Games Weekend Friday 15th to Monday 18th April

[oriel]

Agree Pats very poor - Eoin Doyle is still a class act but got no service ( and Pico literally had him in his pocket) great to see such a large crowd ( again) - Rovers starting to ‘hum’ and I’m really impressed with how Richie Towell has slotted into central midfield beside JB - sad to see amount of ‘whinging’ from Forrester in fairness he’s not usually like that.

I obviously didn't see the game as I was watching Dundalk, but I think Doyle only has 2 goals to date, his hold up play is good any time I saw him, but I`m sure he was expected to have scored more than this going into the second series?

Looking forward to seeing the highlights of this game, as seemed to be a tight enough contest?

[nigel-harps1954]

Serious answer, I've watched enough of Harps over the years to know what they're like under Horgan. They always have a nasty edge to them and they're very cynical. They're consistently at the top end of the charts when it comes to yellows and reds every season.

It must just be a giant conspiracy though against poor Ollie Horgan, who makes a buffoon of himself every week on the sideline.

Harps have lost a few of their usual kickers in the off season with Sadiki (hatchet man) and Coyle (not related to a footballer) moving on - somehow the refs are still picking on them though

So, not a serious answer then?

[sbgawa]

Pats came to try and knick something on a break, very little pressing by them and stood off us a lot.
Rovers deserved the win handy enough and should have scored a couple more in the second half.
Big week ahead , nice of Shels to go and win in Derry

[Olander]

So, not a serious answer then?

The cycle continues, always hard done by the officials.

At least accept what you are.

[ToberonaTornado]

Mad league!

Handy win for Dundalk at OP last night against a poor Sligo side.

Benson pulled ham S. during match and his direct replacement(Williams) also got injured and was subbed so injury worry there before v Shams.

Sligo look a shadow of the side that Pats not so long ago.

[trevy]

Disappointing result for Waterford last night and pressure building on Ian Morris now. Galway scored early on and defended well for rest of game. Waterford dominated 2nd half and hit the crossbar twice in 5 seconds following a corner so when that happens you know it's not your night. Overall performances are not good enough and we can't afford another defeat to Cork on Monday.

[Jd2793]

I obviously didn't see the game as I was watching Dundalk, but I think Doyle only has 2 goals to date, his hold up play is good any time I saw him, but I`m sure he was expected to have scored more than this going into the second series?

Looking forward to seeing the highlights of this game, as seemed to be a tight enough contest?

its mental that his manager (and mate) convinced him to join then shafts him by putting him in a postion whereby he doesnt get the ball within 18 yards of goal enough times every game. doyles age + wages mean pats need to get a tune out of him this season and clancy cant do it. stop faffing around with king behind him and play someone who can play some defence splitting passes so doyle can stay high instead of dropping deep to get involved. doyle is getting less shots per 90 in LOI than he was with bolton before his move, that says it all.

[Jd2793]

cork were putrid, had 2/3 half decent chances but the performance didnt deserve a win. Bray came with a plan to stifle us and it worked, pressed us well in the first half and completely disrupted the flow of the midfield. they didnt really create a whole pile but it was as good an away performance as i expected from them. Huge miss opportunity given waterfords dropped points, a win last night would have knocked them out of the title picture.

[Nesta99]

I was surprised at how off Sligo looked overall. A lot of their good moments came more from sloppy play from us - Sloggett being the main culprit with loose passes, though when he was taken off we did concede a chunk of the midfield. Losing Benson and Williams disrupted things also. Big worry for us as while there is little info on how bad their injuries are they looked like 4-6 weeks or or more. Neither are soft players that bail with a niggle, Williams had to be helped off by 2 people and looked in bits so unless it was a stinger of a dead leg we wont see him for a while.

Yeah Sligo seem to be in a real rut and are brittle confidence wise at the moment. Other results were kind to us last night. Bar the top two its tight for European places and even the top 2 are not infallible occasionally.

Good to see the 2002 cup winners (20yrs ago....ffs), while we were a victim of a league restructure, not the only time.... with 3 being relegated I still think that was one of the better sides to ever be relegated. Finishing that season in league winning form added to the cup run. That LoI 01/02 season had it all, points deducted and given back only for a another bigger points deduction to happen - St Pats celebrating their league 'win' in Oriel Park with the Dundalk PoTY trophy, arbitrations, visits to the high court, Ollie Byrne sifting through player registrations single handedly winning the league for Shels, the 3 automatic relegation slots with the cup won by one of those relegated, last winter season. Could it be the greatest season of the GLITW?

[pineapple stu]

Have to say I need to see that handball as at the game I didn’t think it was on or if it was even in the box.

Good to hear that anyway! I presume you were in the away end so had a better view it (and whether it was in the box); I was at the other end of the stand and I was annoyed a free-kick was given, and then had to work out had he actually given a penalty.

We had a big peno shout a few minutes earlier ourselves - and when you add that to clear penalties denied in the 0-0 draws against Harps and Shels, you can see how big the cumulative impact of those calls is.

