Games weekend 11th to 14th April

[sbgawa]

Premier Division

Friday 11th (19:45 unless stated)

Cork v St PAts
Shelbourne v Bohemians
Derry v Drogheda
Shamrock Rovers v Waterford (20:00)

Saturday 12th

Sligo v Galway

Monday 14th

Shamrock Rovers v Cork (20:00)

First Division (19:45 unless stated)

Dundalk v Cobh
Kerry v Athlone
Wexford v Finn Harps
Bray v Treaty

Saturday

Longford v UCD (19:30)

[sbgawa]

Big weekend for Rovers with a chance to win two home games and maybe even be on top of the league by Monday if other results go our way.
The win in Galway last week was huge and following it up will make it even bigger.
The league is so tight that every match has an edge to it.

Dundalk v Cobh in Division 1 could almost be seen as wrapping up mthe league early if Dundalk win as with the pressure off and a big lead they should be able to coast home.
First division itself is prety interesting and tight. should help to keep the crowds up

[Buckett]

I love being able to watch Premier games on a Friday, Saturday and Monday.

We have a terrible record in the Showgrounds. Add to that the few Galway lads now playing for Sligo and anything could happen.

[TonyD]

Premier Division

Friday 11th (19:45 unless stated)

Cork v St PAts
Shelbourne v Bohemians
Derry v Drogheda
Shamrock Rovers v Waterford (20:00)

Saturday 12th

Sligo v Galway

Monday 14th

Shamrock Rovers v Cork (20:00)

First Division (19:45 unless stated)

Dundalk v Cobh
Kerry v Athlone
Wexford v Finn Harps
Bray v Treaty

Saturday

Longford v UCD (19:30)

Hopeful of a win in Cork. Reports are that Keena is out for 8-12 weeks, which is a blow with the way he’s started the season. A lot of pressure on Melia, and while there is a lot to like about Conor Carty, he’s never been a prolific goal scorer.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

I love being able to watch Premier games on a Friday, Saturday and Monday.

We have a terrible record in the Showgrounds. Add to that the few Galway lads now playing for Sligo and anything could happen.

Well we don’t have a great record anywhere this season and a ye have a lot more of our ex players. Game at the end of last season was a cracker so hopefully more of the same. There’ll certainly be goals with the way we’ve been this season.

[Another Bohemia]

Plenty of injuries in defence for bohs this week supposedly.
Grehan & Lacey both out & Flores playing through an achilles injury.
Cornwall should be back and Kavanagh will likely come in to start but Grehan will be a big miss.
On top of being our best defender he also is one of the players whos best able to progress the ball forward instead of going constantly sideways.
I think Mountney did enough to keep his place but I think if there is any other option on the bench Rooney needs a bit of a break because he is just not on form and seems to be a bit lost in this faux 3 at the back Bohs are playing.
Out of possesion Bohs are playing a flat back 4 but in possesion Rooney and Mountey/Smith are essentially wing backs. I thinkthat transition between the 2 is killing us.
It leaves us open to the ball into space for a striker/winger to run onto which Sligo really took advantage of.
Rooney is a bit lost defensively and Flores is playing injured having to cover across the whole left side of the field (flores has other issues that means he shouldnt be starting, like throwing the ball to the opposition & loose/careless passing but he and rooney are being put into a position to fail as both are playing out of position.)
Midfield and Striker I think we have our starting line up identified but a lot of work needed for the defence/wingers because we give away some very easy and silly goals as evidenced in almost every match this season.

I cant see anything other than a Shels win unless Bohs can concentrate & be organised for a full 90 which has only happened once this season vs Rovers on the opening day.

[TVFBLOCKF]

I love being able to watch Premier games on a Friday, Saturday and Monday.

We have a terrible record in the Showgrounds. Add to that the few Galway lads now playing for Sligo and anything could happen.

Given Sligo's record this season and the amount of players they are missing, we really need to be winning on Saturday if we have ambitions of being in the top 4. Looks like a big crowd travelling from Galway.

