Longford Town FC vs Finn Harps - 14th April

What odds for a 3-1 scoreline at half time?? I thought it would be a comfortable nite for d town.... Longford couldn't keep the ball after red card. With Salmon leaving the pitch earlier and Gillespie being subbed (Kirby aside) there was no one to keep the ball. Deans was solid, Shaw worked hard as usual and James was impressive although he is inclined to over do the speculative passes. Bad result but we're still top of the league, with a very winnable game next w'end and the return of Hope things still look bright!

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Originally Posted by rossi_eire

What odds for a 3-1 scoreline at half time??

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T'was 22/1 with Paddypower.

We're top scorers in the league and have won our last 3 league games, I hope teams keep thinking we'll be a soft touch.

I don't think anyone would regard Harps as a soft touch. Harps always give us a tough game no matter how good or bad they are especially up in Ballybofey. The Town just had an off night (hopefully) but the referees decision to send off Hyland was a disgrace. I felt we would of got the win (just about!) only for that decision.

Yes the referee was absolutely disgraceful as he always is (has to be the worst in the league) but we were awful! I dont know whether last weeks great win took a lot out of them or what but we never played football all night it was all mindless hoofball. That was very strange because even though we lost Tuesday night we played lovely football and gave a great effort. Kirbs was the only midfielder who tried to keep it on the deck while I thought Chris Deans had a good game at centre half.

A lot of people very disappointed with Gary Shaw's performance he just doesn't seem to use his strength for a big man and doesn't seem to get off the ground but again I think last weeks effort may have taken a lot out of him and the lads because last week he was superb absolutely ran himself into the ground.

A decent enough crowd out and a fair few travelling Harps so very disappointed to lose because with EL CLASSICO on in Spain next Saturday night that will drain away at the gate significantly for the game against Mervue.....I'm very nervous ahead of that game it's these type of games we always seem to slip up in.

Harps were the better team on the night, but....we were 1-0 up and relatively comfortable, even though we were playing some rubbish football. The referee's decision to get them back into the game was a disgrace. Once they scored straight from that free kick there was only 1 winner, although their 2nd goal was a poxy deflection and their third was them catching us on the break when we had most of our players up field. We didn't deserve to win, but without the referee's intervention there's a fair chance we would have won imo.

@outspoken's point about the crowd, it was absolutely terrible considering the run of form we were on.

Thought there was around 400 there according to ET it was only around 300 considering we got crowds like that playing for nothing last season your dead right it's an awful attendance but what can we do? Like I said I'm very worried about next weeks gate with the Spanish Classico being moved forward 24 hours to Saturday with a 7pm KO. I think we should consider moving it to Friday night.

Only in Ireland would "el classico" being on T.V. be deemed a threat to people attending a match.

I know it's a sad society we live in but any excuse not to support your own league.

I was speaking to someone after the game who was on the sidelines .. the reason hylo miskicked was that the ball hit a massive divot and threw it off course.. no excuses though for the bad performance.. we were terrible.. besides the sending off, deans got elbowed off the ball and nothing was done and havo was shoved off the ball for their third..why the ref didnt blow we never know. unbelievably that was harps first win in flancare since the league cup quarter final win in nov 2000. i was very impressed with harps and think they will finish high..

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Originally Posted by RonnieB

Only in Ireland would "el classico" being on T.V. be deemed a threat to people attending a match.

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El Classico on the telly? Fair play to RTE for showing Longford Town v Athlone Town! ;-)

I see the FA have moved the FA cup final on May 5th to a 5-15 ko the same night we play Waterford at home thats another b*lls breaker for the gate!

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Originally Posted by Martinho II

I was speaking to someone after the game who was on the sidelines .. the reason hylo miskicked was that the ball hit a massive divot and threw it off course.. no excuses though for the bad performance.. we were terrible.. besides the sending off, deans got elbowed off the ball and nothing was done and havo was shoved off the ball for their third..why the ref didnt blow we never know. unbelievably that was harps first win in flancare since the league cup quarter final win in nov 2000. i was very impressed with harps and think they will finish high..

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The ball did hit a divot and took a big deflection off it but I have to say the pitch in general was in a poor state. It seemed very hard and the players looked like they were struggling to play the ball on the deck. The refs decision to send off Hyland was a shocker and we just fell apart after that......

exactly.. I know our chief groundsman has bein ill recently which might explain what happened to the pitch.. I hope that the pitch will improve by the weekend considerin the amount of rain that has fallen over last 24 hrs ...

I was behind the goals and the ball definately hit (an almighty) divot! I have to admit I thought myself Haverty was pushed off the ball for the third goal but from what I had seen earlier I thought my eyes were deceiving me!! And their second goal got a major deflection!! Nothing was going to go our way Sat night!

Oh theres no doubt it hit a diviot but funny enough I thought the pitch was grand Saturday night we've played on much worse.

ye outspoken, was on the pitch beforehand, its the best its been all season to be honest, believe it or not. Must heve been a fresh divot, fairly big at that.