St Pats v Cork City - Match report

taken from http://myirishfootballblog.blogspot.com/

Pats made it eight wins from nine games this season with a hard fought one nil win over Cork City tonight. That's a Setanta Cup double over Cork for St Pats and tonight's win guarantees them a home draw in the Semi Final. Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane were both in the crowd - presumably to cast their eyes over Roy Donovan,

Its been pointed out over the last week by a number of observers that St Pats are playing as good as any League of Ireland ever has. I don't personally agree with that but it is fair to say that they are very much a team on form and they certainly are full of confidence. This years side is essentially only three or four players different from the side that finished in seventh place last year. Last years side only managed nine league wins all season long!

Whether Pats can keep this form up for most of the season remains to be seen. What I would say is that perhaps everything is going their way at the moment - not that I want to take anything away from their start. Also I think there will be question marks regarding the size and depth of the squad and it will be interesting to see how they would cope with a couple of injuries. Indeed the fact that Mulcahy was playing at wing back tonight shows how limited the squad is

Pats didn't click tonight like they have done on occasions this season. I think a lot of that was down to the fact that Joe Gamble did an excellent job closing down Ndo whenever Pats were in possession. As well as that Cork generally looked busy whenever they didnt have the ball

The only goal of the came came on 27 minutes from a corner kick. A Fahey corner kick fell to central defender Maguire who lashed it in from close range

Cork got a hold of the game in the second half and started to control things. They had the lions share of the possession however they were unable to convert that possession into chances - either guilt edge chances or even half chances. In fairness Pats defence also held strong and were very compact.

For Cork Liam Kearney had his best game since returning - he didnt stay out wide but drifted all around - he was looking for the ball all night long. I think he is going to be a big player for City this season and maybe he can provide some much needed creativity in the final third. This is where City are really missing Neale Fenn this season.

With Kearney drifting infield and ODonovan playing up front City really lacked width and that was disappointing as I have thought that so far this season St Pats afford wide players a little bit too much space.

St Pats had a few good chances to seal the win in the last twenty minutes but a combination of poor finishing and good goal keeping meant they were under pressure til the final whistle

And shortly after full time it was more bad news for City as it was confirmed that Farrelly and Healy were not cleared by FIFA to play until July 1st. Its a ridiculous situation and can only presume the players/club/fai will appeal the decision

taken from http://myirishfootballblog.blogspot.com/

For the record, only Pats fans having a luagh said we're playing the best football ever. No one else has said it seriously

Oh and Mulcahy was played there to help his fitness, not for any other reasons

Hopefully, third time lucky v Pats in the Setanta final.

I heard one pundit on the radio over the weekend saying pats were playing the best the league has seen

And I read another similiar comment in one of the papers by someone else

Dodge - how do you rate the squad and its depth and quality?

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Originally Posted by DRDoc

I heard one pundit on the radio over the weekend saying pats were playing the best the league has seen

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Paul Osam?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DRDoc

And I read another similiar comment in one of the papers by someone else

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Paul Osam?

Was just on the FAI website, who wrote their match report? :confused:
Seems quite different to the one posted in this thread.

Here

Ridiculous stuff.
Turns out now we have to beat Dungannon to qualify for the semis.:eek:
Ridden Rock Solid again. :mad:

The RTE match report is spot on IMO

Highlights here

http://www.stpatsfc.com/watch_video.php?id=50

pretty accurate report in The Irish Times

St Patrick's take control

Paul O'Hehir At Richmond Park

St Patricks Athletic 1 Cork City 0: Already through to the semi-finals, St Patrick's Athletic secured a home semi-final last night with a performance that typified their season. The tenacity, graft and honesty with which they have played this season was replicated once again.

The platform for victory was build on an impenetrable defence, one which we assume frustrated the on-looking Mick McCarthy, and a Celtic scout, as much as it did the visitors. The Wolves manager and Celtic are keen on Roy O'Donovan, but the Cork striker was well shackled throughout. St Patrick's started cautiously as Cork surged forward, but a final ball was lacking. Indeed, O'Donovan cut a lonely figure up front and Stephen Brennan and Darragh Maguire had the striker's measure.

St Patrick's soon adopted the creative role. Joseph Ndo and Gary O'Neill tricked their way deep into Cork territory, regularly leaving the covering defence flatfooted. However, despite that inventiveness, it took a defender to break the deadlock.

Keith Fahey's corner on the half hour was poorly dealt with and Darragh Maguire pounced to fire low to the net through a sea of bodies.

From that point on, notwithstanding a Cork surge near half-time when Denis Behan went close, St Patrick's were in control. They still had to scrap hard, but their fleetness of foot when in possession flummoxed the visitors.

Cork were far more creative in the second period, with Joe Gamble grafting hard in midfield.

However, their attacks repeatedly fizzled out with neither O'Donovan nor Behan on form to capitalise. The hosts, on the other hand, could have doubled their advantage late on, but O'Neill and Alan Kirby were denied from close range by goalkeeper Michael Devine.

Damien Richardson's side are all but through anyway, as their next opponents, Dungannon, need to win by seven goals away from home in a fortnight's time.

Last night, Dungannon drew 1-1 at home to Portadown.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Ryan; Maguire, Brennan, C Foley; Mulcahy, Fahey, Kirby, Ndo (Rooney 90 mins), Frost; M Quigley (O;Connor 90 mins), O'Neill.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Kelly (Cillian Lordan 88 mins), Murray, Ryan; O'Brien (Cathal Lordan 72 mins), Gamble, Softic, Kearney; O'Donovan, Behan.

Referee: M Courtney (IFA).
© 2007 The Irish Times

I think it is only us Pats fans in the stadium saying we are playing the best football ever seen to keep us entertained at half time... but we are enjoying the season thats for sure!

