Series 33 (6th-12th October)

[brendy_éire]

6th October:

Premier Division
FRI Drogheda United - Derry City
FRI Shelbourne - Dundalk

First Division
FRI Athlone Town - Bray Wanderers
FRI Cobh Ramblers - Longford Town
FRI Kerry - Wexford
FRI Treaty United - Finn Harps

Tuesday 10th
Galway - Waterford

Thursday 12th
UCD - Bohemians

[brendy_éire]

Nice that the Cup games are on seperate days to the League matches.

Hard to know what to think of going to Drogheda tonight. We don't have a great record there, but the season is properly over for Drogs, so I'd be more hopefully than usual of picking up a win.

Shels-Dundalk has lots riding on it. With Bohs playing UCD, losing it for either team will surely put an end of European hopes.

Fairly meaningless ties in the First. Maybe if Treaty win and Athlone lose, there could be something of a race for fifth.

[outspoken]

Nice that the Cup games are on seperate days to the League matches.

Hard to know what to think of going to Drogheda tonight. We don't have a great record there, but the season is properly over for Drogs, so I'd be more hopefully than usual of picking up a win.

Shels-Dundalk has lots riding on it. With Bohs playing UCD, losing it for either team will surely put an end of European hopes.

Fairly meaningless ties in the First. Maybe if Treaty win and Athlone lose, there could be something of a race for fifth.
Drogs still fighting as if every point matters and will be annoyed to have lost another louth derby, I'd expect a big reaction from them.

[culloty82]

Kelliher up to his tenth league goal of the season, cancelling out Wexford's early opener, so scoring at least hasn't been one of our issues!

[yurt]

Who is that on co-comms the Shels game? Just complaining about everything the ref does or doesn't do. Hard listen.

[thebronze14]

Utter ****e from Harps again...67 minutes in and i'm not sure if we've had the ball in Treaty's box yet

[culloty82]

Very interesting now in terms of the final FD play-off spot, with Treaty now right on Athlone's coat-tails, trailing them by two points if results as things stand are confirmed.

[TonyD]

Who is that on co-comms the Shels game? Just complaining about everything the ref does or doesn't do. Hard listen.

Tony “Shero” Sheridan. Still hates Pats ;). Good man Shero, ya tool :p

[Dermobohs]

Watched shelbourne/ Dundalk, my eyes are bleeding.
Worst non football I’ve seen, utter ****e

[joey B]

Easy for Treaty, should have won by more...
Not much else to say about us at this stage,we're shocking and its scary days when you realise most of the squad is signed up for next season aswell.......

[patsdad]

More than likely now that the Hoops will wrap up the title in Cork on the 23rd meaning we’ll have to give them a guard of honour on the 27th. Which is fine as we’ll then beat them to wrap up Europe.

[Shearer]

Scoreline flattered Finn Harps tonight.

[da bishop]

Utter ****e from Harps again...67 minutes in and i'm not sure if we've had the ball in Treaty's box yet

The worst team ive seen come to the MF..had to feel sorry for the hand full of Harps fans having to sit through that awful display,Treaty no different to them in the first half terrible stuff,improved after the break and ran out easy winners.

[Nesta99]

Didnt see the game in Tolka, seen a lot less this season in general than usual, but must have been some battle with 10 yellows dishes out, with that many you'd expect a red too. Was Duffer in the stands as he'd have been a banker for another yellow or 2. O'Donnell was saying this week that its hard to prep for next season not knowing where we will finish, well he can get on his bike now and get cracking. Still not totally sure where the latter end of the season slide has stemmed from, before injury to Boyle we were going off the simmer, We did have 2 or 3 game poor runs but could bounce back with a run of 4 or 5 results then, but couldnt string bead now. Chucked away 8 to 10 points very sloppily over the season which has made a big difference in a paricularly mediocre season. 1st round we were carrying a lot of injuries but coped, this round yes we are missing players but Benson at left back and Sloggett at centre half? We that tight on cover, are the 19s really not up to stepping up at all? We've had high lines, deep defence, 3 at the back, standard 4 - tonight if we were short at left back it would have made more sense to me to play 3 at the back and say Horgan as LWB and Benson in the hole behind Hoban, not Benson at LRB and Horgan as a 10?

