Games weekend 31st March to !st April

[Jack B]

I thought we were fine, can't complain too much. UCD didn't have a shot in anger really and their only real chance came from a Pats error that they dithered on ridiculously at 3 down.

Tough conditions to put in any kind of fluid display but there was some nice stuff in there and it could have been a wider scoreline. Not exactly the kind of game we'll be judged on this season though, still a lot to do to make up for our earlier performances.

[TonyD]

Pats still brutal....UCD really brutal.

Wouldn’t agree with that. Not saying we were brilliant, but we were fine. I’ve definitely seen us struggle far more in games against UCD over the years. Of course there will be tougher challenges ahead, so we’ll see.

[TonyD]

Some goal from Athlone last night!


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Quality. Great break out.

[Loifan_76]

UCD been extremely poor since the sligo game. Very hard to understand the setup with no striker up front, there is zero threat from us. Kinsella or Divine should be up there, but they're so often on the bench. Defence is tragic without Todd. We lost a lot of games last year but we were competitive in most of them, not this year, its all 3-0 or 4-0 heavy defeats. Myler should be under pressure, definitely needs a change.

[pineapple stu]

Danú wasn't on the bench today so I assume he's injured?

Really need to knock off the goalkeeper howlers too...

[da bishop]

Good point for Treaty at Wexford and while its no win in 6 for Tommy Barrett some positives in the result.Home team quite good in the second half ,Danny Furlong particularly impressive as Wexford played better football.

[ontheotherhand]

Strange for Benson to do us any favours at all but his karate kick attempt wrapped it up for us. Not sure what anyone could complain about based on what I saw but I'll have another look at whatever angles come out. Looked like he flew in studs up and with his head completely turned away from the ball. Mad thing to do. I like Benson and know he isn't a malicious type but I thought it was a red immediately as did the ref who went for the card straight away. Not sure he even saw the few Rovers staff standing up from the bench. The Shels red is a disgraceful decision though.

Could have been 5 or 6 in the end although Dundalk started both the first and second half very well I thought. They've some very tidy players. Malley looks like a find.

The Dundalk LoI commentary team is also very good. Fair dues to them there. Very balanced and a good dynamic between them.

I was delighted not to see Hoban in the team. As Yossarian said above, Dundalk are far weaker without him and John Martin ain't a striker.

We are staying up.

https://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/theres-no-need-to-make-the-decision-dundalk-to-appeal-benson-red-card-42413955.html

I take it back about the red. Even if I didn't believe O'Donnell it's easy to read what Bradley said as him not thinking it was a red and he was right there. Does anyone have an angle from the side it happened on?

[TonyD]

Danú wasn't on the bench today so I assume he's injured?

Really need to knock off the goalkeeper howlers too...

I haven’t seen Mulreany’s goal back yet, but it seemed like a real clanger from the keeper alright.

[Yossarian]

https://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/theres-no-need-to-make-the-decision-dundalk-to-appeal-benson-red-card-42413955.html

I take it back about the red. Even if I didn't believe O'Donnell it's easy to read what Bradley said as him not thinking it was a red and he was right there. Does anyone have an angle from the side it happened on?

I was sitting in the middle of the stand and had a view straight on of it. Haven’t seen any angle from that side but funnily enough the best angle was probably being recorded by the Rovers staff as they had their own camera set up in the away fan section at the front of the stand.

[The Bowler]

UCD been extremely poor since the sligo game. Very hard to understand the setup with no striker up front, there is zero threat from us. Kinsella or Divine should be up there, but they're so often on the bench. Defence is tragic without Todd. We lost a lot of games last year but we were competitive in most of them, not this year, its all 3-0 or 4-0 heavy defeats. Myler should be under pressure, definitely needs a change.

Unfortunately Todd is gone in the next transfer window, finishes his degree next month and will be gone to either Bohs or Derry maybe. Not sure it would do his reputation any good to come back into this defence, he was back on the bench last night so maybe we get 4 or 5 games out if him before he leaves. Keaney is an awful footballer full stop, Harvey O'Brien had a good year in 1st Division when the oppo were mostly lumping balls at him, but when the ball is on the ground, or teams looking to unlock defences by actually playing football, him and Keaney nowhere near mobile enough. Gallagher has thrown in the towel. The manager lost the dressing room a long time ago as well, but they miraculously managed to keep it together while Harps and Waterford imploded at the end of last season. Hopefully we get to blood some of the young lads for next season in 1st Division under a new manager.

