LOI fixtures 24th Feb 2017

The stage is set.....we're almost ready to go..

Permier Division -

Friday:

Bohemian FC v Derry City

Galway United v Drogheda United

Limerick FC v Sligo Rovers

Saint Pats Ath. v Brays Wanderers

Finn Harps v Cork City - 8pm

Dundalk FC v Shamrock Rovers - 8pm *live on eir Sports

.........................................

First Division-

Friday:

Athlone Town v Waterford FC

Cabinteely FC v UCDAFC

Shelbourne FC v Longford Town

Saturday:

Cobh Ramblers v Wexford Youths - 3pm

.................................................. ......

Best of luck to everyone for the season ahead.

PP LOI weekend coupon: http://www.paddypower.com/football/f...atches/ireland

Outright winner,relegation,top scorer,etc... :http://www.paddypower.com/football/i...emier-division

1st division outright,etc... http://www.paddypower.com/football/i...and-division-1

The word around Wexford is that the Cobh v Wexford match is a 3pm kick-off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForzaForth

The word around Wexford is that the Cobh v Wexford match is a 3pm kick-off.

---

Tis indeed but unable to edit it.:confused:

https://twitter.com/CobhRamblersFC/s...27171987894272

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ToberonaTornado

Tis indeed but unable to edit it.:confused:

https://twitter.com/CobhRamblersFC/s...27171987894272

---

Fixed.

Fascinating game in Oriel on Friday night, possibly going to be Dundalk's biggest gate of the season what with the sold out allocation down here and plenty of undercover hoops traveling up. If Dundalk win it might go a long way to bonding this new group and give them the belief that they can retain their league crown, lose and i think it will be some achievement by Stephen Kenny if Dunadlk do go on and win it giving the field a 3 pts start. As for our lot, Jeez i don't know, there seems to be massive optimism around us challenging, something similar if we come away with a win on Friday night there will 6000 in Tallaght for the Bohs game, win that and the momentum could just give us that sense of belief. Interesting few weeks ahead.

I don't know if the first game of the season can be called the most important. I think Rovers are probably favourites for this game, by a slim margin, it wouldn't surprise me if they won by a couple of goals, or if it finished 0-0 or 1-0. There will be plenty of time for them to make that up in rest of the season.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kingswood Rover

Fascinating game in Oriel on Friday night, possibly going to be Dundalk's biggest gate of the season what with the sold out allocation down here and plenty of undercover hoops traveling up.

---

They'll need to travel to Dundalk tomorrow to get their "undercover" tickets as I'm been told that the game will sell out before Friday.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kingswood Rover

Fascinating game in Oriel on Friday night, possibly going to be Dundalk's biggest gate of the season what with the sold out allocation down here and plenty of undercover hoops traveling up. If Dundalk win it might go a long way to bonding this new group and give them the belief that they can retain their league crown, lose and i think it will be some achievement by Stephen Kenny if Dunadlk do go on and win it giving the field a 3 pts start. As for our lot, Jeez i don't know, there seems to be massive optimism around us challenging, something similar if we come away with a win on Friday night there will 6000 in Tallaght for the Bohs game, win that and the momentum could just give us that sense of belief. Interesting few weeks ahead.

---

According to dfc.com no away fans will be admitted to the home. No telephone sales for Fridays game either.

Tickets for home supporters will go on advance sale from Wednesday morning at 10am and continue through Thursday and Friday during office hours, up until 4pm on matchday. No phone sales will be taken during this period.



Not sure.on the match. Think we will have a slow start to the season. Just hope we click soon than Expected

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by El-Pietro

I don't know if the first game of the season can be called the most important. I think Rovers are probably favourites for this game, by a slim margin, it wouldn't surprise me if they won by a couple of goals, or if it finished 0-0 or 1-0. There will be plenty of time for them to make that up in rest of the season.

---

Out of curiosity, why do you make Rovers favourites for this game?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by White Horse

They'll need to travel to Dundalk tomorrow to get their "undercover" tickets as I'm been told that the game will sell out before Friday.

