Weekend games 30th MAy

[sbgawa]

Premier Division

Friday 30th (19:45 unless stated)

Sligo v St Pats
Waterford v Drogheda
Cork v Shelbourne
Bohemians v Derry
Shamrock Rovers v Galway

First Division (All 19:45)

Friday 30th

Kerry v Longford
Cobh v Treaty
Beay v Finn Harps
Wexford v Dundalk
UCD v Athlone

[sbgawa]

In a perfect world Bohs and Derry draw we beat Galway and go 10 points clear of both.
Q us losing to Galway and Derry beating Bohs :)

Cork v Shels is a big game for both , Shels havent looked convincing and Cork need to get off the run of losses.
Bohs v Derry could go either way as well , Derry do have a good record there.

Dundalk dontr need luck but wexford having two of their better players sent off after the final whistle agaisnt Bray last week is a nice bonus and they should be winning comfortably in Wexford.
UCD have been also far from convincing but 3 points tonight and they are definitly getting back into playoff contention and comfortably in it at that.
Kerry v Longford is a game bith will be hoping for 3 points , im leaning towards Kerry

[Bunny Kelly]

Are all u17/19 players available? Quite a few domestically based internationals these days.

On a side note to this, there is a lot of talk about academies & comparing to other countries but is the current set up so bad? The exposure some of these players are getting playing first team football at 16/17 is surely better than being stuck in some academy abroad. I was at the Wexford Harps game a while back & the 2 best players were Harnett & McAteer, in a different era they would be playing nice safe football in some u17 league with limited consequences to how they did

[sbgawa]

For me the big difference is the 15/16 year olds that were never going to be good enough but wednt over to England to bulk out the academy squads are not going now.
The squads are being bulked out by more kids from birmingham/manchester instead.
This means we arent dealing with loads of kids coming back with their education screwed up and feelings of personal failure at 18 years old.
If you are good emough to go to Emgland at 18 or get signed on pre contract like Melia or others it will happen anyway.
IF you arent good enough at 18 to be playing regular LOI and getting spotted from the UK then you wont be good enough anyway.

[culloty82]

Crucial 2-0 win for Kerry tonight, courtesy of Palmer and a Seanie McGrath pen - up to seventh now, and ten points from the last five games, too early to say we're turning a corner, but certainly a sense that durable progress is gradually being made.

[Shinkicker]

Bohs v Derry, to be honest it was Boys who were going to win. Derry no intensity, no initiave and certainly no desire to win . Bohs should have won by more, but a win is a win. Derry we're not good in possession, while Bohs were good out of possession. But typical Bohs normally scoring in the 90th plus minutes. Today they scored in the first and kept us waiting for our3 points

[Nesta99]

I dunni, Derry had 4 or 5 very good chances, should have taken 1 at least and another night Bohs are punished for not putting the game away. A good win for Bohs but if Derry created those chances with no desire etc then Bohs were too easily got at.

Kilduff has been saying he thinks his Dundalk squad need the break, etting them on the training ground without game turnover and clear up niggling injuries. I wouldnt have liked to go in to the break on the back of a 1st loss, I want that used as kick on and motivation in due course, so a come from behind win and the late winner makes up for dropping points earlier in the season. I thik this result could be an important one for the younger players, kept at it and turned the game around. We may seriously have to start figuring out how to draw down grants for pitch and floodlights with 4 months until work needs to start.....watch the wheels fall off now!

[pineapple stu]

The Bowl pitch is finally starting to look like a football pitch, and we put in our best performance of the season at the same time.

Athlone kind of collapsed in the second half and we could have scored more. Still, can't complain with 2-0 that lifts us up into the playoffs somehow

[RealJohn91]

I dunni, Derry had 4 or 5 very good chances, should have taken 1 at least and another night Bohs are punished for not putting the game away. A good win for Bohs but if Derry created those chances with no desire etc then Bohs were too easily got at.

Kilduff has been saying he thinks his Dundalk squad need the break, etting them on the training ground without game turnover and clear up niggling injuries. I wouldnt have liked to go in to the break on the back of a 1st loss, I want that used as kick on and motivation in due course, so a come from behind win and the late winner makes up for dropping points earlier in the season. I thik this result could be an important one for the younger players, kept at it and turned the game around. We may seriously have to start figuring out how to draw down grants for pitch and floodlights with 4 months until work needs to start.....watch the wheels fall off now!
The only good chance they had was the one of the line, can't remember any other one that even tested the keeper.

[ger121]

The Bowl pitch is finally starting to look like a football pitch, and we put in our best performance of the season at the same time.

Athlone kind of collapsed in the second half and we could have scored more. Still, can't complain with 2-0 that lifts us up into the playoffs somehow

Sean Brennan is quite the footballer. You could have won 4 or 5 nil.

Athlone are desperate and you feel things are not going to get better anytime soon.

[2 Year Contract]

The Bowl pitch is finally starting to look like a football pitch
Meanwhile the Showgrounds one plays like a car park! Unbelievably dry surface that killed any chance of a good passing game of football for both teams. Incredible amount of times players losing the ball by it getting stuck between their foot and the groud, also simple 10 yard passes played along the ground bobbling up to knee height for the receiver, odd bounces of the ball for long passes etc. All stems from the pitch not being properly watered whatsoever, John Russell himself called it “sticky” which was the understatement of the year, it was in disgraceful nick.

Happy to come out with the win, thought Simon Power was excellent tonight and looked levels above what we’ve seen from Mulraney or Elbouzedi on the wings so far this season. Pats probably had more shots at goal without troubling Sergeant too much. Likewise Anang didn’t have much to do aside from claiming crosses during Sligo’s period of pressure in the last 15 mins. Pats were better defensively tonight than recent games which was pleasing.

Comparing Cork’s performance against Pats 2 weeks ago to Sligo’s tonight, Cork looked far far better to me. Sligo will need a few bodies in over the summer if they’re to catch them IMO

[CorribsideSteve]

That was so much better from Galway last night. A reminder of what made us good last season; hard to beat. Too easily beaten in recent defeats and performances. Obviously chances were at a premium but we had a few half chances, one in particular that I think Hickey could have done a little better with. Overall, a brilliant, bodies on the line, pressing, harrying effort. We largely nullified Rovers apart from a few good saves from Evan Watts. Added to the Cork win last Friday, hopefully that stopped the rot of the last few weeks. Players coming back from injury now too.

[Nesta99]

The only good chance they had was the one of the line, can't remember any other one that even tested the keeper.

The botched a lot, poor cutbacks beind late runners, got past on the outside of wide defenders and bad choices of cross, final ball poor when working well in to the box. maybe 4 or 5 times they were behind Bohs defence and then lacked composure, poor decisions. If they clicked on those chances Bohs would have droped points in a game they were generally in control of. That Derry didnt test the keeper is the point, the could and should have bar a bit of a palm stinger shot at the end. I think they look like a side that is progressing a bit, creating something in the final third not playing well. Very obviously a work in development rather than stagnant.

[Nesta99]

Meanwhile the Showgrounds one plays like a car park! Unbelievably dry surface that killed any chance of a good passing game of football for both teams. Incredible amount of times players losing the ball by it getting stuck between their foot and the groud, also simple 10 yard passes played along the ground bobbling up to knee height for the receiver, odd bounces of the ball for long passes etc. All stems from the pitch not being properly watered whatsoever, John Russell himself called it “sticky” which was the understatement of the year, it was in disgraceful nick.

Happy to come out with the win, thought Simon Power was excellent tonight and looked levels above what we’ve seen from Mulraney or Elbouzedi on the wings so far this season. Pats probably had more shots at goal without troubling Sergeant too much. Likewise Anang didn’t have much to do aside from claiming crosses during Sligo’s period of pressure in the last 15 mins. Pats were better defensively tonight than recent games which was pleasing.

Comparing Cork’s performance against Pats 2 weeks ago to Sligo’s tonight, Cork looked far far better to me. Sligo will need a few bodies in over the summer if they’re to catch them IMO

I this a grass pitch you're talking about?

[Shinkicker]

I dunni, Derry had 4 or 5 very good chances, should have taken 1 at least and another night Bohs are punished for not putting the game away. A good win for Bohs but if Derry created those chances with no desire etc then Bohs were too easily got at.

Kilduff has been saying he thinks his Dundalk squad need the break, etting them on the training ground without game turnover and clear up niggling injuries. I wouldnt have liked to go in to the break on the back of a 1st loss, I want that used as kick on and motivation in due course, so a come from behind win and the late winner makes up for dropping points earlier in the season. I thik this result could be an important one for the younger players, kept at it and turned the game around. We may seriously have to start figuring out how to draw down grants for pitch and floodlights with 4 months until work needs to start.....watch the wheels fall off now!
Not sure about Derry having 4or5 good chances maybe 1 or 2 ? I don't think they tested the Bohs keeper until 70 mins or so and Bohs defender blocked a soft shot on the six yard line. They were so bad in the first half they made 4 subs at half time albeit one was an injury sub. In the second half they improved but at no point was I worried they would score, poor crosses, passes and terrible decision making all over the pitch and especially in the final third. What worried me more was the amount of chances Bohs created and didn't take. If Bohs had won by 3 or 4 it would have been a fairer reflection on the game. 1-0 made it look good for Derry.

