Abankwah gave one for the worst performances I’ve seen in a long time on Friday night
Derry flew out of the blocks and we were lucky not to be 2 down after half an hour but we were comfortable enough from there on in general. Good point for us.
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Abankwah gave one for the worst performances I’ve seen in a long time on Friday night
Derry flew out of the blocks and we were lucky not to be 2 down after half an hour but we were comfortable enough from there on in general. Good point for us.
Shels were somewhat dangerous down the left but there was very little variation; it turned into a good training session for the UCD right back. The high press had UCD's centre halves struggling early on, but Shels couldn't keep it up. Sprinker-related fun aside, it turned into a damp squib of a game.
Don't want to pile in on Scott but yeah, wow. Have watched the goal since and didn't even fully appreciate how appalling it was at the game. Even apart from that it was one of the worst individual performances I've seen in a while which is saying something. Doubly worrying that he's the only right back in the squad, hopefully there's a player in there and he finds his feet quickly.
UCD had the better of the few chances created Shels maybe controlled the game a bit more but we were really disjointed in the final third I can't recall us forcing the UCD keeper into any real work, Moylan looks like our only threatening creative outlet and even then he became more ineffective as the game progressed
I do like Duff's approach to playing football but he's working with a mixture of some decent prospects who will develop and some who look to have limitations that full-time football just won't overcome, no question it's a four way battle for the drop and the play-off spot between Shels, UCD, Harps and Drogheda
SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! He's grand where he is but yeah he looks an outstanding player.
We were awful in the 1st half and it took us a while to get going and figure out a few of the Harps formations out but once we did there was only one result and we ran out handy enough winners.May have added to the scoreline at the end also.
Dundalk awful in the 1st half and i couldn't believe we got to the break 1-0 ahead! Macari getting injured didn't help(Benson went to fb when he was subbed).Think in the second half we looked more solid back there although still a little bit shi* through the middle were Harps were getting a lot of joy.
Harps heads went down when Bone scored so early in the 2nd half.
A very poor 1st half display from Dundalk with so many players not exactly sure of their roles :( Clearances off the line,shots hitting the bar. Second half different story,they obv got the hairdryer treatment from S'OD and dominated then.
Good game,good game.
We have had moments of very good luck in all three games so far, but it was the total opposite this time last year. It shouldnt be overlooked either that we didnt capitulate after being outplayed. Battered for 44 minutes last night and won 3 nil. Battered for 5 minutes last season and the towel was thrown in. Not hard but but significant signs of improvements with arguably a weaker squad so I will take it. But those slices of luck dont last so we need to sort defensive lapses sooner than later in particular Boyle needs to raise his game to his rep and we need to hang in there in wide defensive areas until players are fit. 5pts from those 3 games is grand and when we could have found ourselves in an awful rut already.
Strange the way the opening fixtures have fallen - UCD v Rovers/Harps/Shels, so nobody in the middle, and we've Drogheda and Derry next. Harps and Shels have both played Drogheda and UCD (well, Harps v Drogheda was postponed) and Shels have Derry next. Rovers have played UCD/Derry/Drogheda. So no real clear picture of what you might call the middle (Sligo/Pat's/Bohs/Dundalk) will overlap with the top (Derry/Rovers) or the bottom (UCD/Harps/Shels/Drogheda)
Three of the five goals Drogheda have conceded have been glaring errors where possession was gifted to the opposition. (I could also include Jack Byrne's goal last night as an error; well struck, but right in the middle of the goal straight at the keeper, who should have tipped it over).
Early days, and the new lads need time to bed in. Are the replacements for Doyle, Brown, Kane etc. good enough? The game against UCD on Friday should give us the first real indication.
If I added in a few more /s, would that help?
must say i didnt expect ucd to struggle with scoring goals. only 3 games in but they look somewhat improved on last year in defence, getting kerrigan and whelan some shots proving tough though.
I went along to UCD v Shels last night - Jesus it was grim.
Better fun playing a game trying to win in Division 1 than two teams worried about losing.
Shels started the better side and their main threat was Conor Kane down the left but he didn't seem to have any plan for a final ball. With Sean Boyd starting you'd have imagined a cross into the box at his head would have been the idea... I guess Jordan McEneff was injured because he was subbed off after 20 minutes but had been pretty ineffective on the other wing. Jack Moylan did a few decent dribbles during the game but pretty much every time just took a touch or two too many and wasted what looked a threatening chance.
UCD got into it as the game went on and even towards the end it wouldn't have been a huge surprise if they caught Shels out on the break. Dylan Duffy really should have scored when he got in late on but his shot was smothered by the keeper.
I saw UCD a few times last season and they're playing far deeper this season. It kind of makes a bit of sense because they were so open defensively last season playing like that in the Premier Division they'd get ripped apart by teams. Obviously this has a negative effect on the supply to Kerrigan and Whelan but 2 points from their opening 3 games isn't too bad.
There are a few players who looked suspect for Shels, the keeper hasn't impressed me so far (I saw them on the opening night too) and Aaron O'Driscoll looks an accident waiting to happen. Hawkins didn't impress either last night when replacing McEneff. Aodh Dervin added a big of urgency when he came on for Brian McManus - his passing was quicker and crisper.
Overall though it was a fair result and I definitely saw enough from UCD to suggest they might have a chance of staying up.
Hard to disagree with any of that assessment JC_GUFC
Eoin Doyle didn't look like someone who will score 20 goals, with his record I was expecting him to bully our back 4- the least convincing part of bohs this year.
Seems underwhelming so far. Might come good, but interested in Pat's fans' opinions. Olowabi was far more effective - as real handful for Feely. If I were a Pat's supporter I'd be looking for him to play centrally.
Maybe there's a bit of pressure on Clancy to play him given the fanfare and wages?
Him and Clancy are mates. It was the a huge factor in him signing. I just hope that fact doesn't cloud his judgement when its not happening for Doyle. He does seem reluctant to substitute Doyle so far.Quote:
Maybe there's a bit of pressure on Clancy to play him given the fanfare and wages?
Draw probably fair alright. Although a score draw would have made much better viewing for fans.
A drab affair really. I think the Monday games this early in the season dosent help when players are still getting up to full speed after pre season, especially teams with part time players. Another Monday game week after next too
That incident at Derry did not sound good at all going by the way they described it on Cawleys Call
Yeah the first half was pretty good. Second half not so much.