LOI Fixtures 28/08 - 01/09

**geysir** · 01/09/2015, 8:47 PM

Rovers had a great chance in the first half which the very impressive Rodgers saved at full stretch.
2nd half has been easy enough for Dundalk, both when they have the ball and not have the ball.

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 8:57 PM

Yeah, Rovers didn't really have anything bar endless crosses, which suits Dundalk's big centre halves. I think they were happy to let Rovers have all the ball.

**geysir** · 01/09/2015, 9:00 PM

Whatever Towell is earning, i'd raise it double. he's quality.

**White Horse** · 01/09/2015, 9:45 PM

Rovers had one shot on target in the whole game, one shot.

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 9:53 PM

Fair play to Gary Rogers making those two big saves then.

**Yossarian** · 01/09/2015, 10:07 PM

That was a great result if not such a great performance. I thought we played very well for the first 20/25 mins but Rovers were really running through our midfield before half time and at the beginning of the second half. Shields made a huge difference when he came on and I don't understand how he isn't the first name on the team sheet.
Two great goals and two great saves by Rogers was the difference.

**jinxy lilywhite** · 01/09/2015, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Yossarian

That was a great result if not such a great performance. I thought we played very well for the first 20/25 mins but Rovers were really running through our midfield before half time and at the beginning of the second half. Shields made a huge difference when he came on and I don't understand how he isn't the first name on the team sheet.
Two great goals and two great saves by Rogers was the difference.

Ah we tore rovers apart in the first 20, scored and sat back. Didn't need to do anything else. Rovers only had 2 chances and other than that just huffed and puffed. Shields did make a difference when he came on but I would have Finn ahead of him every game.

**Dunny** · 01/09/2015, 10:17 PM

Fair play Charlie,one of the only people on the whole of the internet tonight who can spell Rogers proper good and right

RODGERS is some shoitehawk name from Co.Antrim

Good game tonight,we soaked Rovers pressure up,SK never hit the panic button even when we were under huge pressure and when we scored the second it was lights out for the hoops and we coasted home there after.Bit surprised the Duff card never got played by Fenlon ?

**White Horse** · 01/09/2015, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Fair play to Gary Rogers making those two big saves then.

Two shots on target then. Not enough for a must win game. Too mush hoofing up to two large centre backs. Poor Danny North. Did they think he was wearing stilts?

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 10:26 PM

Well it obviously wasn't enough, otherwise we'd have won. Our defence is a real problem I think - any time we try to push numbers up the pitch they just get caught out for pace and lack of organisation. It's not just Dundalk who have exposed it this year. Dundalk put up a shield (ironically) in front of the back four and we don't have the players to play through it like Dundalk do, so crossing the ball endlessly was probably the right idea, but Gartland and Boyle dealt with it well and even when our players did get headers there was nothing clean. Disappointing but I think Fenlon knows what the problems are and will address them over the coming months.

**jinxy lilywhite** · 01/09/2015, 10:29 PM

Personally I think the rat has lost his mojo since his return from Scotland.

Rotten style of play. You have players who can play

**Ezeikial** · 01/09/2015, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

. Disappointing but I think Fenlon knows what the problems are and will address them over the coming months.

Nutsy's preferred method of solving problems is keep throwing money at it till it gets fixed.

I am not so sure that he has dramatically improved Rovers this season over last - even if tonight's performance was a marked improvement on many recent efforts from Rovers

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 10:36 PM

I think you're probably underestimating how well Dundalk stopped us from playing. Your players did a brilliant job of cutting off our options and forcing us to make low-percentage passes. Anybody who has watched Rovers this season will have seen some devastatingly good football, but the better teams don't let you play like that automatically, which is the obstacle Dundalk have overcome and now we have to too.

**GCdfc** · 01/09/2015, 10:47 PM

Duff went down the tunnel about 10 minutes into the second half. Did he come back out at all?

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by GCdfc

Duff went down the tunnel about 10 minutes into the second half. Did he come back out at all?

Yeah, he came back. Commentators said he was coming on before the second goal but I don't think he was ever coming on.

**White Horse** · 01/09/2015, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Yeah, he came back. Commentators said he was coming on before the second goal but I don't think he was ever coming on.

I would have loved to have seen him come on. However, he did play a lot on Saturday and is only returning for a long lay off.

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 10:57 PM

Aye, even if he wasn't coming back from the injury I think two games in 3 days would be too much for him. I don't want to start another pitch debate either but, whether you agree with it or not, players who have had injury problems hate playing on it.

**White Horse** · 01/09/2015, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Aye, even if he wasn't coming back from the injury I think two games in 3 days would be too much for him. I don't want to start another pitch debate either but, whether you agree with it or not, players who have had injury problems hate playing on it.

That could have been a factor too, but not one Stehpen O'Donnell would agree with.

Has Kieran Marty Waters fallen out of favour? He is a player who has always caused us problems. Our centre backs don't like pacy players running at them.

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/09/2015, 11:46 PM

Well I was just saying that players have publicly stated it so the perception is there whether it's true or not.

Waters was in favour until he got himself a three game ban for squaring up to a Pats player a few weeks back. Fenlon is huge on discipline so he's being rightly not walking back in ahead of players who've done well in his absence - Drennan got the same treatment.