Athlone 18/5/12

[NeverFeltBetter]

With Longford likely to take all three points against SD Galway, Limerick need to keep that gap at just four points before the trip up to Flancare. Some questions about the defence from last Friday, but at least they were able to score a good few goals.

A win is needed, but a confident display of football at home would be very much appreciated. Steady the ship and all that.

[Shannonsider]

Hard to judge from last weekend but we should beat Athlone. They will be tricky and sit back but to be honest SD Galway were the worst LOI team I have ever seen. Limerick scored five but 3 of those were a gift from a very young SD Galway goalkeeper. If we play like that again this season, we will lose. Looking forward to Friday but Limerick need to win to keep in touching distance of Longford as I have no dount they will comfortably beat SD Galway. The game in Flancare in two weeks is massive if Limerick want to win the league.

[sadloserkid]

2-1 win with two goals from an impressive Rory Gaffney. Nice to see Gary Sheehan back too. Precious little else to get excited about. Ex-Limerick player Garvan Broughal scored their goal.

[wonder88]

What was the crowd like ?

[thomas72]

around 500 no more

[NeverFeltBetter]

Not great. I'm not the best judge, but wouldn't say there was more than 400?

Result got, but Limerick were so poor for much of the second half. Gaffney took both his goals really well, not sure why Athlone were complaining for the second, from my perspective it looked like the defender just slipped. Behan played really well I thought, much better than earlier games. Ryan in goal was solid enough, great save in the dying seconds to keep it at 2-1. Dominant in the first half, Limerick should have killed this game off by half time. It seemed like a 4-4-1-1 for most of the game, occasionally a 4-3-3, with Behan just behind Gaffney, but reverted to a 4-5-1 in the second, with just Gaffney upfront alone for the second half. A lot of long ball, but plenty of ground work as well.

Some dodgy defending at times, made nervy work of what should have been a routine win. A lot of stupid frees given away near our penalty area. Sheahan was a little disappointing for me, still not 100%. Gaffney was being caught offside all game, to a really frustrating degree. Limerick only really fashioned three really good chances, Gaffney's two and I'm told a Bradley shot? (Missed it, bathroom). A lot of wides, a lot of weak headers straight at the Athlone keeper. Gaffney's throws are great and all, but no good unless that kind of delivery is used properly. Corners were also quite bad, usually played way too deep.
Longford seemed to struggle tonight from reports, so I’m optimistic about the next few weeks especially with Foley coming back. Limerick need more options upfront.

[thomas72]

poor again tonight strange team playing two strikers on the wing sheedy and sheehan another win but we really need to step it up big time or rovers will hammer us out the gate next week. another thing monday night v liverpool scully was out of his dugout roaring out instructions every 5mins all game (prob trying to impress them) tonight he was back to himself in the dugout like a mute the odd time he would stick his head out shout out BE POSITIVE then back in he goes i suppose it was raining

[bluewhitearmy]

Dont think we deserved to win that game at all we are awful.
The amount of times our players just boot the ball away with out even looking around is ridiculous.

Only for there right back being crap and trying to take a touch when he should have just cleared it we wouldn't have won that game may have even been fouled.
We are getting worse ad worse to watch imo...Crowds wont be getting better anytime soon.

[Jofspring]

Couldn't make the match but from just hearing about it it is exactly how I expected it to go and I really feel I missed nothing. It's an awful shame when you just know how home games are going to go every week.

Out of 12 league games this season we have played well in 2. Wexford away and Finn Harps (going by reports) away.

There is no point in going this whole season doing well against 5 teams and not beating the other two cause there is only one place we will end up and that's a playoff.......if we are lucky.

Longford aren't exactly doing amazingly well every week but for some reason they just come across as that bit more solid than us. Waterford are just going to be our bogey team for the season.

I am actually expecting us to do quiet well on the road next week.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Certainly think the team plays way too negative at home. The way they sat back in the second half - the way they always seem to sit back - was so bad to watch because you could just see what was going to happen. As is often the case, we were saved by the poor quality of the opposition, as Athlone seemed fairly clueless in the final third for the vast majority of the game.

[da bishop]

it was terrible stuff tonight,no pattern to our play some really poor performances,behan,bradley who was badly at fault for athlones goal,guthrie,kelly,and at times purcell while ryan had a shocker in goal imo.sheehan off the pace naturally as he is only getting back to fitness.thought o leary,tracy,gaffeney did some great work and showed some real leadership when it was needed.athlone can feel hard done by ,outplayed us for most of the second half after a non event first half and thanks to a dubious decision not given in their favour would have secured a deserved point.the regular scully retreat to the dugout continued afresh this evening and was,n seen for most of the 2nd half but found his vocal cords again when gaffeney scored whereupon a volley of rubbish expletives were expressed to all and sundry...ah well thank god for 3 pts.

[abbeyvale]

For what its worth............