Maybe by next season the manager will have decided on his starting 11, formation and preferred defensive system by June. Not sure who is contracted beyond this season but we felt we had a solid spine to the team to be built around 2022, this year to consolidate and next year to keick on well. It feels like this season has been a bit of a waste, for me anyway, and that the chopping and changing could continue and it would still be hard to balance the side. Like we havent become mean at the back with a view to adding greater attacking threat from a solid base, we can play the ball across the midfield all night but bar crosses from deep or set pieces looking for Hoban there isnt much else going on in the final third. Before July it was a bit 'give it to Tulloch'. Hoban getting 12 this season is decent considering. GD doesnt always tell the whole story but its spot on this season across the league this season. Ugh just get 2023 done!!

[total hoofball]

My post on tonights Shels/Dundalk match just vanished as I was submitting it so to summarise another gritty Shels win for a big 3 points to keep Euro prospects alive which path will be clearer after these two cup semi finals

Dundalk are at end of an era now, it would be risky for them to stick with SOD for a complete squad rebuild next season with budget cuts having no Euro money they are in trouble unless investment comes in with proper recruitment

[Nesta99]

For all my ranting on this seaso, the manager we still want is Stephen O'Donnell! Not been easy so far but with time and patience t will be all good!!

[placid casual]

If Derry are brave, they'll snatch Bradley when he inevitably leaves Rovers at season's end,and he'll have them winning the league next year,imho.

[trevy]

Athlone are in danger of losing out on playoffs after a bad run of results. Treaty's last 2 games are against Galway and Waterford though. Bray also have an outside chance of getting 5th spot.

[brendy_éire]

If Derry are brave, they'll snatch Bradley when he inevitably leaves Rovers at season's end,and he'll have them winning the league next year,imho.

That would be brave.

Can't imagine we would pay what he'd be asking for.
If I got to handpick a new manager, it would be Stephen Kenny. Third time's the charm.

[DCWA]

If we were changing manager (and we won’t be) then Kenny would be the obvious candidate and by far the best option, I don’t think we would ever go near Bradley, and I’m happy with that.

[oriel]

Do you guys seriously think Kenny will come back to manage Derry when his tenure at Ireland ends? He lives in Blackrock LH for start, no way he'll up sticks again and move for a LOI club, I don't think he will make a return to Oriel Park (maybe in 10 years !) but clearly his next move after Ireland will be a club abroad, (not England or Scot), his options will be continent europe (mid leagues) or US (mid leagues again) IMO, both options not to be sniffed at mind, both will pay very well.

All that said, I don't think Higgins is the right man to lead Derry forward, I'd put him with his fellow mgt team colleague at DFC Vinny Perth, both are good coaches, not what I would consider as great managers.

[Nesta99]

That would be brave.

Can't imagine we would pay what he'd be asking for.
If I got to handpick a new manager, it would be Stephen Kenny. Third time's the charm.

His head could probably be turned by a couple of contracts offered!

[DCWA]

Do you guys seriously think Kenny will come back to manage Derry when his tenure at Ireland ends?.

Yes he would. It won’t be happening as Higgins will be seeing out his contract but there is no doubtnhe would take the job with the right offer.

[legendz]

Premier Division
Thursday 12th
UCD - Bohemians
UCD 1-2 Bohemians
Bohemians are back into the top 4.

[total hoofball]

From a Shels perspective after the cup semi-final results and tonight's result it's looking more likely we will have to win our final 3 games Derry (a), UCD (h), Drogheda (a) to pull off a European spot

Though if we did beat Derry next week it could get crazy tight between 2nd to 5th anyone could finish anywhere. Pats have an ugly last 4 games and in the final rounds direct matches Bohs vs Pats and Derry vs Pats final night

[ger121]

That score was a lot closer than it should have been but job done. 3 games left but still all to play for. Could finish 3rd or even 5th. Be happy with 4th and off to the cup final.

[joey B]

Cracking strike for UCD’s consolation….

[Dermobohs]

Thought the ref was very good last night, that’s not something you hear often!

[ger121]

Thought the ref was very good last night, that’s not something you hear often!

I thought the same.