Weekend Beginning May 12th Fixtures

Dundalk were very good in the second half tonight after a fairly sluggish first half. Benson, McGrath and Duffy were the best performers, and hopefully Gannon should be back next week to add to the options.

I think he'll go straight back into RF in place of Vemmelund, then hopefully Gartland will be close to returning, and O'Donnell should be back to start next week away to Limerick after coming on as a sub, so the injury list is slowly improving at last.

Its probably all too late for a league challenge, but we should be in much stronger state by the end of the month, will see how we go from there. Need to back it up with consistent results first though.

Patrick Hoban was an interested spectator tonight.

Solid performance from Rovers tonight. Our defense is now starting to get some confidence. I was impressed by our players timing in the tackle and their decision making of when to tackle. The team seem to be bonding well, great support from both sets of fans and their overseas visitors.

I really hate football.

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Originally Posted by El-Pietro

If we drop a couple of points on average every game this round we'd drop 22 points. I somehow think thats unlikely.
Fair play to Galway, looks like they were good value for their point.

Unbelievable start to the season for us all the same.

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Hope springs eternal etc.

Robbie Benson back is like a new signing.
Tough 1st half and the dundalk we know we're out in the 2nd. If we can maintain that intensity and from the start we may be able to get on a run.
Limerick next. Tough one.

Tbh there is nothing we can do about cork until we face them. Hopefully the galway result plants a seed of doubt in their mind. Hopefully they'll regret ordering the victory bus

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

I really hate football.

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I too also hate this ball with the foot game.

Au contraire, I was quite in love with it tonight. A cracking game of football in Galway, we are much the better side in first 45 minutes, struggled to get going in second half but was crucial we hit back within 2 or 3 minutes of conceding. Fully deserved the point. That McCormack lad is a serious bit of business, himself and McNulty kept City in it in the first half, was between them and Stephen Folan for top performance. Won't matter a sh!te though if we don't beat Harps at home next Friday

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Originally Posted by Philosophizer

I've strolled into the last few Dublin derbies in Dalyer and Tallaght mere minutes before KO and there was never an issue with tickets. Anyone got any ideas why there's a shortage of tickets tonight?

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They were all bought by people.

OK performance by Rovers. Probably should have got a couple more after going 2-0 up but Bradley's teams always seem happy to close out a lead. Second clean sheet of the season is overdue. **** Bohs :D

Jamie McGrath will take all the plaudits following his hat trick at op tonight but the real star of show was Robbie Benson.
McGrath was excellent but Benson's return was the real vital factor as Dundalk finally found some gearss in a second half performance that blew the bit o red away.
Both sides were poor first half and neither really landed a blow but Dundalk sparked into life early in the second and it was one way traffic from then with Sligo looking pish poor.
Dundalk had several 1st team regs on the bench back from injuries.
Great performances from McGrath and Benson, vemmuland was solid and chipped in with another goal.seems like we're going the right way and players coming back.

Lyttle at Sligo has a job ahead of him
Not saying that for attention but yee were poor tonight.very, Very poor

The bottom of the table seems to get tighter and tighter each week...

Galway v Harps and Pat's v Sligo next weekend, while Bohs are away at Bray and Drogheda are in Cork.

If Galway win, we'd most likely move up to 7th if Pat's v Sligo is a draw. Harps would jump to the same points too (just worse GD so only 8th).

Tonight Pat's jumped from bottom to 8th, it looks like it will change every game week and it will be a different club in crisis, with Bohs now replacing Pat's as the club going down!

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Originally Posted by WoodquayBoy

Au contraire, I was quite in love with it tonight. A cracking game of football in Galway, we are much the better side in first 45 minutes, struggled to get going in second half but was crucial we hit back within 2 or 3 minutes of conceding. Fully deserved the point. That McCormack lad is a serious bit of business, himself and McNulty kept City in it in the first half, was between them and Stephen Folan for top performance. Won't matter a sh!te though if we don't beat Harps at home next Friday

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Aye and he is a local lad from just outside Dundalk.

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Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

The bottom of the table seems to get tighter and tighter each week...

Galway v Harps and Pat's v Sligo next weekend, while Bohs are away at Bray and Drogheda are in Cork.

If Galway win, we'd most likely move up to 7th if Pat's v Sligo is a draw. Harps would jump to the same points too (just worse GD so only 8th).

Tonight Pat's jumped from bottom to 8th, it looks like it will change every game week and it will be a different club in crisis, with Bohs now replacing Pat's as the club going down!

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The irony being that everyone is scrapping for something (bar Cork's incredible start). There isnt a side that isnt in the hunt for Europe or trying stay out of the bottom 3 just as the league format is going to change. Maybe there has been a stumble across a league format that fits the bill of keeping everyones attention. Dont reduce the league but just have 3 up or down lol. 2 automatic relegation and a fair playoff with 3rd in the 1st. By fair I mean playoff thats not weighted in favour of the premier side maybe a neutral venue one game affair if not over 2 legs.

Choke City have their first wobble and Pen-Maguire fails to get a late goal despite the ref playing 15 mins of injury time. The league is ours.

Rovers up for it last night,2 good goals .Bohs were awful.Just like 5 other clubs....relegation material.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

Maybe there has been a stumble across a league format that fits the bill of keeping everyones attention. Dont reduce the league but just have 3 up or down lol. 2 automatic relegation and a fair playoff with 3rd in the 1st. By fair I mean playoff thats not weighted in favour of the premier side maybe a neutral venue one game affair if not over 2 legs.

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Next season's format hasn't been announced but I'm pretty sure it's going to be something of a closed shop - or as much they can get away with. If it's anything more than 1 down and 1 playoff I'd be very surprised.

I think the fact that things are so tight is probably a good reflection on the overall standard. Usually there would be 1 or 2 teams who'd be completed tailed off but there is no team who is clearly the worst. Even in Division 1 the average standard has risen, Waterford aren't walking the league as expected and even struggled against Wexford last night.

Live audio analysis of this evening's Limerick/Derry game, for those who might be interested, at www.mixlr.com/limerick-soccer-live.

Noel O'Connor will be my second for this one.

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Originally Posted by AlanOB

Live audio analysis of this evening's Limerick/Derry game, for those who might be interested, at www.mixlr.com/limerick-junior-soccer.

Noel O'Connor will be my second for this one.

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That link doesn't appear to be working.

Radio Foyle will have live commentary here anyway: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_foyle

www.mixlr.com/limerick-soccer-live is the link!

Cheers for the heads up.

Ok Eurovision will be on our TV tonight so I will be checking the UCD Longford game updates quite a lot :) so what are the predictions- for me UCD are always tough at home so I'd back them - thoughts?

The game is in Longford. I'd still back UCD however.