Promotion / Relegation Play - Offs 2012

**NeverFeltBetter** · 02/11/2012, 8:19 PM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

Barring a miracle it looks like thats that for Waterford this season…………and possibly beyond?

Guess we'll sort out that "bluff or not" question now.

**bluewhitearmy** · 02/11/2012, 8:21 PM

Suppose we will have to sign Sean Maguire now.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 02/11/2012, 8:35 PM

I feel for Waterford fans. Beat Limerick four times, still runners up, then loads of possession and chances over the two legs against Dundalk, lose by two. Can only imagine the frustration.

Dundalk just shut Maguire down in the second half and Rafter took both his goals really well. Dundlak weren't even that good, had a load of misses in the last 10 minutes.

**Jofspring** · 02/11/2012, 8:42 PM

Would have been good for the Premier in my opinion to have had Waterford up purely to get that spread around the country a bit more.

Looking forward to the trip up to Dundalk though.

We are going to be sick of the M7 by the end of next season but bring it on.

**geysir** · 02/11/2012, 8:44 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

Dundalk just shut Maguire down in the second half and Rafter took both his goals really well. Dundlak weren't even that good, had a load of misses in the last 10 minutes.

That equates to Dundalk not very good - Waterford a lot worse. Dundalk just grasped the game in the 2nd half, obviously they approached the game with a solid plan.
Dundalk were always too big to go down

Two excellent goals by Rafter.

**Jofspring** · 02/11/2012, 8:50 PM

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

Suppose we will have to sign Sean Maguire now.

If he doesn't get snapped up by someone abroad i'd love if we made a move for him.

Can see him having a tougher season next year be that in the premier or first division though. He will be a marked man now.

**bholg** · 02/11/2012, 9:08 PM

Thank F*ck is all I can say. Time to erase that season from memory. dreadful.

**Cuyahoga** · 02/11/2012, 9:08 PM

Well done Dundalk didn't look too good at 1.2down with 10 mins or so left at oriel.

**geezer** · 02/11/2012, 9:22 PM

Originally Posted by Cuyahoga

Well done Dundalk didn't look too good at 1.2down with 10 mins or so left at oriel.

great crowd, brings hope to this LOI.
Everyone on the NLEC committee needs to look at themselves and see where there clubs are at.

**outspoken** · 02/11/2012, 10:16 PM

As I predicted the difference in the standards of the divisions proved too much. People will say dundalk don't deserve to stay up but again I'd point to the difference in league standards that its much easier to win in the FD than PD.

Id be fairly confident we will see Waterford next season.

**bullit** · 02/11/2012, 10:20 PM

WOOP !! This was the plan all season

Rafter you ledgebo and Liam Burns...man you're just triffic!! Bad luck Waterford,chairmans bluff now called.Onwards to Oriel for the parttttay !! GET IN !!

**oriel** · 02/11/2012, 10:23 PM

I dont think there can be a single complaint from anyone over 180 mins that the better side did not deserve to go through. I kind of thought when leaving the ground last Tuesday if they couldnt finish us off with 10 men for 60 mins, we would regroup, get smarter at tactics and actually win the game in the second leg. And that is exactly what happened, we soaked up their pressure, took the sting out of the game, limited them to mainly long shots, apart from the odd raid, and when we passed it, we actually looked a half decent side for once this year. A nice surprise in Rafter scoring two also, just as well as Griffen was very quiet for both games.

Hard luck on Waterford, not a bad side, but lack of a killing instinct is the difference when it matters at this level.

This is a huge lift for everyone connected with Dundalk, and the takeover can now press ahead with plan A option and look forward to the future. I would have feared for our future if it was in the FD.

I hope Waterford can emerge as a club still with a lot to offer football in this country, the crowd of 2750 (less 400 away fans) definitely offers some hope for the future?

**patrickccfc** · 02/11/2012, 10:23 PM

dissappointed that waterford didnt come up tonight.. could of had it wrapped up after the first leg with all those missed chances but if u dont take them its gona cost ya and thats what happened tonight.. was impressed with the crowd there tonight good potential in waterford the sooner they are up the better

**dong** · 02/11/2012, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by outspoken

As I predicted the difference in the standards of the divisions proved too much. People will say dundalk don't deserve to stay up but again I'd point to the difference in league standards that its much easier to win in the FD than PD.Id be fairly confident we will see Waterford next season.

Thanks for the heads up on that one Mystic Meg.

**oriel** · 02/11/2012, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by patrickccfc

dissappointed that waterford didnt come up tonight

Why ? Better team won on the night easily winning away from home and over 180 mins.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 02/11/2012, 11:05 PM

Did he claim Waterford were the better team? I don't have stats to hand, but fairly sure Waterford made more chances over the two legs (Dundalk did miss a score in the last 10 minutes tonight though), but they just had a dire completion rate. That doesn't mean they were the better team, but the result of this tie could very easily have been different if one or two shots had been a foot closer to target.

On the crowd, they're good numbers, but will never, ever be replicated at any point next season if the FD is heading in a direction similar to this season.

If Waterford have debt concerns and don't see the chance to make any kind of financial head way in the lower tier next season, they'll pull out. And who would blame them?

**footballfanatic** · 02/11/2012, 11:12 PM

Hi lads, can anyone post up a clip of the goals and after match interviews. I only saw the first half, great goal, heard his second wasnt bad either.

Delighted for rafter, came up through my club as a youngster, a serious player with a great future ahead. Well done lad.

**bullit** · 02/11/2012, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

Did he claim Waterford were the better team? I don't have stats to hand, but fairly sure Waterford made more chances over the two legs (Dundalk did miss a score in the last 10 minutes tonight though), but they just had a dire completion rate. That doesn't mean they were the better team, but the result of this tie could very easily have been different if one or two shots had been a foot closer to target.

On the crowd, they're good numbers, but will never, ever be replicated at any point next season if the FD is heading in a direction similar to this season.

If Waterford have debt concerns and don't see the chance to make any kind of financial head way in the lower tier next season, they'll pull out. And who would blame them?

Sometimes the best team is not the one that creates all the chances.Dundalk got the defence settled tonight and worked on from that.I cant remember the last time we kept a clean sheet tbh but once Burnsy got young Maguire in his pocket and started marshalling the back line the game was won for Dundalk.

If the current chairman or whoever wants to take Waterford out of the leauge then maybe the supporters of Waterford need yo look for a new chairman/owner fairly quickly.

**oriel** · 02/11/2012, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

I don't have stats to hand, but fairly sure Waterford made more chances over the two legs ?

Is this going to go on forever. Here are the stats for you.

If Waterford were the better team, they would have easily won over the two games. Dundalk played with 10 men for 60 mins in the first leg & still got through. Waterford created a lot of chances, but were not good enough to covert them.

Better side won (by far)

Clue is in the 180 mins.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 02/11/2012, 11:32 PM

There were a good number of times that Waterford were putting through balls into the Dundalk box though, there were plenty of gaps to exploit throughout the game. Twice Maguire was on the end of them before being tackled, and on at least one of those occasions I think he had a decent call for a foul. But Waterford were either blasting/heading wide when in space, not shooting at all when they could have (like Maguire late on when he jinked around a few players but wouldn't pull the trigger) or were drawing some decent saves from the Dundalk keeper.

I suppose what I'm saying is that while Dundalk's defensive performance was a step up from previous games this season (especially on Maguire in the first 20-25 minutes of the 2nd half), I think Waterford were underperforming.

We'll see about the Chairman, he could well just be BSing. But even if he's not, Waterford are going to take a hit next year with the FD lined up as it is.