Gutted i couldnt go to this.
1-0 Doyler peno.
Anyone have the line up, performances etc, crowd????
A poor first half performance but in the second half we were a different team! Flynny was gutted after his peno miss, he didnt even celebrate the goal.Doyler by far MOTM. City hit the post twice and Kearney, Behan and Doyler were unlucky not to score more.
what was the attendance
Id say it was about 3500 people at it. You'd have to pity those Rovers supporters to follow that team down to Cork.
Doyle was definately MOTM. John O'Flynn was poor overall but did set up Doyle with a chest pass. Billy Woods was very good too.
were Rovers THAT poor?
Devine
Hoggie Benno Murray Danny
Wood Gamble CT Kearney
Flynn Doyle
On the bench were Lopes, Fenn, Greg, Georgie and Behan.
It looked like 4 – 1 – 3 – 2 with CT linking between the back four and the midfield. First 30 minutes looked even enough. No real attempt on goal by either side apart from a wild strike by Woods which ended up in the Lough. CT injured on 15 minutes when a sham fell on him. Right shoulder hurt. Georgie came on and added something to the game from the word go. Gamble dropped back to where CT was playing. First real shot on goal came on the half hour when Woods was denied by an outstanding save, and just on half time, another outstanding shot by Woods was saved after Gamble and Doyler combined to put him through. Danny started with a few nightmare touches. One attempt to pass to Gamble curled to the feet of the shams left mid, who was closed down by an alert Hoggie, who played a brilliant 90 minutes.
Early in the second half, City tried what looked like a move practised on the training ground. Gamble dummied as if he was going to give a short pass forward to Georgie, but instead passed 15 yards back to Murray, who lofted a ball into space behind the shams defence. They were caught completely on the wrong foot. Georgie was about two yards on side when Murray passed to him, and was through for a shot, but the plank of a linesman on the Donie Forde side waved off side. Whatever Dolan said at half time, the team really worked as a unit. Doyler and Gamble and Kearney linked in some exhilarating moves. It took some cynical fouls by shams to break down their attacks. They really deserved one and maybe two reds for pulling Doyler down.
On the hour, city got a deserved penalty when Doyler was brought down inside the penalty area. Flynnie’s fierce shot hit the upright and Doyle, playing his best EL game at the cross this season, was first to react. 1-nil. What followed was a 20 minute spell that left Shams looking shell shocked, but produced no goals. First Georgie took a snapshot from an awkward pass outside the box at thigh height. His effort was well over, but it was a good attempt, and the hunger for goals showed. With Flynn looking out of it, Behan came on for him on 70 minutes. He brought a huge presence to the forward line, as the midfield could use him as a target man in the air, on the ground, any way they liked, and something almost always came of it. A minute after coming on, he chested down a hard pass from Georgie, and put it into Kearney’s path, who chipped just over the bar. It was Behan again a minute later who skipped over three tackles along the top of the penalty area, and still got in his shot, but was a yard wide. The mid field could do no wrong at this period. They brought the back line into many of the moves. Benno and Danny Murphy both came forward and Benno was unlucky not to score with a cheeky side-footed snap shot out of nothing. On 80 minutes, Georgie crossed for Doyler but he shot across the face of the goal.
With 5 minutes left, Behan set up Kearney for a straightforward shot from 8 yards, after a sublime run on the left. Amazingly, he blasted it left and wide. Two minutes later, out other U-21 international put the ball well over the bar from 6 feet, when it looked easier to score.
There were two haeart stopping moments in the 92nd minute, when Rovers threw everything into attack including the keeper. Devine pulled out two saves from the top drawer, one a fist from a wicked curling corner, the other a finger tip over the bar which must have surely resulted in a corner. The linesman was asleep which was just as well, because my old heart would not have felt so good if we failed to win all three points after a performance like that.
So it should have been three, and could have been 5 but for two outstanding first half saves from Woods’ efforts.
The play was outstanding for that purple patch in the second half. A joy to watch. Behan should start the next match, and Hoggie and Gamble showed they deserve to keep their place.
The way Georgie played, CT will struggle to make it into the starting 11, and I would say the same for Lopes.
My ratings:
Dolan 6. Picked a good starting 11, but should have taken Flynnie off ten minutes earlier.
Devine 7. Played a few crazy times outfield, and gave Rutherford a free shot on goal from 30 yards after making a mebs of a clearance from near the sideline. His last minute saves bring him up to a 7.
Hoggie 8, composed, linked brilliantly with Woods and Gamble, and covered for Danny’s jitters in the first half.
Benno 8. Looked like the captain tonight. Very steady.
Dan Murray 6. Still hoofed a few upfield tonight, but only when he was under a bit of pressure. Turned quickly to cover some fast runs.
Danny Murphy 6. Picked up after a nightmare 15 minutes at the start. Everybody is allowed a bad game. Danny settles for one sixth of that!
Woods 8. Looked like the only person who might score for much of the first half. His crosses tonight were vintage Woods. Pity he came into the middle so much, giving the shams number 3 the space to come forward.
Gamble 7. Quick and confident in tight spaces, linked well with players around him. Hit the post on 78 minutes.
CT 7. Usual 100% heart-on-sleeve stuff for the while he was on.
Kearney 9. His goal miss and a corner kick into the keeper’s hands take little away from his game of the season for City.
Doyler 10. OK, he missed one that Dolan would have scored, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Flynnie 4. Looked tired from the starting whistle. Behan’s work rate and heart, even though he came on fresh, showed John up tonight. And he missed a penalty.
