Games weekend 27th to 30th September

[oriel]

While I don't watch all the Dundalk games what I have seen they must be one of the better sides to finish bottom in my memory. There will be a few in for their players.

Modest thanks but losing 18 games (so far) is just off the scales, yes played some good stuff, notable wins home to Rovers, away to Pats, home to Bohs, but that was only 3 of 5 wins all year.

Fully deserved to go down, it is what it is.

Next season will be interesting in PD, who are the runners and riders for bottom, should be a shortlist soon.

[Thewhitepele]

Can't wait for the shinners to get in we all get a free house including refugees and a new hospital on every crossroads,

Hear they are promising some unicorns in Dublin zoo too.

[pineapple stu]

Pat's 1-0 up on Shels in Tolka.

Pat's are going to win the league, aren't they?

[TonyD]

Pats worth their lead at half time. Some lovely football. What an effort by Aidan Keena, hitting the bat from his own half. Such a pity it didn’t go in.

[TonyD]

Pat's 1-0 up on Shels in Tolka.

Pat's are going to win the league, aren't they?

If there were four or five more games left, probably.

[DCSIL]

Pat's 1-0 up on Shels in Tolka.

Pat's are going to win the league, aren't they?

Yes because everyone else will drop points...

[sessylU]

Pat's look excellent. Very player brave enough to be looking for possession wherever they are. Lovely, tight wee passes. Are they always like this? Can't remember paying attention since the early days of Kenny's reign and at the time, wondering if he was maybe a busted flush. But this looks like vintage Kenny.

2-0 now.

[placid casual]

One thing's for sure,it won't be shels winning the league. 2 nil to pat's now

[joey B]

Pat’s absolutely levels above Shels,look quicker and fitter …

[placid casual]

1 back for shels so not over yet

[joey B]

Shels duely get a goal from an absolute screamer from Tulloch!

[joey B]

Bloody hell!

[placid casual]

I'd like to retract my previous statement and say Shels will win the league this season:).
Impressive comeback against an in-form team

[pineapple stu]

Do you want to retract your retraction now?

[joey B]

Turned into to a classic! Shels will find it tough to come back from this…

[Buckett]

Should have been a free in to Shels before the Pat's goal, looked like a rugby tackle

[Kiki Balboa]

Cracker of a game. Much better watch than the Premier League...

Nice of Shels to fall apart and kill the game on themselves. But Duffer is in everyone elses head alright.

1 win in 9. Crazy they are top of the league.

[placid casual]

Do you want to retract your retraction now?
Mad game.:)
Fair play to shels for coming back, but pats are on the move for sure.
Dunno who's gonna win the league tbh

[Jack B]

Would have been a travesty if we hadn't won that. Miles the better side only for Shels to pull two worldies out of the bag, have all the momentum and look like they'd be the only winners out of the game from that point before they unravelled themselves.

We couldn't.






Could we?

[holidaysong]

A hell of a game. It's great when these games are on on different days than a Friday when nobody else is out at a game.

[TonyD]

Wow. Am bloody exhausted after that, and I’m watching on TV. ?? Really, we had the chances to be home and hosed before Shels came back. Two cracking finishes from them in fairness. Epic game, the kind you just love coming out on the right side of. Up to 5th now !

[sbgawa]

Should have been a free in to Shels before the Pat's goal, looked like a rugby tackle

Damien mcgrath screwing up again.
He is a terrible dose

[sbgawa]

I'd nearly make Pats favourites for the league.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Great game of football. Pats should have had it wrapped before the comeback and then Tulloch should probably have won it.

[brendy_éire]

Damien mcgrath screwing up again.
He is a terrible dose

Difficult one for him to see from the angle he had, TBF. You'll often see them given to defenders.

Enjoyable game, Pats are flying, and can't rule them out.

Few videos of the bother beforehand going about. Not great, but if the FAI are fine with Dundalk and Drogs fans knocking lumps out of each other on the pitch in Oriel, can't imagine they're too bothered about the same thing on the Drumcondra Road.

[Acornvilla]

Pat's are the 2024 spiritual league champions. Nice to see Kenny happy in a post match TV interview for once :D

Duffer is a mad thing.

[harry crumb]

Brilliant game of ball and stadium was rocking.

Nobody mentioning Galway???

That would sum up the mad season it had been

[nigel-harps1954]

Great game and a great advert for the league. Thoroughly enjoyed watching.

[Jack B]

Brilliant game of ball and stadium was rocking.

Nobody mentioning Galway???

That would sum up the mad season it had been

Galway are level with Rovers and have quite a kind run in comparatively to the other sides. Definitely being done a disservice not being included in the mix.