---

Good to know i will inform our agents promptly

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kingswood Rover

Fascinating game in Oriel on Friday night, possibly going to be Dundalk's biggest gate of the season what with the sold out allocation down here and plenty of undercover hoops traveling up. If Dundalk win it might go a long way to bonding this new group and give them the belief that they can retain their league crown, lose and i think it will be some achievement by Stephen Kenny if Dunadlk do go on and win it giving the field a 3 pts start. As for our lot, Jeez i don't know, there seems to be massive optimism around us challenging, something similar if we come away with a win on Friday night there will 6000 in Tallaght for the Bohs game, win that and the momentum could just give us that sense of belief. Interesting few weeks ahead.

---

Would be crazy to write off Dundalk if they lose on Friday. I do think they have a major challenge to retain it again this season, particularly after losing Horgan, but they still have one of the best squads in the league and I expect them to go very close. In reality they would have to have a poor run for the first 5/6 games to really give themselves a lot of work to do. I'm not convinced Rovers have what it takes to win it either, nor am I convinced by Bradley. I could be totally wrong of course.

The loss of Andy Boyle is massive and more of a loss than the others. He was ever present for 4 years. Also I don't think we'd of conceded the 1st or 3rd against cork last week if Boyler was there.
Clean sheets will be an issue for us this season

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yossarian

Out of curiosity, why do you make Rovers favourites for this game?

---

Cos Dundalk looked terrrible last week. I think its going to take you a while to get up to speed. Lots of new bodies to integrate. Also Ronan Finn is class.
On the other hand Bradley needs to have learned a lot from last season to be anything resembling a good manager which balances it out quite a bit.

I'll take a 0-0 draw with a bunch of red cards.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite

The loss of Andy Boyle is massive and more of a loss than the others. He was ever present for 4 years. Also I don't think we'd of conceded the 1st or 3rd against cork last week if Boyler was there.
Clean sheets will be an issue for us this season

---

One bad day doesn't make a winter.

I think Dundalk are still the most solid squad on paper in the league. Ok, they lost Boyle and Keane at the back but got 2 excellent replacements in Hoare and Vemmelund. I'd fully expect one of those guys to usurp Barrett and join Gartland at centre back. And central midfield is still as string with o'Donnell, Shields, Benson and Clifford.
If anything, the attacking band would be the one that has suffered most imho with the loss of Horgan and Finn.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

One bad day doesn't make a winter.

I think Dundalk are still the most solid squad on paper in the league. Ok, they lost Boyle and Keane at the back but got 2 excellent replacements in Hoare and Vemmelund. I'd fully expect one of those guys to usurp Barrett and join Gartland at centre back. And central midfield is still as string with o'Donnell, Shields, Benson and Clifford.
If anything, the attacking band would be the one that has suffered most imho with the loss of Horgan and Finn.

---

Dundalk have a number of attacking midfield options; Benson, McEleney, Dufy, McGrath, Mountney, and Kinsella.

The big question is whether they have the defence to get the narrow wins that usually makes a team champions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TonyD

Would be crazy to write off Dundalk if they lose on Friday. I do think they have a major challenge to retain it again this season, particularly after losing Horgan, but they still have one of the best squads in the league and I expect them to go very close. In reality they would have to have a poor run for the first 5/6 games to really give themselves a lot of work to do. I'm not convinced Rovers have what it takes to win it either, nor am I convinced by Bradley. I could be totally wrong of course.

---

No i am not writing off Dundalk, far from it but wining the title for the 4th time with a relatively new team after losing the 1st home game would IMO be the SK 's most impressive league title. As for Rovers, i think if they stick with their off field developments long enough to sustain them through a few more years of not winning a title then i think we will come good, this year 3rd favs at best.

Dundalk lost their first game of the 2014 season 4-1 to Drogheda, I think they'll be ok if they lose on Friday

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PartySaint

Dundalk lost their first game of the 2014 season 4-1 to Drogheda, I think they'll be ok if they lose on Friday

---

I remember that too well. We were a shambles. Gavin Brennan destroyed Sean Gannon. Second best all over the park.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by White Horse

I remember that too well. We were a shambles. Gavin Brennan destroyed Sean Gannon. Second best all over the park.

---

A non-LOI fan from work was heading up to that game because he was mates with Robbie Horgan (Drogs manager at the time), I told him Dundalk will win comfortably and to watch out for their number 17 (Towell), he came in on the Monday morning asking me what the hell I was on about, and telling me that Dundalk are crap :)