Matches week 23/10 to 30/10

[sbgawa]

Premier Division

Monday 23rd

St Pats v Sligo 19:30

Friday 27th

Shels v UCD 19:45
Dundalk v Bohemians 19:45
Cork v Derry 19:45
St Pats v Shamrock Rovers 20:00

Saturday 28th

Sligo v Drogheda

Monday 30th

Cork v Shamrock Rovers

[sbgawa]

A thread to tidy up everything before the final weekend.

I'm assuming Pats will beat Sligo so a win against us on Friday for them could put them level with us on 65 points but we would still need a maximum of 3 points from our Games against Cork and Sligo given our goal difference advantage. We cant lose it from here you would hope .............

Dundalk v Bohs is a huge one for both teams. Bohs wont want to put themselves in the position of losing the cup final and not qualifying for Europe.
Losing a final is bad enough.
If Bohs dont win Shels can go 4th with a win against UCD. Be some performance from Duffer and Joey if they pull it off

[Jack B]

A win however it comes tonight and guaranteeing Europe in the process with time to spare is all I really want from these final three games. The league isn't happening and I don't really want to be needing a result in Derry or something on the final day and risk players getting injured on that pitch ahead of the final.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

The win tonight should come very easily

[Jd2793]

The win tonight should come very easily

are ye down bodies?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Bolger, Hutchinson and Burton out anyway but there’s also the fact that we’re pure useless

[oriel]

Sligo looked like a jaded / semi disinterested team last Fri v Dundalk, and one that just wanted the season over.

Could be a long night for them v a Pats team in peak form.

[joey B]

Sligo blessed UCD and Cork are so poor,bad season for them,I wonder will Russell still be in charge next season?

[total hoofball]

I'd be doubtful that Russell would still be the man for that job, Sligo need to rebuild while cutting their budget and move up the table with Galway coming up into their local market so to speak. They looked like a team without any style or identity in their matches against Shels

Sligo must be praying for 2024 the likes of Cobh or Wexford win the promotion play-offs at the expense of Cork

[Jack B]

Horrible night in Richmond. On the balance of chances it was actually quite even and Lyness had a couple of saves to make, but on the whole Sligo were awful. Had a go to begin with and then just sat in hoping they were still in it with 10 to go and started trying to play again.

We weren't much better and struggled to play through them but the rain didn't make it easy for anyone out there. Happy to just get the win and wrap up Europe for next season.

[2 Year Contract]

Sligo started brightly tonight and looked dangerous in the first 10 or so minutes but after that it was all Pats for the rest of the first half pressure wise. Cracker of a goal from Kian Leavy who’s looked very very tidy the last 2 games. Should probably have been 2 or 3 up at half time but for 2 good Brush saves from 1v1s against Carty and McClelland. Second half was very uneventful from both sides on the whole. As mentioned, sligo tried to have a go in the last few minutes but their lack of quality going forward must be alarming for Sligo fans. Keena last year and Mata this year, there’s only so many times you can pull a rabbit out of the hat and you’d imagine a goalscorer of their quality will be very hard to replace for another season now. They’d have been lost this year without Mata's goals in the first half of the season

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Can’t really say ye should have been 2 or 3 up at half time when we should have scored twice early on. But we are very poor. Just assuming Cork won’t get enough points to catch us. That second half was horrific from both sides.

[2 Year Contract]

Can’t really say ye should have been 2 or 3 up at half time when we should have scored twice early on. But we are very poor. Just assuming Cork won’t get enough points to catch us. That second half was horrific from both sides.

Hartmann (shot from a tight angle with not much to aim at) and Barlow (flick header that Lyness tipped over but was ultimately straight in the middle of the goal and a save you would expect your goalkeeper to make) aren’t chances Id deem either player ‘should’ have scored. Mahon(?) I think had a decent header from a corner too but a free out was awarded for that

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Hartmann was a very good save and Buckley had a free header from 6 yards out that he should have buried. The free out was for what happened after it was blocked.

[2 Year Contract]

Hartmann was a very good save

Again, have to disagree. It’s at around 35 seconds in the highlights below. If any club’s goalkeeper conceded that shot their fans would rightly be disappointed in their goalkeeper. It’s straight at Lyness' feet with very little power on it

https://youtu.be/PWNWRXiZQe8?si=NWBSb2OP4sRFpCLQ

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Agreed he didn’t strike it as well as I thought at the time. Would still expect him to score from there. Similar enough to McClellands effort that it could have been struck better. Pity he didn’t get the deflection your goal got.