[brendy_éire]

I was sitting in the middle of the stand and had a view straight on of it. Haven’t seen any angle from that side but funnily enough the best angle was probably being recorded by the Rovers staff as they had their own camera set up in the away fan section at the front of the stand.

Not sure why, but Derry have done that too on occasion, also in United Park. Haven't noticed us do it anywhere else.

[ontheotherhand]

I was sitting in the middle of the stand and had a view straight on of it. Haven’t seen any angle from that side but funnily enough the best angle was probably being recorded by the Rovers staff as they had their own camera set up in the away fan section at the front of the stand.

Add it to the pile of ****e decisions. If Dundalk do appeal it how do they even review it? Based on LoI tv footage? If so I don't think they'll see enough to overturn to be honest. If they can get the Rovers footage maybe? Duffs comments last night might create a bit of a siege mentality amongst the officials. Who completes the review after an appeal?

[Nesta99]

Anyone want to have a guess at the merits of the red card for Bohs in Sligo....you'd think the with the scrutiny refs are under, that card counts would drop rather than become a free for all for them.

[SkStu]

Unless I’ve been asleep (yeah it’s been dull stuff) there’s been no red card for Bohs…

[joey B]

Anyone want to have a guess at the merits of the red card for Bohs in Sligo....you'd think the with the scrutiny refs are under, that card counts would drop rather than become a free for all for them.

There is no red card

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[David BOHie]

Unless I’ve been asleep (yeah it’s been dull stuff) there’s been no red card for Bohs…

Very dull game. Draw would have been fair result. Think the Sligo keeper came for a ball that was never his and that mistake was punished as he was caught in no man's land. That mistake was the only difference between the teams.

[joey B]

Sligo's keeper probably should have equalised with the last kick of the game,good win for Bohs though.....

[SkStu]

Keeper blazed over alright. Thought we were overall good for the three points.

[Bohtastic]

Very dull game. Draw would have been fair result. Think the Sligo keeper came for a ball that was never his and that mistake was punished as he was caught in no man's land. That mistake was the only difference between the teams.


Thought the first half was decent, without too many chances.
2nd half was turgid.
Still, 3 points.

[Shinkicker]

Thought the first half was decent, without too many chances.
2nd half was turgid.
Still, 3 points.

Not a great game, very stop start, but if any team was going to score it was always going to be Bohs. And they did!!!!

[Nesta99]

Unless I’ve been asleep (yeah it’s been dull stuff) there’s been no red card for Bohs…

Hmmm a bit of a blast from the past days of Errortel as RTE had it that there was a red card also!

[joey B]

Sligos chance at the end,I'm probably harsh saying he should have scored but it was a chance.....

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[ger121]

Winning tight games away from home. That’s the mark of a table topping side.

[Dermobohs]

A good habit Ger, that we’ve not had for a loooong stretch.
Tight game tonight, nothing in it, evenly matched and it came down to take a chance, glad it was us.
Impressed by Dec Devines influence on his squad , the bench is strong too, I’m fascinated to see where we’ll be after series 1, I have to say I had us in a scrap for 5/6/7/8 pre season.

[red bellied]

Sligos chance at the end,I'm probably harsh saying he should have scored but it was a chance.....

1642269335916773376
Ya harsh on the chance at end but Rovers keeper is poor and was at blame for goal. Don't think Bohs will win league getting results at minute but quality is fairly average.

[legendz]

Kerry created better chances against Galway than they did last night. Last night was possibly their worst performance from an attacking point of view. The wait for a win goes on and on.

[Shearer]

I can't wrap my head around Finn Harps and Dave Rogers.

Signing young local lads (fair) and mixing them with boys coming over from Brazil, Colorado, Arizona etc is bizarre. I can't understand why they didn't sign somewhat proven players who know the league, they must have the budget to do it if they're training full-time.

Dave Rogers deleting his twitter account when they lose and coming back a few days later is hilarious. Even funnier is this weekend when he put out a tweet saying he isn't above to criticism, yet he limited replies to tweets and turned his account private soon after.

I just don't see the end game, but every Harps fan seems to think he can do no wrong.

