2017 EA Sports Cup

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Originally Posted by placid casual

Rovers players need to learn to " maximise" tackles the way Dundalk do. The ref was clueless the entire game.

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Do you think this was a factor in Aaron Bolger getting sent off? Or Graham Burke in the first meeting earlier this year? The number of red cards Rovers have collected this season is indicative of their OTT aggression and lack of discipline. It was encouraging to hear Bradley saying he does not see it as a problem.

Aaron Bolger could easily have got a straight red for either of his two bookings

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Originally Posted by placid casual

Price being back at centre half should help, as the 1st goal yesterday was a farce.

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I presume you mean Lee Grace. He would be a smarter choice than Aidan Price - is he even registered as a player?

Thought dundalk were extremely comfortable throughout, rovers on top last 15-20 minutes of first half but sava never had to make a save all night. Dundalk could have easily been 3-0 up before rovers hit the post. Thought rovers were poor in all honesty, missed Shaw big time. Hel make a difference in a few weeks but you'd imagine dundalk could do another job on them in Oriel.

Having luke Byrne back at left back will allow Clarke to push on. Shaw and Grace back will also help.
Don't agree on Gartland being over the hill I'd take him at rovers alongside Grace.

I'm not sure why Kenny chose Hoare ahead of Gartland. Gartland has been playing very well during Dundalk's excellent run for over the last few months.

Did Kenny know that Shaw wouldn't start and therefore didn't need his most aerially dominant centre half?

Rovers always play a long ball game but it is different when Shaw plays. The long balls are higher and focussed on his getting good knock downs, which was a feature of their last league win over Dundalk. With O'Connor, the long balls are more into the channels and, given his mobility, the quickest centre halfs are the better option.

Bradley's tactics were very poor, the fact that Sava didn't have a save to make and Rovers didn't creating anything from open play is all the evidence needed.

Dundalk, if more clinical, could have score quite a few more goals.

The person I felt sorry for was Ronan Finn, such a waste of talent.

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

It's ages since we had a peno whine whine whine....

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Lacking in imagination, repetitive, no cutting edge, irrelevant, boring, overly aggressive, one dimensional - Rovers tactics and display yesterday.

I was accused of being bitter over the semi-final loss when I said Dundalk would comfortably win the final. They're a level above Shamrock Rovers and I reckon it'll be a cup double for them this season.

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Originally Posted by Crosshead

I was accused of being bitter over the semi-final loss when I said Dundalk would comfortably win the final. They're a level above Shamrock Rovers and I reckon it'll be a cup double for them this season.

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We are probably favourites as it will take Cork time to adapt to losing top players to England and to injury. It took us half a season to adapt to losing three of our best players.

It is a one off game though, as is the semi final, I wouldn't take either of them for granted.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

I'm not sure why Kenny chose Hoare ahead of Gartland. Gartland has been playing very well during Dundalk's excellent run for over the last few months.
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He has been playing well and he's been scoring too but Kenny did the same in the 2014 EA final, he stuck with the players who played in most rounds of the cup, explains why he picked Sava and Hoare and retained Grimes at left full.

I'd be expecting a much different match for the semi final but then again Dundalk will have more options for this one with Connolly and probably Mountney back in contention. I'd imagine he would go with Rogers and Gartland for that game.

From what I've seen of rovers this year, they're a very talented group of young players with huge potential, but they're short a striker (like most of us!) and a decent manager. With the youth coming through I'd be seriously worried about them next year if it was an experienced or better manager. I'm not overly concerned with Bradley there though.

Dundalk back to being polished and professional. They'll be hard to beat in any games this year.

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Lacking in imagination, repetitive, no cutting edge, irrelevant, boring, overly aggressive, one dimensional - Rovers tactics and display yesterday.

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And yet I've read plenty of reports from other dundalk fans who felt they were overran for the majority of the 1st half by Rovers midfield, playing football.

Your opinion has become baseless, and a talented team like Dundalk are actually wasted on the likes of you.
Such a waste really.

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Originally Posted by placid casual

And yet I've read plenty of reports from other dundalk fans who felt they were overran for the majority of the 1st half by Rovers midfield, playing football.

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Rovers played with a narrow midfield three, while Dundalk's midfield three were very open and far apart. Rovers were in a better position to pick up knock downs and breaking balls in midfield. When one of the teams plays a long ball game, there are a lot of loose ball in the middle of the park. The key point is that Rovers did nothing with this possession.

Dundalk three played slightly narrower in the second half and Rovers were completely out of the game.

You can't get away from the fact that Rovers were shockingly bad and there was nothing in their set up that suggests that Bradley has a clue what he is doing.

You do have good young players, and it is a credit to Rovers that many of them are home produced. However, they won't achieve their potential by playing dinosaur football.

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Originally Posted by placid casual

And yet I've read plenty of reports from other dundalk fans who felt they were overran for the majority of the 1st half by Rovers midfield, playing football.

Your opinion has become baseless, and a talented team like Dundalk are actually wasted on the likes of you.
Such a waste really.

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Context continues to be s problem for some.

Go back and look again at the post

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Originally Posted by placid casual

And yet I've read plenty of reports from other dundalk fans who felt they were overran for the majority of the 1st half by Rovers midfield, playing football.

Your opinion has become baseless, and a talented team like Dundalk are actually wasted on the likes of you.
Such a waste really.

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Yes, we should bow our heads to the mighty rovers who played pure total football with pure fluidity......

Rovers had spells, like all teams do at this level, but Dundalk were fairly comfortable, and probably should have went into half time 2 nil up. Dundalk had another gear, hence finished the game very strongly.

It was Dundalks day, they win the cup. Roll on the semi final, maybe the result will be different.

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Originally Posted by placid casual

And yet I've read plenty of reports from other dundalk fans who felt they were overran for the majority of the 1st half by Rovers midfield, playing football.

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Rovers played plenty of football in defence or the middle third of the pitch with Finn pulling the strings but they were no threat at all and Dundalk had the two best chances during that spell. Second half was a different story as Dundalks wingers came infield more and pressed higher nullifying Rovers possession and forcing them to go long and the sending off finished them off altogether.

I thought it was comfortable enough for Dundalk overall

Funny that Rovers are whinging about a red card costing them the league cup, when it was a red card that got them to the final in the first place. Short memories lads.

Am I right in thinking that UCD have given Dundalk their toughest Cup game of the season so?

We at least got to penos in Oriel.

Almost sure Dundalk only equalised too v UCD with less than 10 mins to go. Def won pens.

Equaliser was earlier than that - 20/25 minutes to go I think. Though it did come when we were down to ten for an injury.

Just realised actually that we're playing ye again on Tuesday in the LSC semi (it's such a stupid competition, I knew we had a match on, but I'd forgotten who it was against)

Penos actually went to sudden death and all; 6-5 in the end.

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Originally Posted by placid casual

And yet I've read plenty of reports from other dundalk fans who felt they were overran for the majority of the 1st half by Rovers midfield, playing football.
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I would agree Rovers were on top in the MF area from around 30 mins to 50 but they were still 1-0 down during that period and Dlk were never really under that much pressure, I'm not even sure if Sava made a save of any significance in the match? He was troubled though on various high balls in. That's the area that Rogers has improved most this season, confidence in catching then a quick throw out to start off an attack.

Rovers can have no complaints yesterday, but as I said previously, the big one is in two weeks time and I'm expecting a different game then. Not taking anything away from the EA Sports cup, always nice to win a trophy, never mind the league cup is ranked 3rd. Still a cup to lift.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Equaliser was earlier than that - 20/25 minutes to go I think. Though it did come when we were down to ten for an injury.

Just realised actually that we're playing ye again on Tuesday in the LSC semi (it's such a stupid competition, I knew we had a match on, but I'd forgotten who it was against)

Penos actually went to sudden death and all; 6-5 in the end.

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I'll meet you half way PS, I had the programme from yesterday handy beside me, page on the route to the final. Second round Dlk 1 (Clifford 76) UCD 1 (O'Neill 17) 6-5 on pens correct.

I can't see playing any first team league players on tues night in the LSC semi, maybe 3 or 4 max who played yesterday.