[EalingGreen]

I'd be doubtful that Russell would still be the man for that job, Sligo need to rebuild while cutting their budget and move up the table with Galway coming up into their local market so to speak. They looked like a team without any style or identity in their matches against Shels
Would the manager's job at Sligo be full-time? If so, I believe Ian Baraclough is still on-the-market. And while ultimately he flopped with the big job for NI, he wasn't so bad as many of his critics had it (imo), or at least was unlucky with circumstances and timing etc. While looking at his Wiki page, he seemed to do a good job at Sligo, no?


Keena last year and Mata this year, there’s only so many times you can pull a rabbit out of the hat and you’d imagine a goalscorer of their quality will be very hard to replace for another season now. Keena's going through a real tough time of it at Cheltenham this season - looks to be missing playing alongside 20-goal Alfie May (signed for Charlton in the summer). And after starting 9 of their first 11 games this season (came on as sub in the other two) without scoring, he's been an unused sub for the new manager in the two games since.

Now as it happens, Cheltenham don't have a pot to **** in, meaning that if they go down again this season (v.likely), then they might be unable to pay off his contract, so will keep him for another season. But if they do survive, he may possibly even be released, should the new manager be able to sign a replacement? Could Sligo re-sign him for 2024?

[2 Year Contract]

Would the manager's job at Sligo be full-time? If so, I believe Ian Baraclough is still on-the-market. And while ultimately he flopped with the big job for NI, he wasn't so bad as many of his critics had it (imo), or at least was unlucky with circumstances and timing etc. While looking at his Wiki page, he seemed to do a good job at Sligo, no?

Keena's going through a real tough time of it at Cheltenham this season - looks to be missing playing alongside 20-goal Alfie May (signed for Charlton in the summer). And after starting 9 of their first 11 games this season (came on as sub in the other two) without scoring, he's been an unused sub for the new manager in the two games since.

Now as it happens, Cheltenham don't have a pot to **** in, meaning that if they go down again this season (v.likely), then they might be unable to pay off his contract, so will keep him for another season. But if they do survive, he may possibly even be released, should the new manager be able to sign a replacement? Could Sligo re-sign him for 2024?

Yeah, it’s a full time job as all other Premier division jobs are next season with the exception of Drogheda (who are in the process of being bought by Americans and will be going full time, just possibly not as early as January). Baraclough won a league with Sligo, albeit with a squad assembled pretty much entirely by Paul Cook, but it was impressive none the less, he also won the FAI Cup and Setanta Cup with them, so I can be corrected if I’m wrong but he’s probably their most successful manager ever? His name was linked with the Pats and Cork jobs earlier in the year but I’ve no idea how true those rumours were to materialising.

On Keena, yeah he’s not had a good season at all with Cheltenham but he did enough in his time with Sligo to have better offers than going back to Sligo. I’d imagine if he became available one or more of the league's European sides would be interested

[total hoofball]

Baraclough would be nostalgia appointment if you forget that he inherited Paul Cook's five seasons worth of work building Sligo into a team ready to win a league in 2012, that 2013 FAI Cup win papered over a team going backwards under him before he was found out the next season before the parting of ways. Nothing in his career since then indicates he would be able to rebuild that Sligo squad with his own recruitment on a reduced budget and I'd say he wouldn't come cheap himself

[Martinho II]

Baraclough would be nostalgia appointment if you forget that he inherited Paul Cook's five seasons worth of work building Sligo into a team ready to win a league in 2012, that 2013 FAI Cup win papered over a team going backwards under him before he was found out the next season before the parting of ways. Nothing in his career since then indicates he would be able to rebuild that Sligo squad with his own recruitment on a reduced budget and I'd say he wouldn't come cheap himself

Where is IB now TH? I read more about John Coleman ex Sligo mgr more than I hear of Baraclough himself!

[Dermobohs]

Dearie me, yet another stonewall peno for bohs not even considered, by a ref who’s having a good game too. Very frustrating.

[ger121]

Was a bad called alright Dermo.

Goalfest too tonight.

[pineapple stu]

Interesting final day ahead as it stands - Shels, Dundalk and Bohs all on 55 points in the race for fourth. (Which will only be relevant if Pat's win the Cup)

[Dermobohs]

Oh lord we’re falling asunder now, second daft goal conceded, bad subs from the boss, not lookin too good for the final, what a let down.