[Another Bohemia]

Felt Bohs were full value for their win. We need to get more clinical and start putting these chances we are creating away. If I had one criticism of Reynolds in this last series its that he won't persist with a striker for more than a handful of games. Georgie Kelly and Afolabi both took time to score goals but the key is they were given that time. I think he needs to follow suit and start a striker for a series of games or longer to see if they can find the scoring boots.

On Derry, they can say they deserved 2 penos (one was deffo a dive) but Bohs also should have had a 2nd peno and I'm sure every team in the league has experienced at least 1 egregious no call. That's just the standard of refereeing in this country. The big problem is not having a shot on target until the 85th minute I believe it was and it being a pot shot from distance at that. Lynch is very clearly still trying to figure out his best 11 but to me it seems like any 11 without Duffy is rather average and pedestrian and with the money they're spending on wages that would be a concern.

[Nesta99]

Not sure about Derry having 4or5 good chances maybe 1 or 2 ? I don't think they tested the Bohs keeper until 70 mins or so and Bohs defender blocked a soft shot on the six yard line. They were so bad in the first half they made 4 subs at half time albeit one was an injury sub. In the second half they improved but at no point was I worried they would score, poor crosses, passes and terrible decision making all over the pitch and especially in the final third. What worried me more was the amount of chances Bohs created and didn't take. If Bohs had won by 3 or 4 it would have been a fairer reflection on the game. 1-0 made it look good for Derry.

Maybe were at cross purposes on the good chances! There were Derry moves if finished off well were potentially very good chances. Doing the hard bit and then misplacing a pullback or picking the wrong cross. So good opportunities for good chances but fluffed them. Good chances if it is considered that it wouldnt have taken much to put one together fully and score, Would have been against the run of play but Bohs were exposed and another side or Derry on form would have made those opportunities count and Bohs domination would have counted for little because defensively they could be got at.

[Keen2win]

Poor weekend for LTFC losing 2 zero to Kerry FC. Not really surprising as their academy has been outperforming our for years, and they focus on the football and local players and coaches.

Fans looking for change , only someone like Anthony Elding would have a chance of turning this around.. many would be very happy with Elding as boss.. Will have to wait to see if a positive decision will be made, or if the board are happy for LTFC to sleepwalk into 3rd division! Sad but true unfortunately

[L.T.F.C.]

Poor weekend for LTFC losing 2 zero to Kerry FC. Not really surprising as their academy has been outperforming our for years, and they focus on the football and local players and coaches.

Fans looking for change , only someone like Anthony Elding would have a chance of turning this around.. many would be very happy with Elding as boss.. Will have to wait to see if a positive decision will be made, or if the board are happy for LTFC to sleepwalk into 3rd division! Sad but true unfortunately

I have to admire your commitment to this Elding bit you've going on, keep it up!

[TownManForever]

I’ve come to the conclusion that you are actually Anthony Elding masquerading as a Town fan.

[2 Year Contract]

Poor weekend for LTFC losing 2 zero to Kerry FC. Not really surprising as their academy has been outperforming our for years, and they focus on the football and local players and coaches.

Fans looking for change , only someone like Anthony Elding would have a chance of turning this around.. many would be very happy with Elding as boss.. Will have to wait to see if a positive decision will be made, or if the board are happy for LTFC to sleepwalk into 3rd division! Sad but true unfortunately

Anthony Elding? Didn’t know he had any coaching experience does he? He’s a name I haven’t heard of in years

[pineapple stu]

Unless he means old Obi-Wan Elding?

[Keen2win]

Just trying to save my club! I'll be out of the country anyway.. but who would town fans prefer to have?? Everyone is asking for a new manager now

[culloty82]

I've no skin in the game in relation to Longford, but some of the discussion seems rather hyperbolic when you're level with Harps, and in a better financial position than Athlone. That's not to say there's cause for celebration either, but mid-table certainly isn't out of reach for you, when UCD haven't been pulling away from the clubs in the lower half.

[ger121]

Unless he means old Obi-Wan Elding?

Old Ben Elding?

[pineapple stu]

That's the one

[Keen2win]

Nice to have a little banter when discussing such serious, pressing matters 🍍 ... culloty, hyperbolic is an excellent word to use yer dead right! Longford fans don't want to be next nor near the likes of Finn Harps, Athlone Town or UCD but maybe that's just our level and I'm being ridiculous wanting more

[Longfordian]

No harm at all to want more. Football is about dreaming and optimism. Expecting more isn't realistic though without a significant injection of cash from somewhere which brings its own risks.