[Nesta99]

Galways are no longer plucky and difficult to play against, they have to win games like this weekend even away from home. It is oddly an upside to not being in that Premier Division as I can enjoy the absolute relentless intensity and pressure throughout that division and that every game has a real story. Drogs, Galway mixing it up against big budget hitters, big spending Derry rebuilding and not with ease. Knowing that any ide that strings a few results together are title contenders. Seeing the games tick down for clubs hoping for something to change at the bottom. So far the 1st Division has been....fun!

[outspoken]

Have an awful feeling UCD might click into gear this weekend

[brendy_éire]

Top of the table Drogs in the Brandywell tonight, which looks to be sold out.
Don't know if there is much of an increase in the permitted capacity of the North stand, mind.

Bar us scoring early on and making Drogs chase the game a wee bit, expecting a thoroughly drab affair.
Drogs did a great job of nullifying Duffy in the cup final last year, who is by far our most creative player at present.

Drogs are sitting at 4/1 with the bookies, however they worked that out.

[legendz]

Kerry 2-0 up at home against Athlone. Luke Palmer with two first half goals setup by McGrath.

[culloty82]

And the returning Ryan Kelliher makes it 3-0 late on, so Kerry send tonight's opponents to the foot of the table, regardless of any appeal outcome.

[Shinkicker]

Bohs the better team in the first half created a few chances and failed to take them.Second half She's were the better team didn't create much but still got the goal by taking a half chance. That's the difference in this league.

[Bohtastic]

It's the passivity of Bohs performance that gets to me. Bereft of any creative spark until the triple substitution. Reynolds has to play some players who can break lines, not check back and allow the opponents to reset. With Clarke, parsons and McDonnell on we started to look like we might score, or have a shot on target.

Morohan couldn't make a pass tonight, whatever about sitting midfielders, if you're giving the ball away every time you're not contributing to defensive solidity.

[Jack B]

Cork weren't bad tonight and have some decent players, Couto and Mbeng in particular have a bit about them, but the injuries to their attacking players really told. They just lacked any killer instinct whereas Pat's were the total opposite and pulled two cracking finishes out of the bag in an otherwise hot and cold performance.

Still waiting for us to get going really. Melia, Elbouzedi and Kavanagh (despite his goal) were particularly off it tonight and Mulraney has been anonymous this season generally, yet we've still scored the most goals in the league and are up in second so there's reasons to be encouraged.

Forrester again a joy to watch for the most part.

[Nesta99]

Tonights results all prety much went with the form guide. Derry never fail to disappoint. Tomorrows game could be a first early nail in a season at the bottom - how about a Cork v Cobh promotion relegation play-off, would be more interesting than the cup final unless Dundalk are in it! Oh yeah Dundalk's win tonight, a win is a win, take the 3 points and next game and thanks for the assist Cobh, 7 and 11 points clear in R1 now when does it all fall apart?:eek:

[ger121]

Have an awful feeling UCD might click into gear this weekend

Yeah, reverse gear.

[ger121]

Breaking news just in. Bohs are indeed still ****e. Will the club sack Rennie, I’ve no idea.. I’m thinking we can’t afford a payoff and unless we are rock bottom, he’ll be staying for the foreseeable.

[Kiki Balboa]

It's the passivity of Bohs performance that gets to me. Bereft of any creative spark until the triple substitution. Reynolds has to play some players who can break lines, not check back and allow the opponents to reset. With Clarke, parsons and McDonnell on we started to look like we might score, or have a shot on target.

Morohan couldn't make a pass tonight, whatever about sitting midfielders, if you're giving the ball away every time you're not contributing to defensive solidity.

Sounds a bit like Dundalk last year. Seems like winning is so so difficult and requires everything having to go perfectly to win a game.

[Greg1973]

A drab enough first half in derry with very few chances but it was the Boyce and keeley show in the second! Mental game and brilliant result for drogs..

