LoI Matches Friday 30th Sept - Monday 3rd October 2022.

Not a great game last night at Casey's Field, not even sure we were value for 2-0 lead at HT, a peno and a crazy OG that Massey got the last touch for.

Still its 3 points, hard worked too, chances of finishing 3rd increasing with 5 games to go (and 5 points clear) with 3 of them at home, but would think we will need to get a result next Fri at home to Pats to keep hopes intact.

Unless Sligo beat Rovers tonight, that's 4th almost guaranteed now as even if we lose last 5, Bohs / Sligo would need to win same 5 and overturn GD swing of 20 / 17 respectively, so its 90% confirmed now.

However that's entering the hoping favours scene, looking for Derry win the cup..............3rd spot is the target to avoid all that stress and 3 more wins will hopefully get that.

If we don't beat sligo tonight I think we are done and dusted. The team look jaded and I can't even remember the last time we looked good. 3 points needed and we kightbstumble over the line. Derry look ominous and on current form will win in tallaght , we need to be 4 points clear before that game.

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

If we don't beat sligo tonight I think we are done and dusted. The team look jaded and I can't even remember the last time we looked good. 3 points needed and we kightbstumble over the line. Derry look ominous and on current form will win in tallaght , we need to be 4 points clear before that game.

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Agreed. We need a complete turnaround in form and I don't see where it's coming from at the moment. Maybe Jack will spark....but he's actually holding us back lately.

Derry are on league winning form. Beating Pats last night was massive.

2-0 now for Sham Rovers, should be home and dry now for the run in.

Bigger challenges lie ahead next season in the shape of Derry less so from Dundalk but we are in re-build mode, Europe is our aim for the next few seasons.

Done and dusted now, Sligo with a spineless showing, hoops in auto mode tonight, no contest.

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

If we don't beat sligo tonight I think we are done and dusted. The team look jaded and I can't even remember the last time we looked good. 3 points needed and we kightbstumble over the line. Derry look ominous and on current form will win in tallaght , we need to be 4 points clear before that game.

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Don?t look too jaded out there tonight. Running around like lunatics. Totally outclassed although don?t know how we didn?t get a penalty at the end of the half.

I hope Sligo are better next week:(

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Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Don?t look too jaded out there tonight. Running around like lunatics. Totally outclassed although don?t know how we didn?t get a penalty at the end of the half.

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Different Hoops tonight.. Best performance in ages? helps having Byrne ( or Jack Football as N?Do refers to him on commentary) looking like he?d almost recovered from his bout of imposter syndrome and also Burke. Looking match fit?. Agree we got a break not conceding a peno?

Derry really need to win all 5 now and hope Rovers lose 2 of their 5. Yes one of those losses they could inflict themselves in the game in Tallaght. Stranger things have happened but it would be some achievement to win it from here.

Is any one else seeing ? instead of ? in the content of posts? And yes I meant that last question mark.

Yup, an apostrophe is appearing as a question mark in posts.

Really,

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Originally Posted by ger121

Is any one else seeing ? instead of ? in the content of posts? And yes I meant that last question mark.

Yup, an apostrophe is appearing as a question mark in posts.

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An impostraphe.

Best performance in ages driven by Jack Byrne. 2 of the 3 goals down to him and he looked like the old jack. Hopefully he finishes out the season like this

That's why we're Champions, and that's why we'll stay Champions. When we play like that, with that intensity and workrate, there isn't another team on this league even remotely near us.

Well apart from winning a double in this era (2015 and 2018..................Cork also in 2017) or winning the cup and qualifying for group stage same season (2020), first time ever done by LOI team. Plenty of teams that are more than remotely close, and Derry will be neck and neck next year in my view.

Rovers will win the league, no doubt about that, best team this season, but I don't think it will be a team to remember in years to come, and to balance it, I`m old enough to remember the superb Rovers teams during the 84-87 era.

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Originally Posted by oriel

Well apart from winning a double in this era (2015 and 2018..................Cork also in 2017) or winning the cup and qualifying for group stage same season (2020), first time ever done by LOI team. Plenty of teams that are more than remotely close, and Derry will be neck and neck next year in my view.

Rovers will win the league, no doubt about that, best team this season, but I don't think it will be a team to remember in years to come, and to balance it, I`m old enough to remember the superb Rovers teams during the 84-87 era.

