Weekend Feb 16th/17th Feb

[Nesta99]

Ohh it's so exciting, Its like Christmas eve waiting on Santa to come, except 100 times more exciting, the problem is your in your fiftys

Speak for yourself!! Though at times we are nothing more big kids especially when the ref goes against and people spit the dummy and throw toys out of the pram!

[sbgawa]

Hopefully Santa Claus brings me 3 points tomorrow. Who won pre season BTW?? Pats were going for 3 in a row if my memory is right...

[Bohtastic]

Ooh... Christmas eve analogy is nice, but for the fact that this year we don't know if santa will be serving us a present of a big bag of sh**e on Christmas morning, or indeed this coming season.

[Nesta99]

Its slightly better not knowing what to expect than its is to be damn sure and sorely disappointed!

[ger121]

Day 0. It’s good to be back!

[LTFC]

Very exciting, we have 9 games tonight, all just part of the build up to the big one tomorrow night, Town V Harps, or what Harps have called the Elcloseico 24!!!

So, hope you have the jersey washed, the kids havent got too big or too cool for the theirs, and your new season chants all learned off....

[oriel]

Predictions - PD

Derry City v Drogheda United - HW, not sure on score.
Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk - 2-0, or the classic betting one of -1 goals,(to win by at least 2) ***
Bohemians v Sligo 1-0
Galway United v St Pats 1-2
Waterford v Shelbourne 1-1


**Dundalk have 11 new joins and 4 could start tonight, have no idea how they will perform, could be ok, v good or awful, but it should be a fairly comfortable home win, would imagine it will take our lads at least a month to settle in, hopefully can pick up some points and the odd win during that period, as a bad start in this year of all seasons could be damning for any club. Rovers missing 4 I think, it won't matter as they have a settled team and pre season was all about fitness for them v shape / bedding in for our boys.

[D24Saint]

We need a decent performance tonight after last week. I’d love to win it but a draw would suffice and move on to the Bohs game next week. It should be a great atmosphere.

[culloty82]

Jack Kavanagh evidently injured, as he's missing from the matchday squad tonight - somewhat of a blow, as he's been excellent since signing.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Treaty playing in Blue is a welcome sight. Looks a good turnout at the Markets Field, so we're definitely about to lose.

[passinginterest]

Great view from the new north stand in Tallaght. Sadly it looks like Farrugia has a serious injury. Best player on the pitch but as usual no luck with injuries.

I reckon attendance about 8,200.

[Nesta99]

Innocuous injury to Farrugia. Looks like a collarbone or dislocated shoulder. You'd prefer the dislocation tbh, quicker recovery. Bradshaw(?) got a piece of the ball but there was a pullback of the shoulder so probably was a free but Farrugia went to ground himself and injured himself. Decent start from Dundalk albeit on the back foot. Id expect Rovers to carve out chances and go on to win based on whats on show so far but in among the pack that 20 mins or so is positive so far.

[joey B]

Cork 2 up already and Jack Doherty with both,that will be familiar over the course of the season I reckon!

[Nesta99]

Nice!

[joey B]

Jaysis Pohls was poor for that ….

[passinginterest]

Jaysis Pohls was poor for that ….

Looked a good strike and maybe clipped the top of a head? Slightly against the run of play but Rovers not created much.

[The Bowler]

That is absolutely p1ss poor goalkeeping from Pohls

[joey B]

Looked a good strike and maybe clipped the top of a head? Slightly against the run of play but Rovers not created much.

I don’t know I think any keeper worth his salt saves that….

[NeverFeltBetter]

1-0 Treaty at HT, off a pretty silly own goal. Treaty could have scored three in the minutes after, but fluffed a lot of chances, concerning. Lee Devitt very good down the right.

[joey B]

Bohs 2-1 down after being 1 up and lost Cornwall to injury….

[sulywaterfordfc]

Blues 1 up against Shels at half time.

[pineapple stu]

I think any keeper worth his salt saves that….
Agree with this alright

Not a howler but the ball was nowhere near the corner; Pohls just didn't get across quick enough. Mannus would have saved it I think

Liking this novelty of us scoring even when we have ten men. First Division isn't all bad!

[Bohtastic]

Bohs doing bohs things.
Looked good for 20 minutes then showed their soft underbelly. Much the same as last year.
Rinse and repeat.

[joey B]

Rovers losing Clarke and Farrugia to injury in the first half…

[The Bowler]

That just gutting for Farugia, has glass collarbones, fairly sure done twice at UCD, the poor lad, what awful luck

[yurt]

Would have been interesting to see how the first half would have panned out without the early Pat's goal.

Galway have been allowed the ball around the backline and have just been hitting the channels. Pat's look destined to get a second on the break but the longer this stays at 0-1 and Galway are allowed to hoof balls into the box the better for Galway.

[ger121]

No surprise we are getting absolutely roasted at the back and Cornwall possibly out for a while. Only plus is Reinkort looks good.

[Calcio Jack]

Innocuous injury to Farrugia. Looks like a collarbone or dislocated shoulder. You'd prefer the dislocation tbh, quicker recovery. Bradshaw(?) got a piece of the ball but there was a pullback of the shoulder so probably was a free but Farrugia went to ground himself and injured himself. Decent start from Dundalk albeit on the back foot. Id expect Rovers to carve out chances and go on to win based on whats on show so far but in among the pack that 20 mins or so is positive so far.

That’s a new one … player gets pulled back and fouled… but all his fault as he injured himself.

Rovers missing too many regulars plus injuries to Farrugia and Clarke… can’t see anything but a Duns win as we’re bereft of any real quality ….

[Nesta99]

That’s a new one … player gets pulled back and fouled… but all his fault as he injured himself.

Rovers missing too many regulars plus injuries to Farrugia and Clarke… can’t see anything but a Duns win as we’re bereft of any real quality ….

He injured himself throwing himself to he ground! Have a proper look!

[SkStu]

We were really bad at times last year but I don’t remember us being quite so disorganized as we are tonight. So messy. Sligo are poor but we are awful. Tough watch this.

[Nesta99]

Gaffney played a bliner there as blocker for the goal. Shows the value of experience. Greene also played young Mayo. He will learn. Irrespective of result now, we can be more positive about the season I think. The ups and downs of football, O'Kane the width of a post from being 0-2 and 1-1 moments later. Shows how close the game is considering the newly assembled team against the old and tested settled side.

[Nesta99]

We were really bad at times last year but I don’t remember us being quite so disorganized as we are tonight. So messy. Sligo are poor but we are awful. Tough watch this.

Dont worry, tradition will save you!

[SkStu]

Dont worry, tradition will save you!

It’s bad Nesta. Ten minutes plus stoppage time to save our season.

[joey B]

Sean Boyd ,subbed on ,scores and sent off all within 15 minutes!!

[Shinkicker]

Bohs doing bohs things.
Looked good for 20 minutes then showed their soft underbelly. Much the same as last year.
Rinse and repeat.
Totally agree

[passinginterest]

Rovers looking more likely winners now.

7,610 I think was attendance announced. I must have overestimated the north stand crowd!

[SkStu]

Lilander is atrocious.

[SkStu]

2-2 well worked equalizer has to be said. Clarke header from Dylan Connolly cross.

[Nesta99]

Looks to have been a change with S+C with Rovers. Players have bulked down and look more mobile. Gaffney is ageless anyway but Hoare looks slimmer and a lot more agile and mobile as a result, even looks to have a bit more pace. If Towell was on be interesting to see if he also has lad off the weights a bit and focused more on pure fitness than bulking up, something I think took from the best part of his game.

[Shinkicker]

2-2 well worked equalizer has to be said. Clarke header from Dylan Connolly cross.
First 5 mins all Sligo next 20 all Bohs and a goal. Then Bohs went home and let Sligo in for 2 goals. Second half was all about Sligo stifling Bohs, but Bohs scored. Best player Clarke, worst player lilander when he came on. Fkcu me it's going to be a long hard slog. The fact Cornwall went off injured with no direct replacement shows the importance of doing business early. But we are Bohs

[Jack B]

Pitch in Galway was atrocious and didn't lend itself to anything approaching a decent game to be played. Big patches of the pitch were missing altogether and it was generally unplayable. Conor Keeley could have played on his own and Galway wouldn't have scored, he was dominant and probably the worst defender in the league they could come up against in terms of being able to handle their style of play.

Happy to take the 1-0 and get out of there. Plenty more opportunities to actually look good this season.

[Kiki Balboa]

Were Rovers fans on a silent protest?

Barely any fans left when the players went over after the game.

[total hoofball]

Pitch was absolutely shocking at the RSC aswell made it impossible to try play a good game of football. Shels very poor in the 1st half improved a bit as it went on but a fair result in the end despite the brilliance and absolute headcase worst out of Boyd

I think Waterford will be ok this season I predicted 7th for them didn't see anything to increase or lower that. Shels more of a question mark I predicted another 4th, pitch was awful which didn't help us but the one area of the squad I was worried about before the season was the middle of the park the only area we didn't make signings and we suffered there tonight

[ger121]

Lilander is atrocious.

Shocking. His control and passing were like something you’d see in a Sunday League.

[ger121]

We really have to hope Clarke stays for the season. If he is gone in the summer god help us. I know it was the first game and the standard line is that things will get better but honestly we could get worse.

[pineapple stu]

An awful lot of deep defending in Bray for the second half in particular, and then when it looked like we'd weathered things, Bray scored with five to go. Nervy ending, but still - a first away win in 15 months, and with ten men. Looked quite decent in the first half. Enough that I'm actually looking forward to the season for a change!

[Calcio Jack]

Gaffney played a bliner there as blocker for the goal. Shows the value of experience. Greene also played young Mayo. He will learn. Irrespective of result now, we can be more positive about the season I think. The ups and downs of football, O'Kane the width of a post from being 0-2 and 1-1 moments later. Shows how close the game is considering the newly assembled team against the old and tested settled side.

Rovers anything but a settled side as missing the following Byrne, Lopes, Burke, Kenny, Towell,McEneff , all of whom would have started or being on the bench …. Add that to losing Farrugia and Clarke to injury , so no way you could call out team this evening anything near our first eleven…. You got us on the right night and made the best of it, good luck to you

[Nesta99]

Pitch in Galway was atrocious and didn't lend itself to anything approaching a decent game to be played. Big patches of the pitch were missing altogether and it was generally unplayable. Conor Keeley could have played on his own and Galway wouldn't have scored, he was dominant and probably the worst defender in the league they could come up against in terms of being able to handle their style of play.

Happy to take the 1-0 and get out of there. Plenty more opportunities to actually look good this season.

A John Caulfield side would prefer to play on a ploughed field weekly. They coud make ED Park a horrible place to go this season but Caulfield's tendancy to be super conservative away from home tactics have bitten his sides before and the need to be winning at home regularly to stay safe but once figured out at home then an old pattern could ensue. Long isnt an advocate of anti-football so the RSC should improve. t is LoI though and the very different quality of surfaces that need to be coped with weekly should be well expected until May at least. Drogheda seemed to have been competative in Derry, last season that was a game that Derry could have dropped points so maybe Hoban could very wel be the player that can get those wins ove the line. Bohs and Slgo playing out a draw isnt a surprise and seemingly Bohs were awful. The two tradition clubs for the drop....

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Clarke very good but we should have just man marked him as he was really all Bohs had. Great goal by Hartmann but that’s 2 points dropped that we really can’t afford to be doing. McGinty was very rusty. Agree on Lilander being abysmal. Simon Power was excellent but no doubt he’ll be injured in a bit.

[The Bowler]

Nice to get off to a win at Bray, who I had seen pre season, and actually took some of the 9-4 tonight that we would beat them. Think Bray are poor, toothless up front and mistake prone at the back. Don't think Ryan will make the mid season transfer window. For a manager who was a defender, his teams don't defend well.