LoI Matches Friday 7th October - Sunday 9th October 2022.

[TonyD]

Ben was on the bench against Shels on Monday. Sam is an unreal talent - right up at the Bazunu/Ferguson level. He will certainly be a big-money transfer in the next year. Top English and European clubs are already on the case.

He?s exceptional alright. Would like to think we could keep him for next season, but I wouldn?t be surprised if he went before the season is out. He?s already been over at Feyenoord as far as I know. It was Robbie Benson he just shrugged off the ball last night, and then had the composure to start off the attack. It was a super move all round. Ben McCormack did great too.

[ger121]

Congrats to Cork. Least Rovers are no longer the most southernly team in the Premier.

[ger121]

On a side note. Kind of fancy Waterford to join them. They are in fine form at the right time of the season.

[Jack B]

Waterford's front 3 are better than the majority of Premier Division teams, that alone should carry them through the playoffs for me.

[oriel]

Oh my. What a win for Pats. Hard to beat a 93rd minute winner in a tight game. Race for third should go right down to the wire now.

Oh I'd say its Pats now for sure, we may be one point clear but all the momentum is with Pats, to be quite honest I`m not even sure we deserve 3rd, probably 4th is about right after the last 2 months.

We have picked up 7 points from the last 18 on offer, and 3 of them were for a 2-0 loss away to Sligo !!!

Dundalk are just a different team without Hoban, missing since Mid Aug and not back until 2023 now, he has two more years left, but this season didn't get going for him, two examples of his play and how the whole set up is around him. Made the goal to win it v Rovers at home, took Lopez almost to the centre circle, laid it off to Macari, then Benson to score, then last min equaliser v Derry in August.

That was of course a sickner last night, but we didn't deserve to win, stupid tactics going for a 2nd in 91st min, when ball should have been kept in the far corner, plus we gave Cotter the freedom of oriel on the right side both halfs. A draw would have kept 4 points between the two with 4 left to play.

I do not see us holding on to 3rd, just need to hope Derry wins the cup, I think they will.

[brendy_éire]

A pilgrimage to Lourdes wouldn?t help us at this stage.
As much as I hate to say it it?s a comfortable Derry win tonight.

Spot on.

We were ok, some lovely passing, but in truth, we never got out of second gear. It was routine really.

Harps were awful, worst I've seen them in the past few years. Could well have had a goal from the McNamee shot, well saved by Maher. We were all saying that McNamee is still one of the best players in the country, some talent.
Normally Harps in the playoff would be a banker, but if they were to finish 9th, I reckon I'd fancy the FD side to go up.

[Martinho II]

Waterford red hot favs for the play offs but I'd fancy us two dump Galway out even having to go there for a second leg and then in a one off game against the Blues at a neutral venue anything could happen. We're certainly in far better form going into the play offs than the team who went up in 2020. I think we are a far gritter team as well. The likes of Hanratty has been a great addition

Hanratty is a quality player I am also impressed with Darren Clarke too. If we dont go up this season we should have a better chance next year! Cant see past Waterford tbh.

[ToberonaTornado]

Great night was had. Lovely win in Oriel and a grand pint in their club bars. I always enjoy the banter win lose or draw up there. It?s a great set up for a LOI club.

Nice one:cool: I'm always delighted to see decent away fans like yourself in the bars at OP.


Oh I'd say its Pats now for sure, we may be one point clear but all the momentum is with Pats, to be quite honest I`m not even sure we deserve 3rd, probably 4th is about right after the last 2 months.

We have picked up 7 points from the last 18 on offer, and 3 of them were for a 2-0 loss away to Sligo !!!

Dundalk are just a different team without Hoban, missing since Mid Aug and not back until 2023 now, he has two more years left, but this season didn't get going for him, two examples of his play and how the whole set up is around him. Made the goal to win it v Rovers at home, took Lopez almost to the centre circle, laid it off to Macari, then Benson to score, then last min equaliser v Derry in August.

That was of course a sickner last night, but we didn't deserve to win, stupid tactics going for a 2nd in 91st min, when ball should have been kept in the far corner, plus we gave Cotter the freedom of oriel on the right side both halfs. A draw would have kept 4 points between the two with 4 left to play.

I do not see us holding on to 3rd, just need to hope Derry wins the cup, I think they will.

I agree. I wish S O'D was a bit more conservative at times tbh :rolleyes: Take the draw and move onto next week was what was needed at that time. Both sides in the euro place battle have difficult games left now.Will be a tight battle.

[oriel]

Great night was had. Lovely win in Oriel and a grand pint in their club bars. I always enjoy the banter win lose or draw up there. It?s a great set up for a LOI club.