[Knocklyonhoop]

Sounds a bit like Dundalk last year. Seems like winning is so so difficult and requires everything having to go perfectly to win a game.

thought it’d actually be very tough to call bottom spot this yr, but with the injuries with the two lads up top for Caaark as well as Bolger, hard to see them finishing anything other than comfortably bottom

[Knocklyonhoop]

That stand at the Brandy is class…….. but a safe standing terrace with everyone sitting looks ridiculous. Derry need to start banning anyone who sits down

[Cosmo]

That stand at the Brandy is class…….. but a safe standing terrace with everyone sitting looks ridiculous. Derry need to start banning anyone who sits down

Their “singing section” at the side of it looks tiny and totally out of place too.

And they should be banned from playing on that pitch too

[Nesta99]

a pitch that ye are quite at ease with and win plenty on. Be careful what you wish for!

[ThirdManRun]

Have an awful feeling UCD might click into gear this weekend

I’m not sure UCD have another gear. They’ve been on an awful since long before the playoffs last season.

They’re not their usual free flowing selves, really struggling to score goals for a long time.

Maybe it’s down to the pitch in Belfield, but the away results aren’t much better.

[2 Year Contract]

Cork weren't bad tonight and have some decent players, Couto and Mbeng in particular have a bit about them, but the injuries to their attacking players really told. They just lacked any killer instinct whereas Pat's were the total opposite and pulled two cracking finishes out of the bag in an otherwise hot and cold performance.

Still waiting for us to get going really. Melia, Elbouzedi and Kavanagh (despite his goal) were particularly off it tonight and Mulraney has been anonymous this season generally, yet we've still scored the most goals in the league and are up in second so there's reasons to be encouraged.

Forrester again a joy to watch for the most part.

Forrester was class as always, but one that might have gone under the radar reading people’s thoughts on the game is Sean Hoare. I thought his defending both aerially and tackling were top class in the first half, wasn’t needed as much in the second but had to time his tackles perfectly after being given a harsh yellow in the first half and did so well when called upon

[ToberonaTornado]

Tonights results all prety much went with the form guide. Derry never fail to disappoint. Tomorrows game could be a first early nail in a season at the bottom - how about a Cork v Cobh promotion relegation play-off, would be more interesting than the cup final unless Dundalk are in it! Oh yeah Dundalk's win tonight, a win is a win, take the 3 points and next game and thanks for the assist Cobh, 7 and 11 points clear in R1 now when does it all fall apart?:eek:
Dundalk find a way and it's not by chance or good luck i Keogh was brilliant all night and deserved even an OG for all his hard graft, Cobh sat in and hardly created a chance
Good start for the first round and we have a lot of players playing with confidence for us and good to see different players getting potm for us but long way to go in a division where if you drop your form, even for a second you'll end up getting hugely fcked !!

[Another Bohemia]

Bad game last night in Tolka. Little in the way of clear cut opportunities but Shels took the one they got so they deserved the win. Defensively Bohs looked better there than they did against Sligo but were really poor from an attacking point of view. Reynolds won't lose his job because of this result but a loss against either Cork or Rovers in the next two will likely be his last as the Bohs manager.

[Cosmo]

a pitch that ye are quite at ease with and win plenty on. Be careful what you wish for!

We were very good despite the playing conditions. Watching lastnight, i can see why so many players get injured on it though, it's a disgrace, it's not a football pitch.

Why any player would sign for them and have to risk playing on it every second week is beyond me!

[Another Bohemia]

We were very good despite the playing conditions. Watching lastnight, i can see why so many players get injured on it though, it's a disgrace, it's not a football pitch.

Why any player would sign for them and have to risk playing on it every second week is beyond me!

Have a look at their wage bill and then the age of their new signings. It's an early retirement gig for a few of them

[Jack B]

Forrester was class as always, but one that might have gone under the radar reading people’s thoughts on the game is Sean Hoare. I thought his defending both aerially and tackling were top class in the first half, wasn’t needed as much in the second but had to time his tackles perfectly after being given a harsh yellow in the first half and did so well when called upon

Some fans have already made their mind up and decided they didn't like him joining again from the get-go, but I agree and think he'll prove to be a good signing as long as he stays fit. Thought he was sharp last week against Shels but ended up looking like he was struggling after an hour or so, bit better last night on that front but still had to come off as he was again flagging a bit. Will be a good battle between him and Grivosti this season, who didn't do much wrong to lose his place in the team.