[CorribsideSteve]

If somehow we ended up winning the League, given we have 0.875 goals a game as it is, we'd have something like 32 or 33 goals as Champions. As far as I know, only the great 93/94 AC Milan team managed to do something so bafflingly absurd. In nearly any league anywhere, 28,30,33 goals is evidence of a long, battering season in the relegation mire. But not Galway. But we really couldn't. It'd be too much of a miracle. Shels are gone. They've been so utterly underwhelming for several weeks now, as have Derry, and to a lesser extent Rovers. Pats, on the other hand, are making a grand, last furlong of Cheltenham, charge for this title and they still have an outside chance of pulling it off. Pats-Derry final game of the season may still have some far reaching consequences.

[sbgawa]

I reckon Pats or Galway are more deserving of winning the league than Amy of the top 3. That being said 4 wins from any of the top 5 will probably win the league.

[dundalkfc10]

Damien mcgrath screwing up again.
He is a terrible dose

Seems he got the call correct

https://twitter.com/stebenn15/status/1840876381028102483?t=2HIukz3kRKzap3H23kyw_A&s=19

[2 Year Contract]

Mother of Jaysus what a game that was, rollercoaster of emotions. Pats should’ve been home and hosed at 2-0 up after missing several good chances and hitting the woodwork twice but once Tulloch got that wonder goal from nothing the momentum looked only one way until Kazeem knocks in the winner with his first touch (thanks for that one Galway ;)) Can’t remember a collective head loss in a title race as Shels in their current form. Fans bollocking players for slow buildup play while it’s 0-0, players and coaching staff going absolutely nuts, prime example being Smith's idiotic red card and Martin I think it was, was lucky not to be sent off also, coaching staff starting on Brian Gartland etc. They look mentally shot. I said it on Friday and I’ll say it again, if there was a few extra games left in the season I reckon Pats would win it this year but the runway is running out unfortunately despite the incredible form over the last while (10 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss in the last 14 in all competitions). Incredibly excited for next season though


Seems he got the call correct

https://twitter.com/stebenn15/status/1840876381028102483?t=2HIukz3kRKzap3H23kyw_A&s=19

Absolutely. Martin has a fist full of Bolger’s jersey which caused him to go down, taking Martin with him, correct decision.

[thebronze14]

Still scratching my head at this really. It was an utterly crap game on the most horrendous pitch in all of professional football, but Harps should have won comfortably.

Don't know about that Nige. As Murph said, draw probably fair. We had maybe slightly the better chances, but Kerry dictated play for sizable stretches. We should have killed it off when we went ahead

[2 Year Contract]

Have to laugh at Duff's post match reaction to try and pin the blame on the ref when A, it’s a free out all day long, B, he says Redmond made the 'foul' when it was Bolger involved in the incident and C, his team won the ball back after that free kick, Tulloch had the ball on the wing about 15 seconds before Pats scored the winner. The headloss continued post match it seems :)

By the law of averages I still think they’ll win some games soon, probably the home games against Waterford and Drogheda. If they can nick a point against Rovers or Derry then that should be enough to get over the line with 61 points as that would require Derry getting 4 wins from their last 5, or 3 wins and 2 draws, which I have no faith in them getting. Would be hilarious if Shels let it slip away from here though

[Acornvilla]

Next game for each team up there is what? Rovers v Shels, Bohs v Pats, Bohs v Derry and Galway v Dundalk?

Draw or Rovers win + wins for Pat's, Derry and Galway would make for a pretty incredible run in.

Pat's then still have to play Derry/Galway before Derry v Shels on the final day.

A couple teams have to play Drogheda, who have a small chance of catching Bohs, who themselves could be in a tailspin with some tough fixtures coming.

Pat's and Galway actually have a reasonable shout of doing this if one of them just won all 4 matches given how the fixtures are falling with a lot of the top 5 playing one another.

I think Rovers fixtures are pretty kind and they could easily just go and win every match, they had been a bit better before the Pat's humbling, but 2 games in Europe will likely put them out of it, Shels playing them a few days after APOEL is a huge opportunity.

Derry should have won the title by now, but sure look, there's no point trying to predict what they'll do.

Momentum is big and Pat's/Galway have it, I think this is by far the most interesting title challenge in years and I love it.

[sbgawa]

if Rovers beat Shels on Sunday i make Pats favourites for the title. They have won 5 gamews in a row and are currently only 2 points behind a missfiring Rovers with 5 games to go

We have been consistantly awful when called upon for a performance this year and i would give us a 5% chance of bettering Pats total points between now and seasons end
The 3 teams currently at the Top are on relegation form or mid table at best. Id genuinely give Galway more chnace than us
people will say i am being negative but on what planet are we going to approach Pats points total in the last 5 games.....Its not completly impossible but it would require us to do something we havent done all season, win 4 or 5 games in a row

[joey B]

Next game for each team up there is what? Rovers v Shels, Bohs v Pats, Bohs v Derry and Galway v Dundalk?