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In the pantheon of many great Rovers sides over the decades this team won?t be regarded as being as good as the 80?s 4 in a row side ( unless they win 5in a row )

However for all the kids and youngsters particularly in the South Stand they will be regarded by them highly in years to come?

why ? Because this is the side they?ve grown up win not some side from the 80s that to them is ancient history !! The wonderful thing about Rovers is that every generation we produce a great team and this one belongs to the current generation

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Originally Posted by oriel

Well apart from winning a double in this era (2015 and 2018..................Cork also in 2017) or winning the cup and qualifying for group stage same season (2020), first time ever done by LOI team. Plenty of teams that are more than remotely close, and Derry will be neck and neck next year in my view.

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Wtf are you on about? 😅 What has all that got to do with this current Rovers team?
I'm not making comparisons with previous league winners, but saying Rovers are way ahead of the current teams in the league. Surely even you can understand that, no?

I watched the Rovers 4 in a row team and the nearest this team came to them was the 2020 shortened season when if the season had been the full length with Jack at that time in his pomp we would have won the league by a record MArgin rather than simply winning it easily as we did.
They were unlucky to draw AC Milan in Europe also that season.
Tonights performance against Sligo reminded me of some of the football from that year and hopefully we can keep it up from here.
We havent had JAck and Burke for virtually the full season which gives me hope for next year if we can close this year out.
Almost two new signings if they both start the season fit.

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

I watched the Rovers 4 in a row team and the nearest this team came to them was the 2020 shortened season when if the season had been the full length with Jack at that time in his pomp we would have won the league by a record MArgin rather than simply winning it easily as we did.
They were unlucky to draw AC Milan in Europe also that season.
Tonights performance against Sligo reminded me of some of the football from that year and hopefully we can keep it up from here.
We havent had JAck and Burke for virtually the full season which gives me hope for next year if we can close this year out.
Almost two new signings if they both start the season fit.

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Rovers a joy to watch last night even if Sligo were dogsh!t

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

I watched the Rovers 4 in a row team and the nearest this team came to them was the 2020 shortened season when if the season had been the full length with Jack at that time in his pomp we would have won the league by a record MArgin rather than simply winning it easily as we did.
They were unlucky to draw AC Milan in Europe also that season.
Tonights performance against Sligo reminded me of some of the football from that year and hopefully we can keep it up from here.
We havent had JAck and Burke for virtually the full season which gives me hope for next year if we can close this year out.
Almost two new signings if they both start the season fit.

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Yeah that's how I'd see it now. The 2020 version was better than the next best Rovers team I saw, which was MONs. I wasn't old enough to remember the 4 in a row team.

Remember Pat Hoban came out and claimed Dundalk would have caught us with a full 36 games? He was absolutely correct. I added up Dundalks next 18 games worth of points and they did surpass Rovers winning points total. By a single point. Now you had to discount Rovers next 18 games for it to work but still...It was a great team. Maybe we didn't have great opponents but I'd have put that team up against Dundalks best team no problem. And that Dundalk side is the best I've seen. No point denying that! They were unreal.

The current side isn't at that level for me but they almost looked it last night. Some of the football was top class. Sligo weren't great at all but we also played with more energy and tempo that we have for a long time.

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Originally Posted by oriel

Not a great game last night at Casey's Field, not even sure we were value for 2-0 lead at HT, a peno and a crazy OG that Massey got the last touch for.

Still its 3 points, hard worked too, chances of finishing 3rd increasing with 5 games to go (and 5 points clear) with 3 of them at home, but would think we will need to get a result next Fri at home to Pats to keep hopes intact.

Unless Sligo beat Rovers tonight, that's 4th almost guaranteed now as even if we lose last 5, Bohs / Sligo would need to win same 5 and overturn GD swing of 20 / 17 respectively, so its 90% confirmed now.

However that's entering the hoping favours scene, looking for Derry win the cup..............3rd spot is the target to avoid all that stress and 3 more wins will hopefully get that.

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You really got a massive favour with the bonus 3 points from Sligo (and yeah, I?m aware that Pats could have been deducted the points from the Shels game, but we still have to play it and win the points.) If Pats don?t win our next two games then I don?t see us catching Dundalk.

I would still think the race for 3rd will be very tight, a lot will depend on this Friday, Dundalk v Pats, we def need a result, but home form has kept us in 3rd.

As for Sligo bonus 3 points, absolutely a massive favour, awarded in a period when we couldn't win a single game!

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

I watched the Rovers 4 in a row team and the nearest this team came to them was the 2020 shortened season when if the season had been the full length with Jack at that time in his pomp we would have won the league by a record MArgin rather than simply winning it easily as we did.
They were unlucky to draw AC Milan in Europe also that season.
Tonights performance against Sligo reminded me of some of the football from that year and hopefully we can keep it up from here.
We havent had JAck and Burke for virtually the full season which gives me hope for next year if we can close this year out.
Almost two new signings if they both start the season fit.

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I remember that team well, to be fair they were outstanding, 3 cups too thrown in, but what made them a little different to the Dundalk 2014-2019 era was their lack of progress in europe, not sure they advanced past one round, lost to Linfield also (away goals) 1984 I think?

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Originally Posted by oriel

I remember that team well, to be fair they were outstanding, 3 cups too thrown in, but what made them a little different to the Dundalk 2014-2019 era was their lack of progress in europe, not sure they advanced past one round, lost to Linfield also (away goals) 1984 I think?

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To be fair, that was back in the days of the old European cup. No easier preliminary rounds and an open draw for all 32 teams, 2 unfortunate draws v Celtic & Honved were we fought gamefully but ran out of steam. That Honved side were a lot better than people realised. They didn't go far themselves in the tournament but had 4 or 5 hungarian internationals in the side (Detari being one of them, what a player he was)
The Linfield tie was the real one that got away, a solid 0-0 in Belfast and we simply left it too late to get going in the return game at Milltown, which had one of the strangest atmospheres I can remember at a Rovers match. We were by far the better team but just couldn't get the winner on the day.
The last year n Omonia Nicosia we were in a state of flux having just left Milltown and playing out of Tolka with the fans boycott underway... the heart had been ripped from the team at that stage and it was just another nail in the coffin before the rebuild started in Dalymount the year after.
For me they were the best footballing side in the league I've ever seen, Kenny's Dundalk were incredibly effective, better at the dark arts and fitter though, I'll give them that, but for pure footballing ability the 4IAR team were untouchable. They just blew sides away, never more than in the big games too, they loved an occasion.
I'd rate Bradleys Rovers as second to them in my lifetime, MON's team were more like Kenny's Dundalk, fit, effective & gave little away at the back but less pleasing on the eye, when Bradleys team play to their strengths there's few that can live with them domestically, the slow erosion of the team will mean they are more vulnerable as time progresses however & with a stronger, wealthier Derry coming up fast it'll be a huge challenge staying head of them next year, thats assuming they haven't already done so by winning it this year, which they definitely still can. The title is far from being decided as I can see Derry winning all of their remaining games in the run in which puts huge pressure on Rovers to win at least 4 of their 5.

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Originally Posted by Peaky Blinder

To be fair, that was back in the days of the old European cup. No easier preliminary rounds and an open draw for all 32 teams, 2 unfortunate draws v Celtic & Honved were we fought gamefully but ran out of steam. That Honved side were a lot better than people realised. They didn't go far themselves in the tournament but had 4 or 5 hungarian internationals in the side (Detari being one of them, what a player he was)
The Linfield tie was the real one that got away, a solid 0-0 in Belfast and we simply left it too late to get going in the return game at Milltown, which had one of the strangest atmospheres I can remember at a Rovers match. We were by far the better team but just couldn't get the winner on the day.
The last year n Omonia Nicosia we were in a state of flux having just left Milltown and playing out of Tolka with the fans boycott underway... the heart had been ripped from the team at that stage and it was just another nail in the coffin before the rebuild started in Dalymount the year after.
For me they were the best footballing side in the league I've ever seen, Kenny's Dundalk were incredibly effective, better at the dark arts and fitter though, I'll give them that, but for pure footballing ability the 4IAR team were untouchable. They just blew sides away, never more than in the big games too, they loved an occasion.
I'd rate Bradleys Rovers as second to them in my lifetime, MON's team were more like Kenny's Dundalk, fit, effective & gave little away at the back but less pleasing on the eye, when Bradleys team play to their strengths there's few that can live with them domestically, the slow erosion of the team will mean they are more vulnerable as time progresses however & with a stronger, wealthier Derry coming up fast it'll be a huge challenge staying head of them next year, thats assuming they haven't already done so by winning it this year, which they definitely still can. The title is far from being decided as I can see Derry winning all of their remaining games in the run in which puts huge pressure on Rovers to win at least 4 of their 5.

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You can't be comparing Kenny's Dundalk to MON's Rovers? That Dundalk team played brilliant football and showed it in Europe. MON'S Rovers were very direct and effective but not overly pleasing on the eye.

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Originally Posted by outspoken

You can't be comparing Kenny's Dundalk to MON's Rovers? That Dundalk team played brilliant football and showed it in Europe. MON'S Rovers were very direct and effective but not overly pleasing on the eye.

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I was saying that MON's team weren't as easy on the eye as the 4IAR were. MON's Rovers were harder to breakdown and less fluid, that's an attribute I'd have associated with Kennys Dundalk. I meant it in a positive way not a slight on them. Dundalk may have played some decent attacking football but they were nowhere near as pleasing on the eye as the 4IAR team.

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Originally Posted by Peaky Blinder

To be fair, that was back in the days of the old European cup. No easier preliminary rounds and an open draw for all 32 teams, 2 unfortunate draws v Celtic & Honved were we fought gamefully but ran out of steam.

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A very fair point about the old European cup. Was much harder for a Irish sides to do anything in Europe in those days. Not only were you in with the big boys from the off, the scene wasn?t as fragmented, so you just wouldn?t get the kinder draws that Irish teams by and large get today.

Yes fair point on the old EC, in 1976 we faced PSV, in 79 we got lucky, Linfield (then again) then Hibs of Malta, then Celtic, in 1982 it was Liverpool who were serial EC winners of the period.

Fast forward to 1988 it was Ajax, so in that 4 season period we drew the champions of Holland twice, England once and a Celtic team that just lost 3-2 to Real M in the QF next game on agg so not exactly easy runs for any Irish side at the time.

The ECWC was as unkind, drew Spurs in 1981 fresh from their classic 4-0 replay win over Man City the previous season, how we held them to 1-1 draw in Oriel and only 0-1 in WHL was incredible.

Cracking entertainment in the game at Tolka pk. Can't make up my mind who I want to win..

Cotter is such an enigma. Has everything in his locker to be playing at a much higher level. Maybe he just needs a season or two of regular game time to fix his concentration/motivation issues. Or you just take the good with the bad.

Shocking offside decision to deny pats making it 3:3..

4-4 in this game now,just the 3 second half penalties!!

Sorry I didn't sign up for this one. My inherent dislike for shels has me chearing for pats

Mad game. We really needed the 3 points but after going behind three times, and then 4-2, I thought we were dead and buried. A point gained in the end I suppose, but Dundalk will be happy.

2 woeful defensive performances from Pats and Shels tonight. Just the 8 goals, 3 disallowed goals, manager red card, player red card, own goal and 3 penalties for some Monday night entertainment :) Haven?t seen anything back but Doyle's second disallowed goal looked well onside from behind the goal, he actually was behind the defender chasing the ball and then got in just ahead of him and finished well. Cracking free kick at 4-4 too that smashed the post, would?ve been a great win for pats. Win or bust in Oriel on Friday now

Yep, plenty of screenshots on Twitter showing Doyle was well onside when the pass was played. Frustrating to be done by poor officiating but even more frustrating to gift Shels all four goals. Though they?ll probably feel the same about ours.

It was an absolutely preposterous game. I was so baffled by it than entertained.

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Originally Posted by Jack B

It was an absolutely preposterous game. I was so baffled by it than entertained.

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Yeah bizarre stuff, errors all over the shop. Ive already mentioned how bad both defences were but I don’t think pats played well at all going forward either yet scored 4 deserved goals away from home and should’ve had more. Such a strange game of football

Got a text from a mate the game was available from 'hesgoal' perfect stream for free, and a really enjoyable and bonus for a Monday night, saw 3/4 of the game.

Mental stuff really, Shels 4-2 up then 4-4 with two pens conceded the first was hillarious, a blatant shove, silly stuff really.

Doyle looked onside to me for his goal ruled out.

Should be a tasty affair on friday night, you would think Pats have to win, Dundalk probably need to avoid defeat, but a win for us puts a gap of 7 points between the 2, each with 4 left to play, I'd think it will be a draw.

Not a perfect game of football last night but definitely more the type of entertaining games the LOI needs in a cagey Premier Division

It looked to me Duff let Shels off the attacking leash last night with safety secured following the Harps game on Friday, definitely our most fearless performance of the season which resulted in defensive shortcomings becoming more evident, he is still figuring out the squad grappling with injuries and developing young players so it's all work in-progress stuff. Questionable decisions went against both teams last night probably evened itself out in the end, don't think both teams can really complain over the draw