SPA V City - make or break

**Pablo** · 03/08/2004, 2:10 PM

i cant help feeling we need to beat Pats next friday or realistically we'll be out of the title race. I know theres plenty of games left but with the 10 team premier being so tight i cant imagine a big points gap like that being made up.

And with shels in town the following week............

**Peadar** · 03/08/2004, 2:15 PM

Originally Posted by Pablo

i cant help feeling we need to beat Pats next friday or realistically we'll be out of the title race.

That would be a terribly negative view considering the number of games remaining and the very nature of football. We wont be the only team in the top 4 to drop points and I'm certain they'll all take points off each other.
That said however, it is vital that we win on Friday to get our away record back on track again.

**namloc** · 03/08/2004, 2:15 PM

Big performance is needed next week against Pats. We still have 3 games in hand over Drogs but we have to start winning them starting with Pats friday!!!

**patsh** · 03/08/2004, 2:16 PM

Our season could be over with almost 4 months to go....

**wws** · 03/08/2004, 2:19 PM

it has turned out to ne a massive game for both teams - pats will want to keep winning ways going and cork cant afford to let another 3 points slip

real crunch game, could be anyones - i'll take a draw

**namloc** · 03/08/2004, 2:20 PM

The $h€l$ game the week after is also a must win!!

**City Hero** · 03/08/2004, 9:32 PM

It comes up about this time every season, and we keep saying that Shels will drop points towards the end of the season, and every team goes through a bad patch etc., but the reality is that even if Shels drop points, nobody will capitalize enough to catch them, and they are going through their bad patch right now (2 draws and 1 loss), and it won't last too much longer (unless they have a massive euro hangover). So now is the time to be catching them.

Drogs are close, but how long can they stay close? We have to catch up as quickly as possible and the next two games are the best possible opportunity.

If we are within a couple of points going into the last couple of weeks, I think we could do it.

**Éanna** · 03/08/2004, 10:40 PM

being honest I think the drogs result could work for us too. takes the pressure off a bit, cos no-one expects us to challenge now. I'm very confident we'll finish 2nd, whether we get a result on friday or not. the break from friday to the shels game will be a huge help to the lads too.

thecorner · 03/08/2004, 11:21 PM

we are only barely gone though half of the season

still a lot of points 2 be played for

not gonna start losing heart yet.

if we still win the rest of our games in hand and beat shels twice we still go above them

**harry crumb** · 03/08/2004, 11:25 PM

But from here on in every point is vital.

At the end of the season we could come second by 1 point.

**Pablo** · 04/08/2004, 11:27 AM

lets face it Pats are poor this year so if we dont beat them we shouldnt win the league anyway

**Eric** · 04/08/2004, 1:58 PM

I reckon that our league challenge IS over!!!

Inter-toto again next season

**Pablo** · 04/08/2004, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by Eric

I reckon that our league challenge IS over!!!

Inter-toto again next season

I hope you are joking?

**cathal** · 04/08/2004, 2:34 PM

Originally Posted by Pablo

I hope you are joking?

maybe but he's right. the football we have played in the league is far from championship quality. too many "ifs" from a lot of supporters. fact is the losses to bohs and drogs shows our team is incapable of winning the crunch games, a problem that has dogged city teams for years.

wheather we like or not shels have one hand on the trophy but the really galling thing is that pat dolin can take a poor team and have them pushing for top spot. we on the other hand can't despite all the money we spend- i think we lack that mental hardness that charcterised Dolans SPA team of the past. besides it's about time george stuck one in the onion sack

**Peadar** · 04/08/2004, 2:39 PM

Originally Posted by cathal

our team is incapable of winning the crunch games, a problem that has dogged city teams for years.

I beg to differ.
Surely the Waterford game was the "crunch" game for us?
The Drogheda game was a though contest against a good side which came a few days after a physical Munster derby.

Our next "crunch" game will be against Shels on the 14th.
Let's see how we do then, shall we?

Neil · 04/08/2004, 3:21 PM

Originally Posted by cathal

maybe but he's right. the football we have played in the league is far from championship quality. too many "ifs" from a lot of supporters. fact is the losses to bohs and drogs shows our team is incapable of winning the crunch games, a problem that has dogged city teams for years.

wheather we like or not shels have one hand on the trophy but the really galling thing is that pat dolin can take a poor team and have them pushing for top spot. we on the other hand can't despite all the money we spend- i think we lack that mental hardness that charcterised Dolans SPA team of the past. besides it's about time george stuck one in the onion sack

Dalo, Dalo, Dalo!

Peadar is right. Waterford was a crunch game. Nijmegen was a crunch game. Have you forgotten about these in your little rant? Bohs was a game two days after Malmo that even the Shed found hard to get excited about.

I think if we can draw against SPA, we'll then have a proper rest period (for the first time in about 2 months) and we can really give the Cheats a game.

**Peadar** · 04/08/2004, 3:27 PM

Originally Posted by cathal

the really galling thing is that pat dolin can take a poor team and have them pushing for top spot.

Paul Doolin, even?

**cathal** · 04/08/2004, 3:28 PM

neil, neil, neil

maybe you are right maybe we may win d league but do fans think we are really playing well enough for it to happen?

hopefully we will do what bohs did a 3 years ago and go on a super winning run but even the most ardent supporter would have to admit the drogs result was a sickener.

of course the pat's and shel's games will tell us a lot.

**razor** · 04/08/2004, 3:31 PM

Originally Posted by Neil

Dalo, Dalo, Dalo!

Peadar is right. Waterford was a crunch game. Nijmegen was a crunch game. Have you forgotten about these in your little rant? Bohs was a game two days after Malmo that even the Shed found hard to get excited about.

I think if we can draw against SPA, we'll then have a proper rest period (for the first time in about 2 months) and we can really give the Cheats a game.

I got the impression Cathal was referring to back along.
City are totally renound for getting in the big crowds for the big occasion and ****ting the bed.
Those 2 home games against Pats a few years back spring to mind and the worst of all was Dundalk in 91.

I must say though the day we won the League in 93, I never thought we would lose, even after Shels came back twice, i knew it was going to be our day. Nijmegen was the first game in recent times I can ever recall this not happening and what a day we had.
cathal has a point in what he says but he is certainly emphasizing the negative.

**Peadar** · 04/08/2004, 3:33 PM

Originally Posted by cathal

even the most ardent supporter would have to admit the drogs result was a sickener.

No one is denying that Cathal.
But the difference between you and many other supporters is that we are realistic enough to know that during the course of the season we will lose games. Every team will lose games.
It's unfair to dismiss our league ambitions however, when a tired team is beaten away from home by a well diciplined team who are on a bit of a run.
They took two of their chances and we didn't.
It doesn't suggest that we were played off the park or that Drogheda will win the league.

Originally Posted by razor

Those 2 home games against Pats a few years back spring to mind and the worst of all was Dundalk in 91.

Yeah, Devine was brutal that day and Bennett was at fault for the first goal

Stop living in the past.
New team, new backroom staff, same ambition, still too many negative fans.