Results from tonight
Limerick 2 - 1 Athlone Town
Mervue United 3 - 0 Wexford Youths
Finn Harps 0 - 1 Waterford United
Longford Town 1 - 0 SD Galway

Table as it stands before we play away v Longford
1 Longford Town 12 10 1 1 22 12 10 31
2 Limerick 12 9 0 3 23 12 11 27
3 Waterford United 12 6 2 4 15 15 0 20
4 Wexford Youths 12 6 1 5 17 12 5 19
5 Athlone Town 12 6 1 5 14 12 2 19
6 Finn Harps 12 4 0 8 15 21 -6 12
7 Mervue United 12 2 2 8 15 20 -5 8
8 SD Galway 12 0 3 9 7 24 -17 3

Fixtures
1 Jun 2012 7:45pm Waterford United v Mervue United Regional Sports Centre
1 Jun 2012 7:45pm SD Galway v Finn Harps Terryland Park
1 Jun 2012 8pm Wexford Youths v Athlone Town Ferrycarrig Park
2 Jun 2012 7:30pm Longford Town v Limerick Flancare Park

22 Jun 2012 7:45pm Athlone Town v Waterford United Lissywollen
22 Jun 2012 7:45pm Limerick v Wexford Youths Jackman Park
22 Jun 2012 7:45pm Mervue United v SD Galway Terryland Park
23 Jun 2012 7:45pm Finn Harps v Longford Town Finn Park

[bluewhitearmy]

the regular scully retreat to the dugout continued afresh this evening and was,n seen for most of the 2nd half but found his vocal cords again when gaffeney scored whereupon a volley of rubbish expletives were expressed to all and sundry....

Gets more and more annoying every week sick of him hiding.

[Minesapint]

Gets more and more annoying every week sick of him hiding.

Bluewhitearmy as i have said in previous post i think you have a personal problem with pat scully, whats does hiding in the dug out mean a manger can sit down or stand up when he wants you seem to be waiting to point out the negatives very quickly, 3pts tonight 2nd in the league 7pts clear of wateford it wasnt free flowing game but its all about getting the points and getting points when your not playing well is great if your getting sick of pat in the dugout stay at home and watch takemeout.

[bluewhitearmy]

Bluewhitearmy as i have said in previous post i think you have a personal problem with pat scully, whats does hiding in the dug out mean a manger can sit down or stand up when he wants you seem to be waiting to point out the negatives very quickly, 3pts tonight 2nd in the league 7pts clear of wateford it wasnt free flowing game but its all about getting the points and getting points when your not playing well is great if your getting sick of pat in the dugout stay at home and watch takemeout.

You do realise it wasn't me that pointed it out yes?

As i and others have told you already i backed Scully for ages until it was clear he hasn't a clue. You may have a point if i was the only one that thought he was no good but i think you will find you are in the minority in wanting him to stay. Argue your points why you think he should stay away but please stop throwing out the same stupid talk that has already been pointed out as incorrect.

[Minesapint]

[QUOTE=bluewhitearmy;1596910]You do realise it wasn't me that pointed it out yes?

As i and others have told you already i backed Scully for ages until it was clear he hasn't a clue. You may have a point if i was the only one that thought he was no good but i think you will find you are in the minority in wanting him to stay. Argue your points why you think he should stay away but please stop throwing out the same stupid talk that has already been pointed out as incorrect.[/QUOTE
If you go back through your post i cant see many of your posts supporting the manager, we are second in the table will still alot of point to play for, yes i think we are not winning in style but league is about results and last night was 3pts.

[Jofspring]

The problem minesapint is we are getting away with these performances against the poorer teams but against Waterford and longford we are losing. Just like last year with cork, Shels, Monaghan.......And the year before with cork, Shels, Monaghan and Derry..........and the Year before that against U.C.D, Shelbourne and Fingal. On average out of about 8 big games a year we are lucky to win 1 and maybe draw 1 or 2. That is why we are still stuck in the first division. Scully does go into hiding when things are going the wrong way. The team really need to pull a performance out for scullys sake against Longford.

[fieldofmarkets]

Was glad to see we started 4-4-2. Gaffney was so much better upfront than on the left, I didn't think he would score the 2nd but he really buried it in a tight space at the near post, great finish. Thought O'Leary and Treacy were our best players last night.

Athlone fans got quite upset about a foul not being called on Gaffney prior to his 2nd...I didn't think it was a foul myself, just Gaffney outmuscling the defenders. It was an inconsistent call by the ref though as he blew up all night prior to that for any little challenge.

Did have 3 or 4 nice moves of good football, but turned off for large periods. Seams mental. One result was Bradley being terribly caught out giving posession away for their goal. I haven't looked at the stats but it feels like we are conceeding a lot more goals this year and in a weaker league.

[Battery Rover]

Athlone fans got quite upset about a foul not being called on Gaffney prior to his 2nd...I didn't think it was a foul myself, just Gaffney outmuscling the defenders. It was an inconsistent call by the ref though as he blew up all night prior to that for any little challenge.

I heard that even Rory said to one of our players after the game "that they are given every week". Even the referees delegate apparently said it was a foul after the game. It was an incorrect decision that cost us at least a point and perhaps more as we were pushing on at that stage. It is a job I wouldn't do and they must be commended for that but the inconsistency in decisions is absolutely appalling.

If Niall Scullion had put his hand on Gaffney's shoulder and dragged in that position last night he would have more than likely walked for fouling as last man back.

[blueblood]

Think there was a slight improvement overall last night thanks to Behan not being the target man up front all alone, still loads of room for improvement, we just don't seem to be clicking (yet) as a unit but we are getting there now that the team is a bit more settled lately, would be great if Jeffery Judge comes back we really need that sort of midfielder, could really do with having a bit of pace a center back, Guterie and purcell are ok for winning headers but thats about it there too slow, and Davy Ryan in goals what the f***, i've never been a fan of him but last night he was back to his good old unreliable self, I can't believe someone on here said he had a good game. Anyway a long way to go but we HAVE to beat Longford in all our head to head games cause I cant see them dropping too many points in this poor division and I wouldn't fancy us against a premier team in a playoff.