Georgie 7. Seems to have put recent bust-up behind him. Some exquisite touches on the gallop, but played keep ball with himself once too often when a pass to Doyler or Woods was on.
Behan 10. A legend in the making. If he plays at 50% of that standard for the rest of the season, City will take points all over the place.
Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere - Martin Luther King Jnr.
Gamble did well IMO. Beehan and Doyler did fantastic up front together and should start in waterford. Doyler is so full of confidence tonight. I'd put him on a par with JOF's first year. George did grand. Defence didn't have much to worry about. Kearney seems more confident too. I really hope Flynny isn't going to be one of those players with loads of promise but never really fully recovers from an injury. Good result. O'Brien was taken away in an ambulance I think (there was an ambulance left the stadium at half time). From the way he fell and left the pitch it looked like a dislocated shoulder.
The glass isn't half full or half empty it's just too damn big!
George may have put it behind him on the pitch but the body language with Dolan was pretty clear. He wouldn't look at Dolan when getting his instructions before coming on or even when on the pitch later - completely ignored him. But once he does it on the pitch, that's OK, the other stuff will take time.Originally Posted by Fair_play_boy
Agree that Den did well - he has scored 15 in 7 with the U21's and his new confidence showed last night. Worth a shot next time out - we had a bundle of chances once he and Doyle shared the load up front
strange but true
this is the first time this season we have got back to back victories and that is a disgraceful stat
fair enough but to do it twice is still a disgraceful stat
i'd take 4 points now from the next two games. 6 wouldnt be out of the qurstion either if we play like we did last night.
It was great to see City play like the good old days last night. all out attack, battering the opposition with pace and skill and roared on by a crowd in great voice.
maybe 2nd is still there?
It is a petty that I missed this game it was my first all season home and away. A well we got the three points and that is all that matters.
So lads I hope you enjoyed the cold and the rain last night were I am it is very hot indeed and I have a good tan.
So lads was it a poor game or a good game???
Let's get it going for this year the away support.
all you need to know is the corner boys were in the shed
After all the corners boys talk! the lure of the mighty shed end boys was too much for ye! i hope ye enjoyed it lads?
all you need to know is the corner boys were in the shed
I'm so full of blind optimism after that result that I'm going straight to the bookies to put my shirt on City to win the league.
But anyway, Rovers were awful. Not one player shone. Robinson and Grant really hurt us the last home game with Rovers but they showed nothing last night, and that wasn't down to our defence who would have been undone by anyone else. Good to see Dan Murray training Danny Murphy in the art of hoofing the ball. Doyler was the difference - absolutely fantastic. Ran down everything all night. Nice header by JOF to set up the penalty, but no-one in the ground really expected him to score the penalty. He's just not fit enough, and the contrast with a player in form like Behan couldn't have been more striking.
As for George, the article in 451 was a disgrace and couldn't have been more wide of the mark. Gave his all, and if anything was found to be trying too hard at times.
georgie had a chance to prove dolan wrong last night and he blew it IMO
Devine 7. One or two dodgy moments, but ok apart from that. DIdn't have too much to do.
Hoggie 8,Back to form. What a player- one fo the best full-backs in the country.
Benno 8. Wouldn't be far of player of the season for me. maturing so well and developing into a really excellent player.
Dan Murray 5.Gave possesion away too cheaply and did NOT look like he was leading his team.
Danny Murphy 5. How many times did he nearly get caught out of position? Did better as game went on, but looks like he needs a break.
Woods 5. A few good crosses did nothing to hide another sub-standard performace. can't believe dolan is picking him.
Gamble 7. Really showing his quality. Does very little wrong and gets in the tackles as well. going to be a very important player for us.
CT 5. Hard to judge on such a short run out, but I dunno if himself and Gamble is an effective partnership
Kearney 9. Unlucky not to score what would have been a cracking goal. Really showed his quality
Doyler 10. Ran rovers ragged. best player in the eL for me. Are you watching Brian Kerr.
Flynny 3. Shouldn'e be playing. Simple as.
Georgie 6. Some good touches but didn't impsoe himself enough. Should be starting though.
Behan 8. Give the lad a chance. HAS to start ahead of flynny. nothing beats confidence.
george did just enough to lose some of his defense party last night i think, too many times it was a case of "will ya pass it george, for gods sake".
i was surprised and delighted to see that the u21 denis behan came on last night and not the usual bambi-in-the-headlights behan that normally comes on for the seniors. ill admit myself and herself groaned when he came on ahead of fenn, but he was very, very good, and you have to wonder if its time to give him first team football. and the way doyler is playing up front, he has to stay. so considering the plethora of forwards we complained about at the start of the season, did anyone foresee a situation where behan-doyle was a likely partnership?
Whoa! One swallow does not a summer make, and all that. Just like we did not judge Flynnie on one or even eight bad performances, we ought not be swept away by an outstanding 20 minutes performance by Behan. Remember he came on with 70 hard minutes already played, so he was always going to be fresher. I for one would reserve my judgement until I see him playing for half a dozen full senior games.
Having said all that, he was a fcuking sensation on Friday night. My guess is that we are seeing the birth of a City legend. (Pity the feen is from Limerick.
Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere - Martin Luther King Jnr.
Shams were brutal - must be the worst hooped eleven to visit the Cross in a long time, maybe ever? They were ****-poor in Inchicore a few weeks back too but we couldn't beat them. At least on Friday we created a few chances even if we had to rely on a poxy rebound from a penalty to get the three points. Hopefully Longford/Drogheda and Waterford will be pre-occupied with matters of the Cup when we play them in the next few weeks.
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks