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I'd say it's over-thinking the situation alright with the penalty. I hadn't heard a thing about match fixing before seeing the highlights on MNS and to be honest I'd just passed it off as a bad penalty and nothing suspicious in it.
It's most likely nothing and someone just looking to have a go at Shels. They're just an easy target given their past.
10 minute highlights don't show the context of the game. The goals were spectacular but Sheriff were utterly battering them from the start of 2nd half I've no doubt they would have eventually scored 3 goals before the 90 minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by A face
My observations from watching the game live:
First half
Shels generally played ok. Their two goals were fantastic example of pass and movement that would grace the PD. Some players were playing poorly and making strange decisions, it could be put down to playing ****e, but because Shels were in control of match scoreline and holding most of the ball so its hard to find anything suspicious. Sheriff looked a Junior side. Defence looked slow and for the taking, forwards ineffective but their midfield was competitive. Only sniff at goals were from Shels making defensive errors.
Second half
Shels were a completely different team. Losing Kevin Dawson at H/T may have effected their midfield but in reality Shels never kept hold of the ball and were inviting Sheriff to attack them. Shels defence became very clumsy. Passing became awful thus the ball retention from the first half was gone. It was highly noticeable some players not closing Sheriff down. Some players, usually disciplined were begging to give fouls away at any opportunity. One player I noticed lost about 3 yards of pace from the first half. I noticed another player running in the opposite direction from the ball as it was coming to him. Sheriff were winning most headers easily. Very strange penalty too. Shels showed no reaction when they went 3-2 down which I feel was most damning. Sheriff players were struggling with cramp at this stage too and weren't exploited. Shels players clearly were not trying. I'm not retrospectively analyzing this, I was thinking this as I was watching it, I only became aware of the Sheriff betting mania speaking to someone leaving the ground. Sheriff do deserve their moment of glory, they showed great heart but lets not carried away, they're about Athlone Town level and Limerick should easily get past them.
I personally believe it was thrown. Too many coincidences pre match, too many conicidences and stange goings on during the match but saying who was in on it is obviously hard to prove. I may have gone OTT on the forum the other day saying it was 100% fixed and there were definitely half the team throwing it. Emotions running high there, I think something was up but to what extent among the team is hard to figure out. There are certain players I am suspicious about. It will be impossible to prove anything unless someone with insider knowledge says something. Otherwise I expect the 'scandal' to blow over but I think the club has to keep any eye on this stuff as there is a stink hanging over an another match, maybe two from the past few years.
I cant see the point of throwing the game, they are near certain of going up and had the chance of europe for either winning the cup or runners up. The extra 2 games wouldnt change their chances of promotion. I know things are not all well at shels with the players etc but throwing a cup match ? something serious must be happening at shels for them to throw it. ( If they did that is ). Could it be just a coincidence that the rumours came true and that shels just underestimated Sheriff? Would shels be banned from the cup for a few years if it was proved to be true?
Im sure Fingal will get the blame somehow knowing the shels heads :).
"I shot the sheriff, but i could not score the penalty " . :).
im sure they werent throwing it so they can concentrate on the league ffs
Shel's in their position are the last club that need to throw the game. It's their rivals more that anything that could do without the games.
Jaysus lads, IF the game was thrown by Shels players, do ye honestly think it was to avoid more games on the run in?
The 18/1 that was available on a Sheriff win or the 66/1 that was available on Shels HT/Sheriff FT are much better reasons to throw a game then to avoid the potential extra games in the run in.
Really sick now at this stage that I couldn't get to this game so I wouldn't have such a coloured opinion on what happened before viewing the footage.
I'm going mad watching this game over and over. 2 things though are sticking out so much and it's not the lack of Shels effort in the second half.
It's in fact the lack of Sheriff effort in the first!
It seems that a team like them should not have been carved open oh so easily as they were for the Shels goals because up to that point they were doing okay.
Obv to ensure the HT/FT would come off you would have to go in at half time LOSING! Shels seemed to be making a bags of that as is their wont.
The second thing that stuck out to me was the body language of the Sheriff coach and the seeming lack of incredulity at the score, or should I say the presence of a feigned incredulity.
Anyway. I am going to have to watch it over and over until I'm satisfied that I haven't a clue.
Just coming in to post the same link... as if it couldn't get curiouser.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
This was all part of our master plan.Quote:
Originally Posted by PartySaint
So in theory both clubs could be kicked out of the competition giving Limerick fc a bye to the semis.
Good plan to be fair, clean up at the bookies and still go through.
Not really. Surely if Sheriff are kicked out (unfairly so, ish, though I smell an FAI excuse rat here) that would render our game last Friday as null and void?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuyahoga
Wait til Friday. My brain hurts with all this bull.
If Shels end up going through and we do play Shels instead what are the chances of a winner takes all, league and Cup match. We are down to play Shels on the 16th in Tolka anyway and it would be very handy for both :p ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
On a serious note could this get really complicated? The draw was made having us away to Sheriff, if Shels go through will they automatically get rewarded the home advantage as well as being reinstated to the Cup.
Basically through no fault of our own we would have gone from having a game we realistically should be winning to a much tougher cup draw away to Shels. The FAI in turn get to screw Limerick with a much tougher quarter-final......take that conspiracy theorists.
It is of course bad luck for you, but it is the rules. We don't deserve to go through, not at all. The players made a joke of the club whether the game was thrown or not but rules are rules.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jofspring
Any chance Shels would throw the oul quarter, to concentrate on the league like??
On the whole match fixing thing, I heard a good one Saturday morning from a Dublin lad which would have made things interesting but nothing came of it so nothing will come of the whole thing. Even if the game was fixed (and it probably was) unless the players are utter morons there's no way of proving it. The best we any of us could hope for was to wind up a few Shels fans on the internetz. I tried but with ultimately very limited results. Nothing to see here folks. :ball:
Kicking sheriff out is the easiest option open to the FAI rather then any investigation and possible penalties like a points deduction against shels. This would only benifet one team and its not exactly a loved team of the abbotstown mafia....Limerick. The issue of the home game for a cup being awarded to shels is a point and maybe but i doubt it will happen the draw would have to take place again. To be fair to all parties Limerick should get a bye :D
You are definitely clutching at straws there.Quote:
Originally Posted by gael353
Yeah, man. Tonight's match wouldn't have helped your headache - hasn't helped mine anyway. Spent more time talking to people about the 'scandal' than watching Shels misfiring on the few cylinders they have left at this point in the season. Got a really sour taste in my mouth about it all.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
That'd be hilarious. Couldn't even throw a match properly. Just like Sligo's Albanians. The LoI is great. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels