Monaghan 1 Limerick FC 2

**joeSoap** · 22/05/2005, 7:27 PM

Cracking result, 91st minute winner from a born again Brian Donnellan, his fifth of the season I think, and another never say die performance. It looked destined for a 1-1 after they really held out despite having their keeper sent off for denying a blatant goal outside the box. Conor Molan replaced Derek in the middle, and Paul Tobin came in for Tom McGauley. Colin found the net to equalise on 40 mins, and then Donners beat three before cutting in and burying the winner..............

Happy days. Up to 4th, one point off Sligo, and only three off second spot.

**lim abroad** · 23/05/2005, 12:44 AM

excellent stuff,lets hope we hit a nice purple patch and push for promotion now

**gspain** · 23/05/2005, 8:35 AM

Brilliant stuff - thought the winner would never come. So sweet when it did. BD is a totally different player. robbie almost scored a wqoner goal i nthe first half too.

**LFC Blue** · 23/05/2005, 9:29 AM

I heard Robbie hit the woodwork again that's unreal how many times has he hit the woodwork this season?? He could be into double figures if he a bit of luck. Great bloody win though. Should be another bumper crowd for Friday night

**Kerry Blue** · 23/05/2005, 12:04 PM

It was a terrible game, but a great result. We were very lucky at times defencively. Against a better team we would have been punished. We never really made the extra man could, but at least we didn't give up and on the second half performance I think we did deserve the victory. Brian's goal was great. A super individual effort and the timing couldn't have been better. Robbie was man of the match again. Could have scored a hat-trick. Another must win game this Friday night. (Seem to be saying that a lot lately). By the way joeSoap, never mind 3 points off second, we're only 5 off top spot!

Team:
1. N. Mooney
2. S. O'Mahony
3. P. Tobin
4. P. Finucane
5. A. Woulfe
6. C. Molan
7. C. P. O'Brien
8. T. Barrett
9. R. Kelliher
10. C. Kearns
11. B. Donnellan
Sub:
13. J. Nolan for C.P. O'Brien

**gael353** · 23/05/2005, 12:31 PM

we were ****e and could have been anything upto 15 - 0 down at half time due to a poor performance and our severe lack of a second central defender. Wolfe isnt working and he got turned more time yesterday (by Philly Hughes and David Lee) then my fubbish does everytime it goes into mr binman. [the hint there being rubish] Tobin also was having a mare. BD was poor but he keeps scoring so... There goal which was a result of some really crap reffing, saw Lee rise unmarked on the 6 for a free header as Wolfe again went AWOL. Our goal was scored against the run of play and by

Colin O'Brien. His shot which went under the keeper took aaaaaaaggggges to get over the line but who cares as the 20 or so Limerick supporters went mad. Second half was a big improvement and in fairness CP did turn his amn well to go one on one with the keeper. He should have scored but was saved the shame when the keeper handled outside the box. Off he went we had more of the ball yet Wolfe being run ragged regularly and a corner count of maybe 30 - 2 in favour of the home team and with our inability to defend set pieces led to a nervy time for us. But the ref was the worst player on the field and he was sur to make a mistake and in the 91st min he did. BD went past two defenders and rifled a shot to the top corner . I think only the limerick fans failed to see that he handled the ball in pusing it past them but he scored. The mons fans are sound and we made some good links with them, oh and we wore our "Meelick" kit. Our third choice one of black socks, black shorts, red jerseys with black arms. Its not bad.

**LFC in Exile** · 23/05/2005, 12:37 PM

Still, its easy to get carried away and most football fans are fairly extremist anyway. Players are either brutal or useful. We're either fantastic or sh ite.

All things considered the club is making great progress this season. Last year we scored 18 goals in 33 games. Already this year we have 15. We won four games last season. This season we have already won four. We had 20 points last season - this year, in one third of the games, we have 16. Fair play to all involved. lets give credit where it's due.

If we were lucky yesterday - its about bleedin' time.

**4tothefloor** · 23/05/2005, 6:06 PM

Great result, need to follow it up with a home win on Friday night.

**Westside** · 24/05/2005, 4:14 AM

Who gives a toss about how we played, the main thing is that we won, and although I wasn't at the game if gaels assessment is correct, then its a good sign that even if we get hammered off the park for 90mins does it matter if we take home the 3 points, your always gonna have days like this where you get the rub of the green.................ask Arsenal, same situation with them , will they care!!!!!!!!!!! Who's got the cup (not Man Ure thank God).........Well done Limerick Blues cracking result.........also big shout to the travelling army.........lets keep it going now on Friday night

**gspain** · 24/05/2005, 7:31 AM

I don't agree we were lucky.

Monaghan were the better side until the goal and they have a big side so we were alwaus under pressure at set pieces but after their goal we were the dominant side and missed some great chances. We were the team really looking for the win and I would have been disappointed with a draw.

Agree the ref was terrible - did us no favours and probably would have bottled the red card only for the crowd.

**Clones Road Cas** · 24/05/2005, 8:50 AM

The game was a bit more even than Gael is making out i reckon. When Monaghan scored the opener we should have got another 2 in the next ten minutes.

There was no question of the ref bottling the decision. Horan was already walking back to the dressing room and the ref had to call him back over to give him the card.

It was a bizarre refereeing decision, the first half he was excellent, allowed the game to flow. The second half he was like a mini hitler. Couldnt fault him for the sending off but for the rest of the half his mouth seemed permanantly attached to his lips.

The goal was pretty clearly a handball, but those are the breaks. We got a goal in sligo we didnt deserve. It does get pretty frustrating though that you have to pay these clowns after such an appalling performance though (the ref and the linesmen).

Well done. Nice bunch of fans and pretty dedicated to come all that way

CRC

**LFC in Exile** · 24/05/2005, 9:01 AM

Originally Posted by Clones Road Cas

for the rest of the half his mouth seemed permanantly attached to his lips.

Sorry - we all know what you mean - but couldn't resist.

**Nempton** · 24/05/2005, 3:54 PM

Conor Molan replaced Derek in the middle

I wasn't at the match unfortunately but I think its unfair for Derek that he got dropped and CP was retained upfront. Derek was pushed back into midfield, which is not his position, so NOC could accomodate CP in his team. I know that Derek in central midfield was not viable but he still worked harder and performed better than CP. Since the Kildare match CP's performance has improved but its nothing that you wouldn't expect from any player in the Limerick jersey at this level nor, for me, would it justify CP starting instead of Derek last Sunday. I know CP scored but Derek still has more goals than him and with less playing time. I've heard from one person already that CP's performance was barely adequate against Monaghan and that Derek should feel aggrieved especially the fact that when CP was substituted, it was Nolan and not Derek who replaced him. No one else has commented on this, I'm just wondering what others, especially those at Monaghan, think?

**declan hide** · 25/05/2005, 7:37 AM

molan would offer more defensively in midfield. monaghan are big and physical...derek is not...maybe that was the thinking behind it? maybe noc was rotating the squad

but yeah. carty should be up front. with maybe hartnett given a go in midfield.

**LFC in Exile** · 25/05/2005, 9:52 AM

You could be right Nempton, I would have started Derek before CP myself, but CP scored and we won.

I also wouldn't have put Molan in ahead of Hughes or Hartnett as the defensive midfielder. Then again, maybe NOC is a better manager than we'd be.

**Nempton** · 25/05/2005, 4:50 PM

Originally quoted by LFC In Exile
maybe NOC is a better manager than we'd be.

Well we really should hope so but I don't know, sometimes I'd like to think that I could do a better job

If Declan Hide was correct in his opinion, saying that Derek was dropped due to tactical reasoning that been Monaghan are a big team, I would have still expected him to start up front instead of CP especially since he looks far stronger in a challenge. My only worry is that NOC is resorting to old form and showing blind [in the sense he won't acknowledge that the player in question is playing poor all season to put it politely] loyalty to his 'favourites'. He should'nt be afraid to drop pre-madonna's or favourite players which I think he is sometimes.

**LFC in Exile** · 26/05/2005, 8:24 AM

Originally Posted by Nempton

He should'nt be afraid to drop pre-madonna's or favourite players which I think he is sometimes.

He shows potential and I am his biggest supporter at the club (after NOC) but even I wouldn't go that far!

**sadloserkid** · 27/05/2005, 4:57 PM

Yeah the game was closer than gael353 would have you all believe. That said Monaghan were probably a little unlucky to lose as they did. As for us enjoying more possession and chances in the second half, big deal, we were a man up for a half hour and that's to be expected.

We still looked a little bit lost at times but in terms of effort nobody could be faulted (not even 'The Passenger' alongside Robbie up front. It makes no sense to me that O'Brien is retaining his place. 1 goal all season hardly compares to McCarthy's haul and in terms of overal contribution I suspect that some of the fans and a couple of match officials have actually added more to Limerick's cause than the stroppy one.

It was a good win and not an undeserved one by any stretch. That said I suspect that the likes of Timmy Lynch, Keith Hartnett and Rossie Cosgrove (all missing from the reserve team that played the Fire Brigade) are all starting to get itchy feet.

What about Monday night to give a few of these guys (and the excellent Darren Young) a chance?

**joeSoap** · 27/05/2005, 9:51 PM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

That said I suspect that the likes of Timmy Lynch, Keith Hartnett and Rossie Cosgrove (all missing from the reserve team that played the Fire Brigade) are all starting to get itchy feet.

What about Monday night to give a few of these guys (and the excellent Darren Young) a chance?

Team v Fire Brigade:

Healy:Ahearne,Browne, Hughes, Molan: Young, Rossi, Hartnett Slovakian Lad,
Ryan, Carthy.

2 out of 3 ain't bad??

**sadloserkid** · 30/05/2005, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

Team v Fire Brigade:

Healy:Ahearne,Browne, Hughes, Molan: Young, Rossi, Hartnett Slovakian Lad,
Ryan, Carthy.

2 out of 3 ain't bad??

I think you mean 'Team v Pike' there Joe!

And there's a feeling amongst some of the reserves anyway that it doesn't matter what they do, they won't be getting a chance in the first team. I'm not necessarily agreeing with them but that's how they feel and there must be some reason for it. My gripe is that players like Cosgrove and Hartnett have been no chance at all to show what they can do this season.

But on the plus side we're ahead of Cobh now!