[pineapple stu]

Interesting final day ahead as it stands - Shels, Dundalk and Bohs all on 55 points in the race for fourth. (Which will only be relevant if Pat's win the Cup)

That of course is dependent on us hanging on ten minutes without conceding, which didn't happen...

Rovers get a late goal in Inchicore though which surely seals the 4-in-a-row

[ger121]

If Devine does not win the cup then he can pack his bags.

[Bohtastic]

Jaysus. That's terrible play from Bohs.

Hopeless defending for two games in a row.
Echoes of 2021 at the moment- we won't make 4th, and it all riding on the final v pats. Confidence and form on the floor going into the last match.

[pineapple stu]

Echoes of 2021 at the moment- we won't make 4th, and it all riding on the final v pats. Confidence and form on the floor going into the last match.
A Pat's win would mean fourth get Europe, and Shels need a draw in Drogheda next week to confirm that, assuming Dundalk don't beat us by four or more, which isn't impossible.

Would be Shels' first time in Europe since the Ollie Byrne era. Duffer's done a good job, even if the overall standard of the league seems quite poor.

[Calcio Jack]

That was easy in the end ….. and the leagues most successful club just got more successful …. And Bradley becomes the first manager to win 4 titles in a row and counting .

[Yossarian]

Great win for us. Both teams were poor but we just had enough.
Bizarre at the end when all the Bohs players stood still in front of the away end as their fans gave them abuse. Weird behaviour towards a team in the cup final.

[Nesta99]

A Pat's win would mean fourth get Europe, and Shels need a draw in Drogheda next week to confirm that, assuming Dundalk don't beat us by four or more, which isn't impossible.

Would be Shels' first time in Europe since the Ollie Byrne era. Duffer's done a good job, even if the overall standard of the league seems quite poor.

Yiz just couldnt hang on for another couple of minutes:mad:

I dont get what the issue is for Devine but every side he has managed scorches out of the blocks and then fade badly in the end. Dont know how Dundalk are in with the slightest of chance of 4th and Europe, that said there have been some awful points chucked away and could or should be 10 or so points better off and that takes in to consideration smash and grab at Drogheda eg. Its been a long and forgetable season, theres been much worse yet this one feels oddly similar.

Congrats to Rovers, you only have to be as good as you need to be and 4 i a row is some achievement - its a shame it was an unspectacular 4th but no Rovers fans will care and the record books wont have 'worst stand league season ever' astericked in. What would be spectacular and would influence my thoughts on Bradleys limitations as a manager would be if he stays and rebuilds another title winning side, 4 in a row isnt enough for that.....

[ger121]

Bradley certainly pulling no punches in that post match interview. Unless the board don’t back him, I reckon he’ll be there next season.

As Mark Twain once said, 'The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'

[ger121]

I dont get what the issue is for Devine but every side he has managed scorches out of the blocks and then fade badly in the end.

I remember all the Derry fans saying this when he became manager. My own view is his personality galvanises players when he joins a club but that only gets you so far. When things go wrong he seems to have no Plan B and therefore can’t adapt.

[Calcio Jack]

Bradley certainly pulling no punches in that post match interview. Unless the board don’t back him, I reckon he’ll be there next season.

As Mark Twain once said, 'The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'

I think you’re spot on in your interpretation

[joey B]

I remember all the Derry fans saying this when he became manager. My own view is his personality galvanises players when he joins a club but that only gets you so far. When things go wrong he seems to have no Plan B and therefore can’t adapt.

I suppose if he dosent win the final he'll be gone,he wasnt Fenlon's appointment and he'll probably have no qualms letting him go.....

[sbgawa]

Great to get it out of the way tonight and my second 4 in a row. We haven't been great this season but we've been good enough. Here's to next season and a better start then this one.

[Nesta99]

I remember all the Derry fans saying this when he became manager. My own view is his personality galvanises players when he joins a club but that only gets you so far. When things go wrong he seems to have no Plan B and therefore can’t adapt.

At this stage you'd think hed have come up with something, the obvious one being to get in a savvy assistant who as a management team could have the man management and personality with a tactician and eye for signings that will work. His 1st Free scoring Derry were one of the most enjoyable Derry sides Id seen play in Oriel for years but by the 2nd or 3rd round of games it all went backward and he's been on rinse and repeat ever since in each job. What the old say, madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. On recent form its hard to see the cup win unless he can pull one final player rousing speech from the 1st week of the job.

