Games weekend 11th to 14th March

**Jd2793** · 14/03/2022, 9:24 PM

great win for cork, waterfords defence was very poor. keating and murphy didnt give them a minutes peace both were outstanding. we sat off 2nd half and gave them nothing until the 75th min when harrington made a great save. brilliant win and performance.

**TonyD** · 14/03/2022, 9:27 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Frustrating evening in Richmond. First half was a decent open game; lots of chances at either end but everyone bar Eóin Doyle had left their shooting boots in the dressing room.

Second on the hour from a poor clearance killed the game then.

Pat's doing well so not a disastrous result - but need to get something now from Bohs and (I think) Dundalk next up. Looks like Harps and Drogheda keeping us company at the bottom for a while at least

Comfortable win for us, though I’d be concerned about the number of errors we made which let UCD through, thankfully they weren’t good enough to take their chances. Forrestor superb again, I really think he’s gone up another level this year. Adam O’Reilly also excellent beside him. Huge game on Friday up in Derry.

**Knocklyonhoop** · 14/03/2022, 9:58 PM

Second best for 35 + mins there and chances conceded largely from mistakes. Picked up last 5 / 10 and the better team 9n 2nd half. Huban could have nicked it at the death but feel that’s 2 left behind/

1 pt from 3 away games needs improving….

**oriel** · 14/03/2022, 9:58 PM

Don't quite know how Hoban missed what looked like an open goal in the 92nd minute, he had time to take a touch.

Pity, but overall a draw probably a fair result, Dundalk also hit the post in the first half, but Rovers better side for long periods of the second half, hit the bar and a superb save from Shepperd, so could gone either way really.

**Calcio Jack** · 14/03/2022, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Sounding a tad entitled there Calcio, maybe Rovers are not as far ahead of the pack as pre-season predictions.

That game could have gone either way, both hitting the woodwork, nearly a tale of 2 keepers (pray Mannus doesnt get a long term injury), Shepperd pulling off a couple of top saves. Rovers dont like the high press at all which is par for the course these days. You can see that bit of extra quality with the likes of Lopez and Lyons when needed but overall not enough from a bunch of others. It was hardly a surprise to see squad rotation by Rovers - the lads have to be kept happy after all but they should all be well drilled on the system for top players just to slot in. Byrne is obviously not fit yet. We coped well with the few changes also, a pity Bradley was out but there were some encouraging performances across the side. Great to see some basics done ell again like corners putting sides under pressure, pinged in alost under the bar rather than those awful looping ones to a back post. With a full hand to pick from and able to mix it up i'd not be too fearful of anyone. Pitch looked to have had work done. Feeling a bit like draw specialists but we're not too far away from turning draws to wins as its not as if we are sitting in deep.

Not feeling entitled at all but do expect more from us based on quality and depth of the squad - we’re still way to sluggish at times ; defence still hasn’t recovered from loss of Joey O’B - still think we’ll retain the title and will kick on once JB is match fit and if Farrugia stays fit then I think we’ll win league with ease ; for me he’s the ‘missing piece’ as we currently lack width with pace

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 15/03/2022, 6:11 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Sligo won at a canter tonight really,Keena took his goals well aided and abetted by some terrible defending.

We're really disjointed going forward and lack quality with final balls,the only high point was a fine finish from academy product Luke Rudden,a long season awaits us.......

Thought ye looked good against us in the pre season game but were very poor last night alright

**mcgonigle** · 15/03/2022, 8:06 AM

Draw was a fair result in Oriel. We dominated the first and Rovers dominated the second. On the balance of chances it was even, both teams hitting the woodwork and both keepers making good saves although Hoban's chance at the death was the best of the night.

Thought Gaffney was lucky not to see red for an elbow on Connolly right in front of MacGrath, would like to see that back.

Overall, happy with how we have started, the only disappointing result was Shels on Friday we should have seen that out. But as expected there is good organisation and fight in the team. We will improve and get bodies back. I'd expect Rovers to improve as well, they have an embarrassment of riches in that squad, have to win the league or it's a massive failure. I'd even go as far to say that failure to qualify for European group stages would also be a failure regardless of the league.

**lofty9** · 15/03/2022, 8:12 AM

Comfortable enough win for Derry after a ropey first 5 mins when Drogheda played like Liverpool. McGonigle scored with Derry's first attack and it was wasy enough after that. A few players got injured last night, Markey as a result of a tackle which ref played on, Thompson who played on after a late tackle in which the Drogheda player came off worse in, and Duffy from what looked like a red card offence by Cowan all day long. None can be attributed to the pitch. Duffy who had just come on 5 mins previously, looked to be unable to put weight on his leg, so I'd expect he's out for a long time. Derry will be missing two important players with Harkin out for the season already.

**Yossarian** · 15/03/2022, 8:14 AM

It was a fair result in Oriel alright though a bit sickening that Hoban didn’t bury that sitter at the end.
Rovers have obvious quality on the pitch but it looks like Bradley was trying to squeeze all his creative midfielders into the team. I don’t think it’ll be a stroll for them to win the league but they should still do it. For all this quality, Mandriou spends more time on the ground and seems to drop if someone glances at him.

Important for us to get 6 points from the next two against Drogheda and UCD to make it a good start. We’re getting more cohesive as each game passes and I think we’ll get better. We’re missing an actual left full so the sooner Leahy is back the better.

**Straightstory** · 15/03/2022, 8:48 AM

Interesting statistic from the table: from Dundalk in fifth place to UCD in tenth; only four wins from any of those clubs in the bottom six. However, I suspect a gap will open up between UCD, Drogheda, Harps and the rest.

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 15/03/2022, 8:51 AM

Michael Duffy suffered a fractured tibia during last night's match.

**sbgawa** · 15/03/2022, 9:28 AM

Originally Posted by mcgonigle

Draw was a fair result in Oriel. We dominated the first and Rovers dominated the second. On the balance of chances it was even, both teams hitting the woodwork and both keepers making good saves although Hoban's chance at the death was the best of the night.

Thought Gaffney was lucky not to see red for an elbow on Connolly right in front of MacGrath, would like to see that back.

Overall, happy with how we have started, the only disappointing result was Shels on Friday we should have seen that out. But as expected there is good organisation and fight in the team. We will improve and get bodies back. I'd expect Rovers to improve as well, they have an embarrassment of riches in that squad, have to win the league or it's a massive failure. I'd even go as far to say that failure to qualify for European group stages would also be a failure regardless of the league.

Group stage qualification or the season is a failure??
I thought some of the Rovers fans were a but entitled

I'll settle for winning the league right now, having done the group stage thing before i kind of feel the end game is just money as its not like we are going to win it so while money is important wining things is what makes me happy.
That being said making groups helps with budget in terms of winning the league so its definitely an objective but certainly second priority.

**sbgawa** · 15/03/2022, 9:33 AM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Michael Duffy suffered a fractured tibia during last night's match.

That's really disappointing to hear I've always liked Duffy and his work ethic even in an underperforming Dundalk team last year.
Is a fracture worse or better than a break in terms of come back time?

**Nesta99** · 15/03/2022, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

That's really disappointing to hear I've always liked Duffy and his work ethic even in an underperforming Dundalk team last year.
Is a fracture worse or better than a break in terms of come back time?

They are actually the same thing tbh. If he was trying to walk on it then hopefully its not displaced so no surgery, quicker recovery, less soft tissue damage. Simple fracture is 6 weeks minimum out with no complications but 8 more realistic. Compound fracture/break and it'd be near season ending and even career ending apart from being generally horrible, but doesnt sound anything like that as you'd be in no doubt and player not trying to get up.

**mcgonigle** · 15/03/2022, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

Group stage qualification or the season is a failure??
I thought some of the Rovers fans were a but entitled

I'll settle for winning the league right now, having done the group stage thing before i kind of feel the end game is just money as its not like we are going to win it so while money is important wining things is what makes me happy.
That being said making groups helps with budget in terms of winning the league so its definitely an objective but certainly second priority.

I'm coming from the perspective that Rovers winning the league should be nailed on with the squad that you have. Crazy looking at what was coming off the bench last night and still without Mannus, Finn and Gannon. Well maybe Rovers fans would be happy with more of the same this year, but do you not think the Conference group stages are there for the taking? Did you not think so last year?

Looking at Rovers squad I am presuming they need Europe to keep paying the wages, how far they need to go is the important bit. On the other hand maybe they don't and they are happy that gates, sponsors and player sales can sustain it.

**Calcio Jack** · 15/03/2022, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by mcgonigle

I'm coming from the perspective that Rovers winning the league should be nailed on with the squad that you have. Crazy looking at what was coming off the bench last night and still without Mannus, Finn and Gannon. Well maybe Rovers fans would be happy with more of the same this year, but do you not think the Conference group stages are there for the taking? Did you not think so last year?

Looking at Rovers squad I am presuming they need Europe to keep paying the wages, how far they need to go is the important bit. On the other hand maybe they don't and they are happy that gates, sponsors and player sales can sustain it.