We spoke to 2 decent Pats lads at HT in the Enda McGuill bar (upstairs in the stand), its the best bar to go for away fans, if you can navigate your way into it!

Anyway glad you enjoyed the hospitality; rare we get a positive visiting fan review from any trip to Oriel!

[TonyD]

Oh I'd say its Pats now for sure, we may be one point clear but all the momentum is with Pats, to be quite honest I`m not even sure we deserve 3rd, probably 4th is about right after the last 2 months.

We have picked up 7 points from the last 18 on offer, and 3 of them were for a 2-0 loss away to Sligo !!!


Wouldn?t be too sure. Both sides have fairly like for like run ins, and we have three Dublin derbies. All you need to do is match us and you?re laughing. Still say it will be extremely tight.

[oriel]

Pats have the harder run in, and we are still a point ahead, but we are terrible form really since Mid August.

Momentum is everything, which we don't have, also don't have any striker in form, Hoban out for rest of the season, has been since Mid-August (note from drops), Martin has been so disappointing, should have ceased the opportunity with being first choice. Also McMillan is just 'done' at this level I`m afraid, but what a fantastic servant he was, 2016 EL and 2020 cup final, great memories.

I don't think we will finish 3rd, but insurance spot of 4th prob in the bag, need one more point for that, then Derry City, you know what to do guys !

[joey B]

Shels 1 up in Tallaght,tough looking conditions….

[pineapple stu]

2-1 Shels now

Rovers doing their best to make a title run out of this

[Calcio Jack]

2-1 Shels now

Rovers doing their best to make a title run out of this

First goal looked way off side ?? Second goal a wonder strike ?. Aside from that Shels did nothing but manage to lead ?. Awful conditions for trying to play football but perfect conditions for a team to dig in and defend?..

[ger121]

Cleary can?t defend worth a **** but he sure knows how to find the back of the onion sack.

[Jack B]

That felt inevitable.

[Dermobohs]

Mmmm winner coming five minutes into four minutes injury time , I?d love to hear duffers ?chat ? with the ref!!

[total hoofball]

Some naive defending from Shels towards the end gave Rovers that win, Negru a very young defender in devlopment with potential you can forgive for one corner given away but for the winning goal you cannot fail to react to leave Gaffney unmarked with all that space similar issues all season with another player. Small margins suck at this level

[placid casual]

That's why we're Champions folks, and that's why we're going to keep on being Champions. Enjoy the rest of your evening folks.

[refjohn]

Mmmm winner coming five minutes into four minutes injury time , I?d love to hear duffers ?chat ? with the ref!!

If Duff hadn't made that last substitution :-(

[Jack B]

https://twitter.com/shelsfc/status/1579169213100720128?t=_MM17OkNoAvZD9cBV9OiJQ&s=19

Just seen the above now, great stuff. Duff's interview should he a good one.

[total hoofball]

Emotional Shels fans and same for other clubs with their emotional fans need to get off running the twitter account on match days. Two unnecessary bad goals to concede late on killed us from getting at least a deserved point, not any FAI/Rovers corruption

[Calcio Jack]

https://twitter.com/shelsfc/status/1579169213100720128?t=_MM17OkNoAvZD9cBV9OiJQ&s=19

Just seen the above now, great stuff. Duff's interview should he a good one.

Duff gave a class interview in how to whinge and passive aggression towards an interviewer ? think Brian Kerr?s position as the leading whinger in Irish football is in jeopardy .

Such a pity as Duff and His coaching staff deserve huge kudos for how well organised and competitive the team were ?. Could see them ( if they play like that ) with an outside chance of winning the cup

[sbgawa]

Huge win and 100% deserved. Rovers dominated every stat in the match.
We shouldn't have made it so hard but 3 points tonight is huge. Big game next Sunday away to Drogs as I can't imagine bradser resting players for the home match against molde.

[ontheotherhand]

That's why we're Champions folks, and that's why we're going to keep on being Champions. Enjoy the rest of your evening folks.

It's also why we were ****e in Molde to be fair. We needed every single ounce of gas in the tank for this.

What a game. Thought Shels would have been better off trying to go for a 3rd instead of sitting in. Conditions were so bad anything could have happened so coughing up that much possession was inviting trouble.

Pico was immense when he came on. We've missed him badly. Rory Gaffney is one of the most efficient footballers I've seen in the league.

[Loifan_76]

UCD performance on Friday was really poor. They were slower than sligo and some really bad passing led to the two goals. It's strange because at the start of the season fitness and passing were two good areas. Not sure what Myler was sent off for but it's hardly going to be helpful in the last few games getting banned. Worrying that we haven't scored a goal in 3 games. Don't seem to have recovered from getting thumped by Treaty in the cup.