Draw or Rovers win + wins for Pat's, Derry and Galway would make for a pretty incredible run in.

Pat's then still have to play Derry/Galway before Derry v Shels on the final day.

A couple teams have to play Drogheda, who have a small chance of catching Bohs, who themselves could be in a tailspin with some tough fixtures coming.

Pat's and Galway actually have a reasonable shout of doing this if one of them just won all 4 matches given how the fixtures are falling with a lot of the top 5 playing one another.

I think Rovers fixtures are pretty kind and they could easily just go and win every match, they had been a bit better before the Pat's humbling, but 2 games in Europe will likely put them out of it, Shels playing them a few days after APOEL is a huge opportunity.

Derry should have won the title by now, but sure look, there's no point trying to predict what they'll do.

Momentum is big and Pat's/Galway have it, I think this is by far the most interesting title challenge in years and I love it.

Derry are the bookies favourites Atm and with 3 home games,where they are much better than away and an away game against hapless Dundalk you’d think it’s still there for them,obviously they’ve shown themselves to be huge bottle jobs so far but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility they could put it together….

[D24Saint]

if Rovers beat Shels on Sunday i make Pats favourites for the title. They have won 5 game's in a row and are currently only 2 points behind a missfiring Rovers with 5 games to go

We have been consistantly awful when called upon for a performance this year and i would give us a 5% chance of bettering Pats total points between now and seasons end
The 3 teams currently at the Top are on relegation form or mid table at best. Id genuinely give Galway more chnace than us
people will say i am being negative but on what planet are we going to approach Pats points total in the last 5 games.....Its not completly impossible but it would require us to do something we havent done all season, win 4 or 5 games in a row

After the start to the season we had the title talk is a bit of craic but its not realistic. If were in Galway's position id considerer us to be in with an outside chance but the gap imo is too large at this stage of a campaign. If we get back into Europe mixed in with the run we had in Europe this season and the good form we have shown recently it would be job done for Kenny.

[Dermobohs]

If, and it’s a big if the way we’re playing, bohs were to dump Derry out on Friday would it help them to concentrate on the league run in, or have the negative impact?
Very hard to tell but they are definitely not getting full value from that team.

[Buckett]

If Galway Utd win the league I'll buy every one of you a pint of Champagne.
Ah, what the hell, a pack of peanuts too.

[brendy_éire]

If, and it’s a big if the way we’re playing, bohs were to dump Derry out on Friday would it help them to concentrate on the league run in, or have the negative impact?
Very hard to tell but they are definitely not getting full value from that team.

Negative, I'd say. We've Bohs at home next week, so would sow a bit of doubt, you'd guess.
Added to that, both ourselves and Bohs would be expected to go on and win the cup after Friday*, so added hurt for the losing team.

*Sure you'd be only be playing Drogheda in the final, handy one there....

[joey B]

Negative, I'd say. We've Bohs at home next week, so would sow a bit of doubt, you'd guess.
Added to that, both ourselves and Bohs would be expected to go on and win the cup after Friday*, so added hurt for the losing team.

*Sure you'd be only be playing Drogheda in the final, handy one there....

Positive;Bohs fans would happily lose in the league game!

[JC_GUFC]

Next game for each team up there is what? Rovers v Shels, Bohs v Pats, Bohs v Derry and Galway v Dundalk?

Draw or Rovers win + wins for Pat's, Derry and Galway would make for a pretty incredible run in.



The way the games are staggered for the next couple of weeks puts different pressures on each team when they play.

We've Dundalk at home on Friday to go up to second within a couple of points of Shels. It's probably the first time all season that we've been overwhelming favourites to win, so hopefully that pressure doesn't tell but there definitely is pressure and expectation that we'll win that.

If we win that we're away to Pat's the week after the international break in an absolutely massive match.

At this stage I'd be absolutely delighted to finish third (or even fourth and Derry winning the cup) and qualifying for Europe. In all my years following United we've never been in this situation before. In 93/94 when we finished third we were never near Rovers in the title race.

[sbgawa]

Seems he got the call correct

https://twitter.com/stebenn15/status/1840876381028102483?t=2HIukz3kRKzap3H23kyw_A&s=19

Posted by a pats fan lol. You obviously didn't see the video.

[ger121]

If Galway Utd win the league I'll buy every one of you a pint of Champagne.
Ah, what the hell, a pack of peanuts too.

That’s nuts!!

[sbgawa]

Galway are in better form have same points as rovers and are 16 to 1. Rovers are 9/2 to win the league. Odds based purely on reputation that we don't deserve at this point.

[Buckett]

We were 100/1, then 40/1 and now we're 16/1, all in the past week.