We need one round in Europe every second year to maintain our current spending not just on wages but all outgoings for approx 5 more years - the player sales income from last few years provided a major unplanned income stream - of course the intention is to spend more but that will be dependent on how far we go in Europe etc and hopefully no more pandemic - so we’re operating on a decent budget in a prudent planned way that is planned around cycles rather than the good ol’ single season boom or bust model !!

**mcgonigle** · 15/03/2022, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

We need one round in Europe every second year to maintain our current spending not just on wages but all outgoings for approx 5 more years - the player sales income from last few years provided a major unplanned income stream - of course the intention is to spend more but that will be dependent on how far we go in Europe etc and hopefully no more pandemic - so we’re operating on a decent budget in a prudent planned way that is planned around cycles rather than the good ol’ single season boom or bust model !!

Thanks, that's good to know, all sounds very sensible. Was just basing my obs on the quality of the squad really, a lot of those players would not come cheap. But recruitment at Rovers seems to be good, very rarely in recent years is there a flop, albeit is usually young players who have made a mark elsewhere or returning players who would be solid. When you compare that to what the yanks were bringing in to Dundalk....

Rovers hoover up the best of the league and produce a bit themselves, I do wonder will the ambitions grow. Very hard to make progress in Europe with just LOI standard players. But maybe Brexit will be a good thing and better players will stay in the league for longer making it stronger and then a natural progression in Europe.

**joey B** · 15/03/2022, 3:19 PM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

Thought ye looked good against us in the pre season game but were very poor last night alright

Can’t defend at all,also lost alot of pace and physicality from last years team which hasn’t been replaced unfortunately,hoping with more game time things will improve but time will tell…..

**sbgawa** · 15/03/2022, 3:44 PM

Originally Posted by mcgonigle

I'm coming from the perspective that Rovers winning the league should be nailed on with the squad that you have. Crazy looking at what was coming off the bench last night and still without Mannus, Finn and Gannon. Well maybe Rovers fans would be happy with more of the same this year, but do you not think the Conference group stages are there for the taking? Did you not think so last year?

Looking at Rovers squad I am presuming they need Europe to keep paying the wages, how far they need to go is the important bit. On the other hand maybe they don't and they are happy that gates, sponsors and player sales can sustain it.

If we are seeded for the first round of CL and manage to win that first round then even if we lose the next round of the CL we parachute into the 3rd EL round and if we lose there we go into a playoff for the ECL so basically win the seeded round and you get 3 more cracks at Europe and if you win one you are into ECL group stages. So yes i think provided we are seeded we have a great chance. If you lose the first round you are basically into a straight knock out.
The ECL for the other Irish Teams is a bit of a farce, none of the teams who entered at our stage made group stages last year (from any country).
Its another reason why winning the league is more important then anything else.
There is no question Rovers have the best squad but if we win the first qualifying round of the ECL we will be playing 8 weeks in a row (maybe a weeks break) and trying to keep a league challenge going. That's why i think Bradser is able to keep people happy, everyone will get their chance even leaving injuries aside. All those European weeks if they happen should be an opportunity for others to pick up points on Rovers

**Stuttgart88** · 15/03/2022, 4:10 PM

Originally Posted by mcgonigle

Draw was a fair result in Oriel. We dominated the first and Rovers dominated the second. On the balance of chances it was even, both teams hitting the woodwork and both keepers making good saves although Hoban's chance at the death was the best of the night.

Thought Gaffney was lucky not to see red for an elbow on Connolly right in front of MacGrath, would like to see that back.

Overall, happy with how we have started, the only disappointing result was Shels on Friday we should have seen that out. But as expected there is good organisation and fight in the team. We will improve and get bodies back. I'd expect Rovers to improve as well, they have an embarrassment of riches in that squad, have to win the league or it's a massive failure. I'd even go as far to say that failure to qualify for European group stages would also be a failure regardless of the league.

Rovers fan here. I thought a definite red for Gaffney tbh. Not saying they're equivalent but I don't think Coffey's was a foul, let alone a yellow. It was a great tackle.

That miss by Hoban was as good as a last minute equaliser for us. It sat up perfectly for a firm first touch finish.

Honestly, I don't know how you live with that pitch. I thought Rovers just about got the measure of it in the second half but all night there was just so much head-tennis, which I don't think is a feature of either team's play on grass. Rovers just couldn't get the ball down.

I'm very happy with that draw all things considered. Could have won 2-0, could have lost 2-0. Draw a very fair result. Both keepers had good games, yours exceptional tbh. A real pity he's Welsh! He has a real vibrant swagger about him and he looks like a kid still. Pohls made some good stops but got away with a misjudged dash off his line early on.