[joey B]

I can't wrap my head around Finn Harps and Dave Rogers.

Signing young local lads (fair) and mixing them with boys coming over from Brazil, Colorado, Arizona etc is bizarre. I can't understand why they didn't sign somewhat proven players who know the league, they must have the budget to do it if they're training full-time.

Dave Rogers deleting his twitter account when they lose and coming back a few days later is hilarious. Even funnier is this weekend when he put out a tweet saying he isn't above to criticism, yet he limited replies to tweets and turned his account private soon after.

I just don't see the end game, but every Harps fan seems to think he can do no wrong.

I'm not a fan of managers on social media but its just not true to say that "every Harps fan thinks he can do no wrong",he's being getting plenty of criticism from the 2nd game of the season.....

But he's had 7 games so far,pointless making judgements about anything after such a short space of time.....

[cláirseach]

I can't even get posts on Rogers approved on this website. You know it is a good PR machine when he has the neutral forums in his pocket! ;)

[Longfordian]

Well given he's on a four year contract Harps don't have much choice but to give him more time.

[Dermobohs]

Harps will be grand, DR just needs a little time which they’ll give him, they’re working off a solid foundation too.
Wish a few of their local politicians would push the ground development, it would be a real shot for them, bring in new fans too maybe although the season ticket uptake was ****ing impressive for div 1

[nigel-harps1954]

I can't wrap my head around Finn Harps and Dave Rogers.

Signing young local lads (fair) and mixing them with boys coming over from Brazil, Colorado, Arizona etc is bizarre. I can't understand why they didn't sign somewhat proven players who know the league, they must have the budget to do it if they're training full-time.

Dave Rogers deleting his twitter account when they lose and coming back a few days later is hilarious. Even funnier is this weekend when he put out a tweet saying he isn't above to criticism, yet he limited replies to tweets and turned his account private soon after.

I just don't see the end game, but every Harps fan seems to think he can do no wrong.

Not above criticism at all, and as joey says, he's getting plenty of criticism from Harps fans on social media and I'm hearing plenty of it locally too.

Fact is, he couldn't sign many proven Irish players. Some went elsewhere for better money, and we just don't have the budget to compete with other clubs for signings.

Lot of the players brought in are on peanuts. Might be a lot of lads training full time, but they're certainly not on full time wages. The lad who came over from Colorado is from Donegal, he is as local as it gets, as he's from ten minutes from Finn Park and grew up a Harps fan. Nobody arrived from Brazil, Filip Da Silva arrived from Norway.

Think a fair few fans are simply realistic about where we are, and the rebuild at hand too. We've an average squad age of 21, and only 18 so-called senior players, some of whom actually still qualify for the clubs under-19 team. It's a very small squad, a very tight budget, and a pretty unenviable task trying to put a team out there given the money blown last season.

We'll be grand in the long run.

[cláirseach]

I saw Rogers spinning a similar line in the press. It's something you hear a lot after a beating - we were in it for the first X minutes, until they got their goal. It is a little generous last night as Waterford had created several good chances, finishing poorly, before the opener and had really turned the game in the minutes leading up to it. Thereafter it was a total shambles and they could easily have hit double figures.

It is tempting to see the Rogers era already as an overcorrection to Horgan's tenure. His constant salesmanship, manifested mostly as #positivity and #energy was.. a little different to what Horgan offered and there were great promises to do all kinds of things, from playing the right way, to bringing youth through, to whatever else it was that you wanted to hear. He had an answer for everything, accurate or otherwise. The change of direction from Ollie certainly seemed to fit into the vision and direction of the new chairman. Four years is a long time.

There are a lot of lines to be used to deflect from the standard of player and performance at Harps, most of which don't stand up very well if anyone cared to look closely at them.

You can say that these are young players learning and growing, but the only young players who shown enough so far to mark them as capable of making a significant impact in senior football are on loan from Stockport and Derry.

It is a multi-year project, however the list of players on deals suggest that, a little like Bohs last year, the players are getting the length of contract that you'd wished you'd given the ghost of the past. Beyond the loans the only acceptable level of performance have been from a player on a short-term deal, arguably a 37 year old and from Ryan Flood. There are multi-year contracts here for players who simply cannot make an impression on senior football games.

I'm not going to bother with suggestions that they are playing the right way, or any of that nonsense. They're barely attacking at all.

