County 0 Harps 0

MMMMMMMMM:eek:

Bad auld game.
Nothing lost nothing gained.

Players rating all 6/10.

MOTH Boyle for Harps if I was pushed.

Talking points.
Two goals disallowed both for a push in the back one for each side (Harps one more clear cut).

Harps no 7 miss of the season after good work by Luca.

Bradley had to go for assault on Hughes off the ball under the linesmans nose. Getting him back for an earlier challange.

We are very solid but can't score. How about signing Vaughan from the Mons?

Only a matter of time before Rogers scores.
Biggest crowd of the season 700+ I think.
Seen a fair few Donegal supporters with GAA tops.

Anyone of the top 5 can win promotion if they go on a run
:)

I'd say if one or other teams scored a goal it would have lead to a better game. As usual away side only played with one up front, but I have to say Harps worked hard and time wasted well.

Should have put a score on a 0-0 draw
:(

Bring on Kilkenny next Saturday, best of luck to Harps and their friendly supporters.

:cool:

KILDARE COUNTY 0

FINN HARPS 0

THE top two sides in Division One met in Newbridge last night and it took an hour for the game to come to life. The incident that brought about that spurt was the sending off of Harps' midfielder Shane Bradley following an altercation which ended Philip Hughes' participation.

From the resultant free kick, Gareth Cronin, signed from Cork City during the week, headed home Peter Rogers' dead ball. However, he was adjudged to have been fouling Eloka Osokuh.

The extra man did the home side few favours and it was the Donegalmen who could have snatched all three points. Declan Boyle fired wildly over from 12 yards before Johnny Kenny just failed to divert Rory Boyle's free over the goal-line.

Kildare Co: Russell; Brennan, Cronin, Purdy, Whelehan; Kenny, Zellor, Rogers, Hughes (Kelly 62); O'Connor, Scully.

Finn Harps: Young; Osokuh, Minnock, B Boyle, Bradley; Mohan, Kenny, Lloyd (McGrenaghan 67), R Boyle; McHugh, Bonner.

Referee: D Deady (Cork)

I'm nearly sure it was Ben who headed the goal.

The penny has just droped, we played 5 across the back last night against 10 men OTT. Harps had only 1 striker during the whole game, 0-0 a dead cert from the kick off.:rolleyes:

Nice to see gaz got a goal even if it wasn't given. How and where did he play?

Quote:

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Originally posted by Éanna
Nice to see gaz got a goal even if it wasn't given. How and where did he play?

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Good for his first game, combined well with Barry O'Connor. Nice passer of the ball and keeps possession well, not a hoofer like Hutch. Put in some good crosses. But the game was bad both teams were scared of each other. I wonder what the story will be when Hutch comes back himself and Dykes are like two peas in a pod.

He played left back and looks like a natural. Mc Q got no change out of him.

Hope he gets on the score sheet against Kilkenny next week:D

If it was Gaz who scored, it was a superb header:cool:

I thought it wasn't a bad game actually.
We mixed our play a lot and it was Harps using the long ball for most of the night. The only problem was we didn't threaten especially after the sending off.
Only in injury time did we have actual shots on goal which is a damning statistic.
McQ never got a sniff as Ben marked him out of it.
Ray Scully had a great game and probably would get my MOTM just ahead of Ben.

It was a rotten elbow from Bradley on Hughes and he had to go.
Our disallowed goal was soft enough. (I was behind the goals) but the professional foul on Zeller near the end was unreal. Right under the linesmans nose and he just let it go.

I thought the crowd was more like 400 than 700. Poor attendence once more for a top of the table clash.

Cronin looks like a good signing though.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Countyman
Ray Scully had a great game and probably would get my MOTM just ahead of Ben.


I thought the crowd was more like 400 than 700. Poor attendence once more for a top of the table clash.

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Harps are not as good as last year.
Ray Scully has a great engine, Ben never has a bad game.
What Bradley done was just dumb.
Our biggest crowd of the season so far, I think some one must be pulling the wool if they told you their was only 400 at the match.

Keely said he's going to sign more players, do you know who they are?

I dont know names but he was after a left sided player from St. Pats but I think that fell through while I know he is chasing bigtime a midfield play maker but again I dont have names.

Dont think he can bring anymore in without letting someone go (i.e. Cotsy). I think the budget is stretched to the limit as he said himself in his programme notes.

About the attendance. The stand had a lot of empty seats. I would say 100 max in the stand while there was a sparse crowd behind both goals 50 - 60 max.

The dugouts side was line all the way , maybe 150 max.(thats generous)

While the car park side was lined as well, maybe 50-100 .

Thats my 400. If we got 700 the stand would be packed and the pitch would be lined all around.

In fairness 700 is the least we should have got for a big game like that.

We have 110 season ticket holders, if Saturadays was 400 we must only get 200 for most of the other home matches?
I'd say most people would be happy if we got a crowd like that every week.

From the horses (no pun intended) mouth.....kildare county fc need crowds of a least 600-800 to breakeven each week.

It hasn't happened so far this year. I cant understand it myself.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Countyman
From the horses (no pun intended) mouth.....kildare county fc need crowds of a least 600-800 to breakeven each week.

It hasn't happened so far this year. I cant understand it myself.

---

Surley only 25% or abouts of turn over should come from gates.

How can other teams survive then, our gate was as good as Galways.

We should be out of business in a few weeks so!

As you can see from the match programme there is virtually no corporate sponsorhip.

The 200 club has been a disaster while NTFC will suck up a lot of the revenue from advertising hoardings around the ground.

The only player sponsored is Philly Gorman (by the S.C.) while I think only 2 games at home have been sponsored this year.

Take Dublin City (avg crowd maybe 300) yet their programme is full of Corporate ads. Galway United have a successful Supporters Trust running while investing in local talent on the pitch.

We have hired a new commercial manager but I think his work will be cut out in a GAA/Horsey County like Kildare.

We know the wage budget is supposed to be €3500 pw. With a home game every 2 weeks you would need a crowd of 700 just to cover wages.

Thats before Insurance, travel costs, medical bills, ESB, Rent, Fines , bonuses, maintenance is even paid.

The situation is pretty bad. We need a sugar daddy from somewhere!!!!

To be honest all I'm intrested in is the Team + Keely and what they do on the pitch. If the people in the club can't do their sums its their hard luck.

Yeah but if the sums don't add up there will be no team :( :( :(

Soccer: Thoroughbreds grind out draw

Kildare County 0, Finn Harps 0

UNFORTUNATELY, it’s all too common in soccer. The big nights, the best clubs, the crucial ties, but more often than not the beautiful game becomes, well, not so beautiful.

With anti-climax so inevitable, you’d think we’d be prepared but that’s never the case. It wasn’t on Saturday afternoon anyway, as the Donegal registered bus arrived at Station Road.


The top two prepared to dual. A win for Kildare would see them elevated to first place, a win for Finn Harps and a menacing looking five point gap would develop. Neither happened and one and all were left with an empty feeling at full time.


Even before kick off goals seemed unlikely. Harps played five at the back, Dermot Keely responded by doing the same and those 10 men in the defensive lines dominated. The rare chance came about but the finishing left a lot to be desired.


The Thoroughbreds made much the brighter start. After an initial scare when Johnny Kenny headed a Niall Bonner cross wide they settled. Shay Zeller was at the heart of everything.


The former Longford striker volleyed wide before Peter Rogers, who returned after a lengthy injury lay off, put the same player in the clear. Alan Young saved well but the flag was raised for offside anyway.


As the opening period progressed the possession favoured the home team but Harps looked the more dangerous in front of goal. Proof of that came in the 20th minute as Shane Bradley headed a Ruairi Boyle cross to the net but his celebrations were cut short as referee Dan Deady awarded a free out.


Young again denied Zeller before the Ballybofey side nearly conjured up their own downfall. Bradley’s attempt at a back pass fell well short but Young rushed off his line to deny Zeller for the third time.


That was as close as County got and they were lucky not to be trailing at the interval. Bonner on the left was causing chaos. He should have volleyed home Kenny’s cross but instead saw his effort go the wrong side of the post and only Damien Brennan’s goal line clearance prevented him from making amends when Jonathan Minnock provided the assist.


The main talking point of the evening arrived on the hour mark, when Shane Bradley raised an elbow in the direction of Philip Hughes. It was the end of both men’s participation; Hughes hobbled off to be replaced by Alan Kelly, while Bradley saw red.


Gareth Cronin, acquired from Cork City in midweek, was making his first start in the black and white strip. He had displayed his defensive qualities up to that incident but showed his attacking instincts thereafter.


From the resulting free, he powerfully headed Peter Rogers’ free over the line but was harshly adjudged to have been pushing.


But even with 10 men, Harps seemed the more likely to score and had the game’s three best chances within a six-minute spell. Declan Boyle headed just wide before firing wildly over the top from 12 yards after former Nigerian U-17 world champion Elokah Osokuh had headed the ball to the danger area. Then Ruairi Boyle’s low drive was diverted into the side netting by Kenny’s boot.


Even Kevin McHugh wasted a couple of chances, putting a free well over the top and heading straight at Wayne Russell.


In the last five minutes, the sending off took its toll on the visitors. Kildare began to push forward, hoping to snatch all three points. Zeller failed to get on the end of a Cronin cross and substitute John Ryan had a couple of chances too, while with the last kick of the game a Ritchie Purdy drive from distance was well held by Young.


So, it’s as you were at the top, no ground lost and but none gained either.


“We played well in the last 20 minutes but I’d say there were a lot of nerves”, said Dermot Keely afterwards. “It’s very hard to create chances when they play five at the back but the game never really lived up to its billing. The first half was very poor and there never looked like goals.


“I thought at the end when Minnock pulled Zeller back it was close to a penalty but you’d have to say a draw was a fair result. We got closer to them then last year when we couldn’t compete with them at all. This year we’re still in touch.”


Kildare County: Wayne Russell, Damien Brennan, Gareth Cronin, Ritchie Purdy, Ben Whelehan, Ray Kenny, Shay Zeller, Peter Rogers, Phillip Hughes (Alan Kelly


61), Barry O’Connor (John Ryan 83), Ray Scully.


Finn Harps: Alan Young, Elokah Osokuh, Jonathan Minnock, Declan Boyle, Shane Bradley, Tom Mohan, Johnny Kenny (Paddy McGrenaghan 67), Neil Lloyd, Ruari Boyle, Kevin McHugh, Niall Bonner.


Referee: Dan Deady (Cork).