Squad IMO nowhere big enough to even hope to challenge for the league. Especially up front. If O'Neill or Quigley gets injured / suspended / off-form we will struggle badly. But a promising season it looks to be.

The Setanta is making us look better then we really are as we've now won 8 in 9 but realistically only 4 of them were in the league. Sligo have got off to a really good start as well. so I think it will be a couple of months before we see if Pats are gonna do anything this season.

Maybe the cup............ ;-)

The Soccerati were out in force at Richmond Park last night. And who could blame them?

Besides the obvious (Tom of course, as mentioned on the main thread) there were confirmed sightings of

Packie Bonner (pronounced Boner)
Roy Keane (pronounced Pri... nah, let's not go there ;) )
Mick McCarthy
Tony O'Donoghue (paid in :eek: )
Darragh Maloney (scored the only goal of the game)

The Studio 54 of the eircom League.:D

Also reports of other English managers - Steve Coppell is probably bored of watching Cork at this stage, anyone see any other famous faces?

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Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

Steve Coppell is probably bored of watching Cork at this stage, anyone see any other famous faces?

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Probably fell asleep in McDowells after his customary 5 pints of Guinness, serves him right.

And why wouldn't TOD pay in, i'm sure ye charged all the other Cork City fans.

Awful poor defending by Cork for Maloney's goal

I think Pats fans should be happy with the start to the season as its a boost in confidence however its hard to win a league with such little possession especially at home.

Maguire was the crucial player as he did seemed to pop up everywhere. Pats had some other chances on the break but I thought City dominated the game. If it was a league we would have played O'Flynn & attacked the back 3 in the wide positions - Behan not suitable for that game.

Seen Ndo in both games now & doesn't contribute much.

I'd say pats controlled the game and wouldn't say Cork dominated in any way. Its all well and good having posession but if its your centre halves with the ball, what use? Ndo was very poor last night

Oh and we don't have enough strikers to sustain a challenge for the league. Maguire, who was superb last night, is our 4th choice centre half and we're pretty strong in Midfield but if O'Neill or Quigley gets injured we're fecked.

Ndo was very very poor last night

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Originally Posted by pete

I think Pats fans should be happy with the start to the season as its a boost in confidence however its hard to win a league with such little possession especially at home.

Maguire was the crucial player as he did seemed to pop up everywhere. Pats had some other chances on the break but I thought City dominated the game. If it was a league we would have played O'Flynn & attacked the back 3 in the wide positions - Behan not suitable for that game.

Seen Ndo in both games now & doesn't contribute much.

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Remind me of any saves Barry Ryan had to make

I just want to thank Pats fans for their hospitality in McDowells after the game! ;)

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Originally Posted by Dodge

I'd say pats controlled the game and wouldn't say Cork dominated in any way. Its all well and good having posession but if its your centre halves with the ball, what use? Ndo was very poor last night

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We dominated possession but there was no creativity for the final ball. And honestly i dont see where its going to come from against the stronger teams without Healy or Farrelly giving us more options.

Agree Ndo was shocking

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Oh and we don't have enough strikers to sustain a challenge for the league. Maguire, who was superb last night, is our 4th choice centre half and we're pretty strong in Midfield but if O'Neill or Quigley gets injured we're fecked.

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I dunno Dodge. Any other year Id agree with you but this year is a strange one.Less quality in the teams overall and an average enough team could win it

Drogheda would walk away with it if it werent for doolin
Derry cant buy a win these days and were no great shakes this year so Pats will be there or there abouts come the end of the season anyway.

both teams were very poor and it wont have improved any of the distinguished guest's opinions of the league if those were supposed to be the two on-form teams at the moment. apart from the set piece, all of SPA's chances came "on the break", and didnt seem to worry mick too much. for all our possession we created very little, though denis behan missing from 5 yards and the ref bottling it when barry ryan attacked roy o'donovan added a slight feeling of frustration.
the farrelly/healy decision was much worse news last night as i cant see last nights result affecting the rest of our season beyond deciding a venue.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

both teams were very poor and it wont have improved any of the distinguished guest's opinions of the league if those were supposed to be the two on-form teams at the moment. apart from the set piece, all of SPA's chances came "on the break", and didnt seem to worry mick too much. for all our possession we created very little, though denis behan missing from 5 yards and the ref bottling it when barry ryan attacked roy o'donovan added a slight feeling of frustration.
the farrelly/healy decision was much worse news last night as i cant see last nights result affecting the rest of our season beyond deciding a venue.

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"ATTACKED" Get a grip will you. O'Donavan went in with high studs on Ryan. Ryan went to O'Donovan and they hit shoulders. O'donovan went down like he was shot, a disgrace, as shown here:


http://www.stpatsfc.com/watch_video.php?id=50


Obviously not happy he was found out by a good defence in front of watching eyes. I notice you don't mentionhis 2 footed lunge on Keith Fahey

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Originally Posted by Hibs4Ever

"ATTACKED" Get a grip will you. O'Donavan went in with high studs on Ryan. Ryan went to O'Donovan and they hit shoulders. O'donovan went down like he was shot, a disgrace, as shown here

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:confused: those are some mighty red tinted glasses you've got there. o'donovan chased a ball he was entirely justified in going for, and if barry ryan wants to stick his hands in there its his own business. luckily for ryan and st. apts, he's an experienced scumbag and rather than raising his hands, he turned around, away from play, and charged at roy with his shoulder and head. you can't have professionals reacting like that attacking each other and it makes a mockery of st. pat's "family club" boast that the coke convict isn't condemned for this kind of action that he seems quite partial to.

the disgrace is both that ryan proceeded to stand over o'donovan shouting abuse and pulling at his jersey, and that the referee bottled it - not for the first time that night, given his rather mixed understanding of the "advantage" rule.