But the flip side is that we can't really rely longer-term on penalties or penalty calls to get us results. We created very little last night and our two most disappointing performances of the season have been against Drogheda, which we really can't afford. Had hoped the result in Sligo would give us a fillip, but evidently not.

[DCWA]

Hard to believe someone beat us really did not think anyone was capable of that. I suppose football is like war and even nazi Ukraine will win some battles in their fight against the liberation but the strongest will prevail. 1-1 draw against Drogs beat UCD then we are back on track.

[pineapple stu]

So, not a serious answer then?

Have to say, Olander was asked a reasonable question and gave a considered reply, and for you to come back with a churlish retort like that kind of undermines your credibility and your side of the argument a fair bit.

[nigel-harps1954]

Have to say, Olander was asked a reasonable question and gave a considered reply, and for you to come back with a churlish retort like that kind of undermines your credibility and your side of the argument a fair bit.

Considering he didn't directly answer the question he was asked, at all, then I don't see how my response was anything other than accurate.

But then again, any excuse to have a pop at Harps from yourself too is expected.

[Nesta99]

Hard to believe someone beat us really did not think anyone was capable of that. I suppose football is like war and even nazi Ukraine will win some battles in their fight against the liberation but the strongest will prevail. 1-1 draw against Drogs beat UCD then we are back on track.

I hope the players are of similar thinking, just to keep the title chase interesting for a a few more weeks. Dundalk being home from home on Monday is no banker but would be a help to your cause.

[joey B]

https://mobile.twitter.com/WexfordFC...74271748153346

Great goal from Wexford last night….

[Olander]

Considering he didn't directly answer the question he was asked, at all, then I don't see how my response was anything other than accurate.

But then again, any excuse to have a pop at Harps from yourself too is expected.

I suppose I have an axe to grind with Harps too so? Rubbish.

It would be like a Galway United fan coming on here saying we play a fantastic style of football under John Caulfield, we don't, it's route one stone age stuff, at least most of us will admit that though.

Year in year out Finn Harps are at the top end of the disciplinary tables with the most reds and yellows, I suppose that's just a coincidence. Yeah, you never quite addressed that point though, did you? It must the the FAI-lead conspiracy against poor auld Ollie Horgan, the guy that picks up a yellow card in almost every game and gets sent off multiple times every season - which obviously sets a great example for his players, it's hard to understand why they lack discipline at times...

Horgan is a good fit for Harps. They've always been a cynical and dirty team under him. Nobody wants to travel to Ballybofey and it's not hard to see why. Tough, well organised team, a cabbage patch pitch that suits Harps, and coming up against a team that always leaves the boot in.

Off my head Mark Coyle, Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan, Ciaran Coll, Kosovar Sadiki, Dave Webster are just a few of the usual suspects for Harps over the years.

[sbgawa]

I dont think Harps are dirty as such but they are a team that are always playing to stay in the league and on a budget where they cant sign Jack Byrne so id see them more as Burnley tough rather than Wimbledon in the crazy gang days dirty if you get the distinction.
More a...we need to fight for every ball then we need to kick people.
In todays non contact sport days that approach picks up yellows galore while not being dirty per se

[Olander]

I dont think Harps are dirty as such but they are a team that are always playing to stay in the league and on a budget where they cant sign Jack Byrne so id see them more as Burnley tough rather than Wimbledon in the crazy gang days dirty if you get the distinction.
More a...we need to fight for every ball then we need to kick people.
In todays non contact sport days that approach picks up yellows galore while not being dirty per se

They've had plenty of kickers over the years (a few listed above)

They've been in the Premier Division for the last few years, but they were the exact same under Horgan when they were yo-yoing up and down from the First to Premier Division also.

None of the other sides that have flirted with promotion/relegation regularly would be in the same category as them. You have to hand it to Horgan though, he deserves credit, they have a great spirit. Teams don't want to face them, they're not a side that anyone would relish coming up against, especially not on a very poor pitch in Ballybofey. They have been effective over the last few years.

[pineapple stu]

Considering he didn't directly answer the question he was asked, at all, then I don't see how my response was anything other than accurate.

How did he not answer the question? You're not really making any points at all in your defence here. You're just saying "You're wrong" and leaving it at that, which clearly doesn't help.

I dont think Harps are dirty as such but they are a team that are always playing to stay in the league and on a budget where they cant sign Jack Byrne so id see them more as Burnley tough rather than Wimbledon in the crazy gang days dirty if you get the distinction.
More a...we need to fight for every ball then we need to kick people.
In todays non contact sport days that approach picks up yellows galore while not being dirty per se

I'd see them as more Wimbledon than Burnley to be honest. (Fun fact - Burnley hold the record for most successive Premier League games without a red card - 120 until Nathan Collins was sent off last month)

But whichever way it is, there's no problems in it. It takes all kinds to make a league, and teams should play to their strengths, which Harps are certainly doing.

But if you support a physical side, then complaining about referee bias every time a player gets sent off gets a bit tiresome.

[sadloserkid]

I don't see enough of Harps one way or the other to have much of an opinion how dirty (or not) they are but, for whatever little it's worth, it's amused me here for YEARS how one otherwise insightful poster seems to have never ever seen a positive refereeing performance against Harps.