[thebronze14]

Harps very good again last night. Our performances this season have surprised me a lot. Lomboto, Place and McNamee excellent. Pity we didn't hold on. Two CMs 16 and 17 years old

[Nesta99]

Harps very good again last night. Our performances this season have surprised me a lot. Lomboto, Place and McNamee excellent. Pity we didn't hold on. Two CMs 16 and 17 years old

Yeah Dave Rogers really put in the ground work and reaping the rewards!

[joey B]

Yeah Dave Rogers really put in the ground work and reaping the rewards!

Who the f**k is Dave Rogers?!?!

[CorribsideSteve]

Some fans have already made their mind up and decided they didn't like him joining again from the get-go, but I agree and think he'll prove to be a good signing as long as he stays fit. Thought he was sharp last week against Shels but ended up looking like he was struggling after an hour or so, bit better last night on that front but still had to come off as he was again flagging a bit. Will be a good battle between him and Grivosti this season, who didn't do much wrong to lose his place in the team.
Is it a mental thing with Forrester? AS far as I can recall the last few years, he's either been mercurially brilliant or utterly anonymous, but there's no middle ground. On our game, good to bounce back from such a disappointing defeat last week. A guy who's never scored a senior goal, scores twice in one game! No need for Sligo to panic just yet, but if they're not careful, they'll concede 90 goals this season.

[outspoken]

Utterly woeful game in Longford. UCD kept it well without creating much. Longford very passive. Incredibly dull stuff.

[pineapple stu]

Maybe it’s down to the pitch in Belfield, but the away results aren’t much better.
Six points from nine on the road is a bit better than three from 18 at home in fairness

We still just don't have a regular goalscorer. Best defence bar Dundalk; worst attack bar Athlone

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Have to stop giving teams 2 goal leads but really another game we shouldn’t have lost as Elding missed 2 great chances before getting one back from the penalty. Huge couple of games coming up against Waterford and Cork.

[ger121]

Six points from nine on the road is a bit better than three from 18 at home in fairness

We still just don't have a regular goalscorer. Best defence bar Dundalk; worst attack bar Athlone

Surely Raggett should be starting more games?

[Neish]

Yeah Dave Rogers really put in the ground work and reaping the rewards!

Its lent lad you should be off those hallucinogenics

[Olander]

Have to stop giving teams 2 goal leads but really another game we shouldn’t have lost as Elding missed 2 great chances before getting one back from the penalty. Huge couple of games coming up against Waterford and Cork.
A bit misleading to say that to be honest. The better team won last night. Elding had two good chances, but we had double Sligo's shots last night and we really should've killed the game off sooner. Sligo had more of the ball granted, but we had far more dangerous chances and had the ball in a lot more dangerous areas.

The difference in quality between the two squads was evident last night. We were missing as many key players as Sligo, but our XI and bench is a lot stronger.

[ThirdManRun]

Six points from nine on the road is a bit better than three from 18 at home in fairness

We still just don't have a regular goalscorer. Best defence bar Dundalk; worst attack bar Athlone

I was looking back further than the 3 games this season, but two wins against last seasons bottom two should be the bare minimum for UCD?

I would have expected them to push to win the league after finishing second last season.

Point about second best defence and second worst attack does point towards a change in approach maybe?

Missing a star like Colm Whelan or Liam Kerrigan doesn’t help.

[Kiki Balboa]

First round of fixtures finished. If things continue, Drogheda set to win the league with 72 points, the same as Rovers in 2023 and 9 higher than Shels last year.

Sligo would finish bottom on 16 points, 10 points off from bottom place Dundalk in 2024.