[placid casual]

"Even if Shamrock Rovers eventually get their act together, it may already be too late for title hopes".

????

[placid casual]

I've seen 2 4inarow's now
Would be great to see 5, and if Rovers can keep 60% of that squad and the management team there really isn't anything to suggest they'll get close competition next season.
Champions again ole ole, Champions again ole ole, Champions again, Champions again, Champions again ole ole.
Over and out

[Jack B]

Have to say tonight only made me have more faith in Daly. He on paper weakened the team but the general set-up had us neck and neck with Rovers in general play until their squad depth won out, as it has done previously. The amount of academy lads playing in such a game is a great message to send out.

If it's the case that Gaffney is out of contract then Rovers would be mad not to do all they can to keep him on. At this level he's an excellent player.

[ontheotherhand]

Pats have some lovely players. Leavy is a joy to watch and Melia will be a star. Not having Forrester on for most of the game resulted in everything for them being a bit rushed I thought.

I thought we were pretty comfortable overall and certainly had the best chances. If Leavy had scored it may have been different. It was hectic at times which suited Pats and they definitely had spells but ultimately it's the story of the season - the best team won.

I was born into the previous 4 in a row but I don't remember it of course. 40 years from the start of it to the end of this one. 40 years where we could have died many times. The green flag still flies though, and for now, it's flying high.

As I'm in a good mood I'll also say all the best to the rest (most of you anyway) in your various battles until the end of the season. It's been a tough one, competitive and entertaining. Exactly what we all want. The LoI is having a moment, long may it continue.

[D24Saint]

Have to say tonight only made me have more faith in Daly. He on paper weakened the team but the general set-up had us neck and neck with Rovers in general play until their squad depth won out, as it has done previously. The amount of academy lads playing in such a game is a great message to send out.

If it's the case that Gaffney is out of contract then Rovers would be mad not to do all they can to keep him on. At this level he's an excellent player.

Lost two nil at home to a local rival . Theirs is no silver lining to anything imo despite what a load of pats heads are spouting. Sick and tired of happy to be second talk.

[Jack B]

Lost two nil at home to a local rival . Theirs is no silver lining to anything imo despite what a load of pats heads are spouting. Sick and tired of happy to be second talk.

Each to their own.

[oriel]

Lost two nil at home to a local rival . Theirs is no silver lining to anything imo despite what a load of pats heads are spouting. Sick and tired of happy to be second talk.

I wouldn't be getting ahead of yourself D24, if Pats do finish 2nd its 2 places higher than last season, and that's a good season, as is 3rd or even joint 2nd.

[D24Saint]

I wouldn't be getting ahead of yourself D24, if Pats do finish 2nd its 2 places higher than last season, and that's a good season, as is 3rd or even joint 2nd.

I agree it is progress if we can manage to get second. I get that ! . It’s just the matra that I got after the game last night that it was a more important game to them that us annoys me.

[TonyD]

I agree it is progress if we can manage to get second. I get that ! . It’s just the matra that I got after the game last night that it was a more important game to them that us annoys me.

Of course it’s not pleasant watching Rovers secure the trophy at Richmond, but we have to be realistic too. They have greater squad depth than us and we gave them a good game on Friday. The amount of good young players we have is notable too. Sadly we won’t hang on to the best of them. Jon Daly has done a good job, and if we win the Cup it will have been a very good season.

[sbgawa]

Cork are 9/2 for Monday. Will Cork not careing be better then a hungover Rovers?

[placid casual]

I think Bradser and the team will want to go and prove a point when they play at the cross today, after the goings-on in the last game there between the teams.
Cork look a bit of a mess but Keating looks decent. Will the cork fanbase turn on their team if a guard of honour is shown. Might keep the mouthy rats in the overlooking pub quiet if nothing else.

[Stuttgart88]

I was born into the previous 4 in a row but I don't remember it of course. 40 years from the start of it to the end of this one. 40 years where we could have died many times. The green flag still flies though, and for now, it's flying high.I was in 5th and 6th year in school and then 1st and 2nd year in UCD during the first 4 in a row period. Great times until the abrupt, painful end. The preceding years were generally a bit grim too. I knew I was supporting a club with a great history but there was precious little sign of a successful present, despite Giles. I think I was 12 when I first went to Milltown.

[sbgawa]

Rovers with only 1 survivor from Friday. Lee Grace (must be a pioneer) ?