This has been switched (again) to Sligo Sports Complex at 7.45.
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This is great - it's like a treasure hunt. All we need is yer one with the big arse arriving by helicopter at the last minute to ref it.
Cork City 3-1 Longford Town it finished this afternoon.
Longford look a decent side, Rice is obviously their talisman in the middle. The guy they had playing right wing (he was a black guy, sorry I can't be more descriptive than that!) looked like he'll cause defences problems.
We look a physically strong side this year compared to the last few seasons. We started with Elding and Rafter up top, Rafter bagged a couple of nicely taken goals.
Dave O'Leary of limerick came off the bench for us and showed some nice touches, not sure what the story there is but the rumour is that he's set to sign for us. Should be a good addition based on what he showed.
What was Luke Giverin like?
Waterford United 0 Shamrock Rovers 4 is a result in a pre season friendly at the RSC today.
Bizarely Rovers goalkeeper Barry Murphy had to play in goal for Waterford as their goalkeeper was sick.
Harps giving Sligo a bit of confidence from their pre-season exploits. 2-0 at half time there courtesy of goals from Paul O'Connor and Danny North.
FT Sligo 3-0 Harps.
Mickey Funston is a looper.
Must be great craic following Harps.
Imagine how steamed you'd have to get following that muck around the First Division!
Are you lot that bored that Rovers are no longer contenders that you have to pick fights with Harps? I know it must be difficult when you have no natural rivals but it seems a bit desperate picking on a team who aren't even in your division and manage to maintain a decent team in the middle of Gaa country. Much like Rovers with Bohs and Pats, I'd imagine Harps are far more concerned with Derry than you.
Because Sligo were always a top team!!!
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Well it just seems to me - completely unscientific, by the way - that since Rovers have started being crap Sligo fans on here have started ****ting on Harps a bit which is a bit mad considering Harps are one of the best clubs going and have done nothing deserving of any scorn.
No, we'll always be ***ting on Shams. At any opportunity.
You'll need to up your game then. It was easy when we were on top of the table. It's times like this you need to be creative. The Bohs set the standard a few years ago.
Good win and a decent little workout but no disrespect it won't be much of a confidence booster. Rovers never needed to get into second gear as Harps were just terrible. I know the first division is atrocious and it's hard to go by one preseason friendly but it doesn't look good for Harps this year if that's the standard of football that they are playing.
According to our manager, the gulf in class was frightening and a massive wake up call to the coaching staff and squad.
Harps are paying pennies in truth and it shows at times but I wouldn't be concerned at getting beat 3-0 in a pre-season friendly against a side with hopes of winning the Premier league.
Also, a side that paid out €1.6 million in wages last season should be miles better than a side who paid out less than €130,000 in wages last season.
A few games this week again now with a select side playing Derry tomorrow in Greysteel at 3pm. Also playing Irish Schools on wed night and UCD next Saturday.
In fairness what heard was that 1.6 million was turnover as well.
Harps have turned a profit over the past 3 seasons.
We also had posted profits in 9 of the 10 seasons previous to 2008 where we lost approx €250,000.
I wouldn't get so comfy on the high horses lads, just saying.
People on here read way too much into pre season friendlies
No one is on high horses or no one is concerned as previously mentioned. Like I said I think we're okay... Every league of Ireland club is only a couple of poor decisions away from getting into financial trouble. What's it with the anoraks on this forum adding two and two together and getting five.
Don't begrudge Sligo their income or expenditure figures. As long as the money keeps getting spent on the right quality they will feel they can keep in profit. Certainly Spillane, O'Conner and the lad Eric up front looked the part last night. Waterford lost 4-0 to Rovers and its fair to assume the disparity in budget between top premier teams and first divsion will become very apparant in these games.
A big problem for Harps is not just the GAA, so many USL and Donegal league teams are now paying players money means that the money raised for the game in the county is dispersed all over the place rather than it going into improve the senior club. Having said all that this time last year we were beating Dundalk 3-0 in Oriel in a preseason game so as some above sayes you can read far too much into these games.
Thanks for your concern, but in fairness what would you know about how our club is run or what our fans do or do not know. The annual AGM lays out what was spent and where, so fans are well in the loop. The 1.6m figure is turnover and was a couple of years ago. Its down a nice wee bit from that.
For the record, I'd love to see Harps back in the Premier. I occasionally slag them here but it's just joking. Always enjoyed trips to Ballybofey.
My biggest worry about our supposed budget reduction and clearly smaller squad this season is the fear that the people running the club might be thinking a couple of seasons of mid-table 'consolidation' will be alright while we tart up the ground. We've seen often enough in the LoI that it doesn't take an awful lot to start a downward spiral. I don't see us making any of the mistakes made by some of the clubs that self-destructed over the past decade, but a slip in playing standards and you could very quickly see your crowds drifting away.
Was at the Astro friendly on Sat nigh and saw enough to know that we will be, at worst, top three this season again. O'Connor, Russell and Adhiambo are serious additions and Danny is fit and mad to go.
Totally, it's all about trying out formations, having a look at all your players, and the squad working on their fitness.
A near full strength DLK lost 2-1 away to Galway last week,last min winner and we had plenty of subs coming on, but still no need for alarm bells. Decent result for the home side mind, but that's it really.
Derry 4-2 Harps
played earlier today. Harps were missing McHugh, McCarron, J Mailey, P Mailey, Cowan, McNulty, J Bonner and Doherty as they were working.
Derry had a very strong line up. They were far surperior in the first half with it 3-0 at half time through Patterson, Stewart and an OG.
They made a raft of changes at half time and went 4 up with Paddy mcEleney scoring.
Ruari Keating got 2 for Harps and looked very impressive through the middle.
In truth Shaun Patton the Harps under 19's keeper made a string of top class saves to keep the scoreline mildly respectable.
Shels vs Limerick next week cancelled due to Limerick heading to Spain on a training camp.