Reading different sources, Bohs, Waterford, Cork and Sligo all think they are going to get relegated... So I kind of feel there is more potential this year over last for anyone to get a decent run of results.

No easy games in a 10 team league... Every weekend is a 6 pointer.

[Buckett]

I'm delighted with that first series of games from a Galway Utd perspective. We're playing with a different formation this season but the strength of our bench is a massive improvement on last year. Another top half finish this season would be great, we were only 11 points off Shelbourne at the end last year.

[Thewhitepele]

A bit misleading to say that to be honest. The better team won last night. Elding had two good chances, but we had double Sligo's shots last night and we really should've killed the game off sooner. Sligo had more of the ball granted, but we had far more dangerous chances and had the ball in a lot more dangerous areas.

The difference in quality between the two squads was evident last night. We were missing as many key players as Sligo, but our XI and bench is a lot stronger.

While at times this season Sligo Rovers have been the better side and lost last night was not one. Agree on the squad we just don't have the budget, in the past the first 11 would be quality with good prospects from the academy to make up the numbers. Now the first 11 are a bunch of injury prone journey men. Lads are going to have to step up or it will be first division football next year.

[pineapple stu]

Surely Raggett should be starting more games?
Maybe, but he's not done a huge amount when he has started I think. One burst last summer and that's about it

[Jack B]

Is it a mental thing with Forrester? AS far as I can recall the last few years, he's either been mercurially brilliant or utterly anonymous, but there's no middle ground.

When he initially returned it was definitely in part a mental thing (combined with being part of a fairly clueless Harry Kenny-led side), he'd been through a rough time of it abroad and he'd say himself just needed to get home as a priority rather than football. To be fair to SOD he got Forrester going and he was largely brilliant in 2021, had an on/off 2022 under Clancy where he was used in all kinds of different systems and positions and was great again in 2023. Latter part of Daly's tenure wasn't great for anyone but he's been quite consistent under Kenny.

I think his work rate is generally underrated, but he puts in a shift but it's safe to say it's not his natural game, so if it's not clicking for the team as a whole certain games can definitely pass him by as we don't have a foothold in the game and he's not a Lennon type that will get through heaps of defensive work. Waterford away this season is an example of it where he wasn't at the races, but he's otherwise been not far off the top of his game so far and Pats have been night and day when he has and hasn't been playing.

[ger121]

Maybe, but he's not done a huge amount when he has started I think. One burst last summer and that's about it

Still probably better goal wise than anyone else in the squad? Was a lovely goal against Longford.

[D24Saint]

When he initially returned it was definitely in part a mental thing (combined with being part of a fairly clueless Harry Kenny-led side), he'd been through a rough time of it abroad and he'd say himself just needed to get home as a priority rather than football. To be fair to SOD he got Forrester going and he was largely brilliant in 2021, had an on/off 2022 under Clancy where he was used in all kinds of different systems and positions and was great again in 2023. Latter part of Daly's tenure wasn't great for anyone but he's been quite consistent under Kenny.

I think his work rate is generally underrated, but he puts in a shift but it's safe to say it's not his natural game, so if it's not clicking for the team as a whole certain games can definitely pass him by as we don't have a foothold in the game and he's not a Lennon type that will get through heaps of defensive work. Waterford away this season is an example of it where he wasn't at the races, but he's otherwise been not far off the top of his game so far and Pats have been night and day when he has and hasn't been playing.

Different managers over the years have had an influence over his form. Some suited him better than others. The loss of his sister had a huge impact on him aswell and took him a while to get back on his feet. He has been brilliant this season and he is a pleasure to watch on form.

[nr637]

First Division Cobh have now lost 3 league games in a row.
Is there a crisis at the club?
The club make a statement this past week on fans concerns with FC32 Global Holdings Inc. withdrawing funding from their Austrian 2nd Division team SKN St. Polten and that CEO Paul Francis resigned his position at that club.
Time now for the new manager Mick McDermott, to earn his wages FC32 backing him and his signings of 12 new players and 6 new backroom staff!

No pressure there Mick!
??