The budget is a fan's favourite. Budgets are only important in relation to those around you and look at our neighbours in the table here are wonder if that can really be a factor. How you allocate it is another thing. Harps have a full-time manager for what is I think the first time in their history, and a surely it must be the first occassion on which they have had a full-time assistant. There is a big emphasis on availability for daily training, which has an impact on the players willing to commit and also on the cost and expense of training. Players are still being sourced internationally who struggle to play at this level.

Regardless, Rogers will retain plenty support for now and has a great chance in the next two games to get some good results on the board. It is not often that you play teams like Kerry and the current Treaty United side back-to-back in senior football. If they can do this then people can go back to believing.

This post wasn't approved at the time but the conversation has followed the lines expected. It is natural to want your club to do well, which for some people means defending them at all turns. Rogers found a very willing audience.

[cláirseach]

Players arrived from Arizona, Germany, Norway and England. His fundamental point was fine. On a side not I'm not sure that players travelling international and working daily for less than the minimum wage agreed with the union would be a path to follow.

Regarding the budget (apart from the points that I had made upthread) when you say


a pretty unenviable task trying to put a team out there given the money blown last season.

are you implying that a loss has been returned for last season, and that said loss is impacting the budget available for this season? I must have missed this. Modest profits had been returned for the previous years prior to the election of the current Chair.

[desaintsno.12]

doesnt sound encouraging for pats if they were brutal v ucd. clancy still under presure?

I would hope so. He's not up for the task IMO.

[Shearer]

Not above criticism at all, and as joey says, he's getting plenty of criticism from Harps fans on social media and I'm hearing plenty of it locally too.

Fact is, he couldn't sign many proven Irish players. Some went elsewhere for better money, and we just don't have the budget to compete with other clubs for signings.

Lot of the players brought in are on peanuts. Might be a lot of lads training full time, but they're certainly not on full time wages. The lad who came over from Colorado is from Donegal, he is as local as it gets, as he's from ten minutes from Finn Park and grew up a Harps fan. Nobody arrived from Brazil, Filip Da Silva arrived from Norway.

Think a fair few fans are simply realistic about where we are, and the rebuild at hand too. We've an average squad age of 21, and only 18 so-called senior players, some of whom actually still qualify for the clubs under-19 team. It's a very small squad, a very tight budget, and a pretty unenviable task trying to put a team out there given the money blown last season.

We'll be grand in the long run.
Filip da Silva is from Brazil, thanks.

[nigel-harps1954]

Filip da Silva is from Brazil, thanks.

He's not though. He's from Norway, with a Brazilian parent.

[pineapple stu]

Lot of the players brought in are on peanuts. Might be a lot of lads training full time, but they're certainly not on full time wages.
Didn't the PFAI minimum wage agreement specifically ban that?

[De Town]

Rogers is a complete spoofer to my uneducated eye/ear. Talks the talk but I'd be surprised if it turns out that he can walk the walk.

As for us, a comfortable 2-0 win against Kerry, who were absolutely brutal. I can see why Galway put 9 on them, and I doubt it'll be the last bad beating they get. A good team would have scored a few more against them on Saturday. Unfortunately, we're not very good. I'd be pleasantly surprised if we finish above 7th to be honest, and finishing 9th isn't out of the question. We're so toothless in the final 3rd.

On another note, Aodh Dervin thinking he can suddenly play football is very frustrating to watch. He's always been a kicker, a grafter, a worker (whatever phrase you're having yourself) in midfield. No more than that. Trying to play wild passes and then roaring abuse at teammates for not catching them is a tough watch. He needs to shut up and stop abusing teammates for his own shortcomings.

[JC_GUFC]

Kerry created better chances against Galway than they did last night. Last night was possibly their worst performance from an attacking point of view. The wait for a win goes on and on.

To be fair to Longford they were probably the best organised team defensively we've played this season.

On the other hand I thought Athlone were quite good going forward on Friday but defensively they were fairly shambolic. It was probably our best performance of the season so far.

We have equalled our club record of 7 successive wins and can beat that on Friday in Wexford.

[legendz]

As for us, a comfortable 2-0 win
The first goal was against the run of play but well taken. Kerry did dominate after that in the middle of the half but didn't really threaten to score. The Longford manager got the response he wanted from his players after that. 1-0 possibly would have been a fair result, not that it matters. Kerry could have been there for the rest of the weekend and wouldn't have scored. Their worst display of season from an attacking point of view.

