shels, mind. That's our sixth win in a row at Tolka, and another one of those late goals.

[2 Year Contract]

Boyd was doing his best to get sent off, giving off the ref all game. Took until after the final whistle to actually get the red.

He does his best to get one every game to be fair. Conan Byrne tweeted that Boyd has 21 yellows and 2 reds in 24 starts over the last 2 seasons.


That's our sixth win in a row at Tolka, and another one of those late goals.

Another interesting stat I saw was, tonight is Derry's 7th league win of the season in Dublin, compared to just 4 in the Brandywell

[legendz]

4th will still get Europe unless bohs, shels or ucd win the cup. Anythings possible in one off games I suppose. The draw tommorow night is something to look forward too It'll be a double whammy for Pat's if Waterford who knocked them out of the cup were to go on and win it, denying them the final European spot! Bohs and Shels have nothing to lose concentrating on the cup. No fear of relegation.

[Jack B]

Pleasantly surprised with how much we've turned it around of late (apart from the cup...), wasn't anticipating that we'd be on the tails of Derry and Dundalk at all but right in the mix now after this recent run of form.

It feels like we're more of a team that you'd associate with Clancy from his time at Drogheda and it's reflecting in the results. The likes of Cotter, Brockbank and Atakayi coming in have allowed us to more naturally play that back 5 formation he likes, rather than earlier in the season when there was a lot of shoe-horning going on or absences of certain players hurting us. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out in terms of 2nd-4th

[brendy_éire]

Another interesting stat I saw was, tonight is Derry's 7th league win of the season in Dublin, compared to just 4 in the Brandywell

Aye, our home form is not good. Haven't won since April against UCD, who we play at home this Friday.
If the league was based on away form, we'd be 10 points clear the top. If it was based on home form, we'd be 6th, 17 points off top.

It's partly the reason we had no chance of winning the league this year. We can't break teams down easily at the Brandywell. When we're away, it's probably a case of the home team feeling that they should be more open, which allows us more chances. Chances which we usually waste anyway, mind. Ultimately, we need to be more clinical.

[Glen Of Aherlow]

Pleasantly surprised with how much we've turned it around of late (apart from the cup...), wasn't anticipating that we'd be on the tails of Derry and Dundalk at all but right in the mix now after this recent run of form.

It feels like we're more of a team that you'd associate with Clancy from his time at Drogheda and it's reflecting in the results. The likes of Cotter, Brockbank and Atakayi coming in have allowed us to more naturally play that back 5 formation he likes, rather than earlier in the season when there was a lot of shoe-horning going on or absences of certain players hurting us. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out in terms of 2nd-4th


Getting Jamie Lennon back was a big help , it's allowed Forrester a bit more freedom to play further forward., and we also have Timmermans who can come in and do a job as well.

[Jack B]

Getting Jamie Lennon back was a big help , it's allowed Forrester a bit more freedom to play further forward., and we also have Timmermans who can come in and do a job as well.

Yeah massively so, I thought it seemed like Jamie had stagnated a bit last season and was very much the 4th man after Forrester, Benson and Lewis, but he's returned from injury this season looking like the player he was promising to be. Has a good balance with O'Reilly as he's a bit more of a steady hand in possession as welll as just in general positionally, and as you say let's Forrester play in a more dangerous position. I've liked the look of Timmermans but at the same time he has looked questionable at best off the ball at times.

[Philosophizer]

4th will still get Europe unless bohs, shels or ucd win the cup. Anythings possible in one off games I suppose. The draw tommorow night is something to look forward too
On current form Bohs and UCD haven't much chance I'd say. But you never know in the cup.
Shels might be a decent outside bet.

[Glen Of Aherlow]

Yeah massively so, I thought it seemed like Jamie had stagnated a bit last season and was very much the 4th man after Forrester, Benson and Lewis, but he's returned from injury this season looking like the player he was promising to be. Has a good balance with O'Reilly as he's a bit more of a steady hand in possession as welll as just in general positionally, and as you say let's Forrester play in a more dangerous position. I've liked the look of Timmermans but at the same time he has looked questionable at best off the ball at times.

Still don't know what to make of Doyle , he worked hard last night but he still seems a bit harmless at times and not much of a threat

[total hoofball]

He does his best to get one every game to be fair. Conan Byrne tweeted that Boyd has 21 yellows and 2 reds in 24 starts over the last 2 seasons.
Boyd is a very hard working striker but I don't think I've ever seen any other Shels player pick up the most unnecessary silly yellow cards out of frustration and whatever happened it was peak lunacy to end up in that position getting sent off after the final whistle

On the game itself we were unlucky not get the 0-0 Derry weren't that much better than us but when you fail to test the opposition keeper for the entire 90 minutes you can't really complain of getting hit by a deflected suckerpunch in stoppage time

[Jack B]

Still don't know what to make of Doyle , he worked hard last night but he still seems a bit harmless at times and not much of a threat
He's been hit and miss alright. Works hard and I've actually been surprised at how good of an all-round player he is but I think he's been let down by a lack of pace and/or physicality which is a bit of a worry given his age and length of contract. I think a player like Serge is a good foil for him though in that sense.