[Jd2793]

Rogers is a complete spoofer to my uneducated eye/ear. Talks the talk but I'd be surprised if it turns out that he can walk the walk.

As for us, a comfortable 2-0 win against Kerry, who were absolutely brutal. I can see why Galway put 9 on them, and I doubt it'll be the last bad beating they get. A good team would have scored a few more against them on Saturday. Unfortunately, we're not very good. I'd be pleasantly surprised if we finish above 7th to be honest, and finishing 9th isn't out of the question. We're so toothless in the final 3rd.

On another note, Aodh Dervin thinking he can suddenly play football is very frustrating to watch. He's always been a kicker, a grafter, a worker (whatever phrase you're having yourself) in midfield. No more than that. Trying to play wild passes and then roaring abuse at teammates for not catching them is a tough watch. He needs to shut up and stop abusing teammates for his own shortcomings.


dervin is a poor footballer. the praise he received after the cup final was bizarre. got a lot of plaudits for heedlessly chasing after derry players. hes not very good, first division is his level.

[De Town]

dervin is a poor footballer. the praise he received after the cup final was bizarre. got a lot of plaudits for heedlessly chasing after derry players. hes not very good, first division is his level.

Agreed. I thought the same when Shels signed him and wasn't surprised to see them get rid of him after one season. He can be a decent first division midfielder, I just wish he'd start being one rather than trying things he's not able to do and berating teammates all over the shop. Never a good sign when you start disliking players on your own team but it's heading that way with him for me.

[Olander]

Dervin has always been like that. It's nothing new. Jumped up little weasel with a chip on his shoulder. The First Division is his level.

[ToberonaTornado]

It has, I recall Danny of the famous SSA trying hard to cheerlead it with mixed results years back, footage of Ajax fans singing it started the interest and subsequently there was much fawning of Ajax fans at White Hart Lane singing it pre European game. Still never took to it! Bohs stole it?? Sure they own Bob Marley cause he was in Dalymount once in 1980 or something!! Funny enough Spurs claim him too, there are quite a few Bohs like Bob Spurs jerseys knocking about...

Nesta... mate,i'm telling you,that Bob song was doing the rounds in op a long,long,time before Danny was even born or before Bohs adopted it:)
But obv we disagree on that. And we'll let it rest.

On the match itself(Dundalk v Shams) We were poor. Even 11 v 11.
The Sending off was imo not a s/o and i'd wonder if any red card appeal sent to the FAI will ever be overturned??
if Bob had have stayed on we only would have been beat 2-0

[sbgawa]

Nesta... mate,i'm telling you,that Bob song was doing the rounds in op a long,long,time before Danny was even born or before Bohs adopted it:)
But obv we disagree on that. And we'll let it rest.

On the match itself(Dundalk v Shams) We were poor. Even 11 v 11.
The Sending off was imo not a s/o and i'd wonder if any red card appeal sent to the FAI will ever be overturned??
if Bob had have stayed on we only would have been beat 2-0

Its a handy €500 for the FAI coffers every time they turn down an appeal

[oriel]

I'm not a fan of managers on social media but its just not true to say that "every Harps fan thinks he can do no wrong",he's being getting plenty of criticism from the 2nd game of the season.....

But he's had 7 games so far,pointless making judgements about anything after such a short space of time.....

I think Rogers falls into the bracket of a decent coach, but needs to work on his mgt. Noticed the twitter stuff, silly sending a note last week with a red bottle of wine emoji 'will have this for you Keith Long'.........................concentrate on the football Dave !!!!

**Vinny Perth was probably another decent coach, but not a great manager.

[oriel]

Nesta... mate,i'm telling you,that Bob song was doing the rounds in op a long,long,time before Danny was even born or before Bohs adopted it:)
But obv we disagree on that. And we'll let it rest.

On the match itself(Dundalk v Shams) We were poor. Even 11 v 11.
The Sending off was imo not a s/o and i'd wonder if any red card appeal sent to the FAI will ever be overturned??
if Bob had have stayed on we only would have been beat 2-0

Agreed on that, without Hoban up top and having the MF unbalanced with Benson on the right, even at KO I was thinking 'be doing well to get a draw here'