FAI Intermediate Cup 2008

[centre mid]

Dalkeys pitch is ok, on a slight incline.

[Clifford]

Newtown Rangers v carrick/middleton. Pitch, which is up the Dublin Mountains has a decent surface and is wide. However there is an enormous slope across the pitch and this can be very disorientating for away teams. The away team will have to be able to mix it with the home team, as they play a very physical but fair game

Dalkey v Avondale. Dalkey are managed by ex Shamrock Rovers player Matt Britton, who has recruited quite a few ex-EL players. Their pitch is big but not always kept in the best condition. I reckon they could cause a shock.

Lissadell v Ringmahon. Dell will be very hard to beat on a small narrow pitch in the “quaint“ St Michaels Estate. They are a decent football team though and I would expect them to win.

Celbridge are one of the youngest teams around. They play an attractive game and are top of the 3rd tier of LSL, having won promotion. Two trips to Cork will surely test their mettle.

What about Bluebell DB this season? Strong enough to come to Rockmount and test them? They are normally very very strong.

[Clifford]

Alright lads, i've been playing up in dublin for a while now after playing in the MSL for a few years.

Just to give you the heads up on a few of the dublin teams that the MSL teams got in the intermediate cup:

Rockmount AFC V Bluebell United FC - don't know a lot about bluebell, haven't seen them this year, but they're mid-table in the premier and I reckon the overall standard of the LSL premier is a bit better than that of the MSL, so it will be a tough one. Rockmount to come out on top though - best intermediate team in the country at the moment I reckon.

Newtown Rangers FC V Carrigaline United FC / Midleton AFC - I've seen Newtown this season, they are an average LSL 1st division team. Young team but not a lot of quality. Their pitch is meant to be tight and bumpy though. I fancy Carrig (I presume they'll beat Midleton) to take this tie back to Cork and beat them well there.

Dalkey United FC V Avondale United FC - potential upset on the cards here. Haven't seen dalkey play yet but they've added to their squad with a couple of ex-Eircom League players (I know, they're rarely all they're cracked up to be, but still). Going well in the LSL 1st division. Not sure what their pitch is like, but I can see them pushing Avondale all the way. From what I've heard, Avondale are not as strong as previous seasons. I'm going for a home win here.

Lissadel United FC V Ringmahon Rangers FC - don't know much about them. Going for a draw here.

Moyle Park PPFC / Drogheda Town FC V Ballincollig AFC - Moyle will beat Drogheda. They're an average team though, mid table in the Premier, but I would expect them to come close to relegation. They have a tidy striker, but an average team other than that. With Ballincolling riding high, I'm backing them to win it.

Leeds AFC V Crumlin United FC - Crumlin are still a very good side. Haven't seen leeds in a couple of seasons but up in that pitch anything is possible I suppose. Still fancy Crumlin to have too much quality.

Greystones AFC V Douglas Hall FC - Don't know much about Greystones, but fancy DOuglas Hall to progress here,after extra time or replay. Will be a tough test for the Hall. Usually these country town clubs have nice pitches, so that will suit the Hall. I reckon the Hall are a good outside bet to win the cup outright.

Everton AFC / Fermoy AFC V Celbridge Town FC - don't know a lot about Celbridge either. I reckon Everton (presuming they beat Fermoy) will do enough on their fabulous pitch to progress.

My money is on Rockmount to win it - outside bets are Douglas Hall, Mount Merrion and Glebe North.

That's it lads - comments appreciated.

Wow just seen this one Champagne, nice summary. Everton did beat Fermoy handy, don't know the other results.

[drummerboy]

Having seen much of Bluebell lately. They took a bit of a beating last weekend. From what I hear they are missing a few players through injury, not sure if they will be back for the Inter.

[razor]

Having seen much of Bluebell lately. They took a bit of a beating last weekend. From what I hear they are missing a few players through injury, not sure if they will be back for the Inter.

Another soft home draw so for the Mount, now theres a shocker !!

[Clifford]

having been away for every match for the last 5 seasons they finally remembered that we pay good money for a home draw all the way to the final!!

Nothing easy about this one though, home advantage is the only thing going for us so far. Tough out fit Bluebell.

[centre mid]

Bluebell probably arent the force they were a few years ago, but there always well organised and a tough side, capable of beating anyone on any given day.

[razor]

Heard Mount won 2-1 and that Avondales game was off

[Clifford]

Indeed Rockmount won 2-1 today in terrible conditions. A tough Bluebell side made it very difficult, but didn't have enough football to get through. Alan O Connor direct from a corner early on, cancelled out by a back post header from Bluebell early in the second half. Micky Deasy hacked down in the box led to the spotter that Wille Byrne thumped home.

Relieved to be through that one.

[champagne]

I heard Ballincollig made the trip to Drogheda only for the game to be called off. Absolute farce on Dorgheda's behalf.

90% of the games in LSL were called off on the Thursday because of the bad weekend weather forecast, so you'd think they'd have the kop on to call it early (although in fairness their pitch is sweet).

Ballincollig will thump them down on their patch (game has been switched to Cork I think).

[BobbyBoy]

Cant see Ballincollig beating em now in fairness!!

[champagne]

Bobbyboy it's not Drogheda United I'm talking about! I think it might interfere with their Champions League preparations if they were to get a run in the intermediate cup

Drogheda Town are languishing in LSL 1st division:

Team P W D L F A Pts
GLEBE NORTH 10 9 1 0 29 8 28
DALKEY UTD 12 6 3 3 25 14 21
GLENMORE DUNDRUM 11 6 2 3 20 11 20
CYM TERENURE 11 5 3 3 16 12 18
ST. JAMES’ GATE 8 5 2 1 19 9 17
NEWTOWN RANGERS 12 5 2 5 19 16 17
PEGASUS 12 5 2 5 21 28 17
BOYNE ROVERS 11 4 4 3 24 19 16
TEK UTD 14 4 2 8 19 22 14
FIRHOUSE CLOVER 10 3 4 3 13 14 13
LIFFEYS PEARSE 10 3 3 4 19 22 12
ARKLOW TOWN 12 3 2 7 14 26 11
DROGHEDA TOWN 10 2 0 8 11 31 6
NEWBRIDGE TOWN 9 0 2 7 9 26 2

[Clifford]

I was at the airport on Saturday and the ballincollig lads were there taking the flight to Dublin, that's very harsh and totally out of order these days. Rockmount made huge efforts to keep in touch with Bluebell all week about the pitch. In the end the ref decided at 11ish Sat morn that all was ok to play.

[Chairman]

Lissadel 5 - 0 Ringmahon Rangers

It was an excellent performance from start to finish by the Dell who now have booked their place in the next round as well as the first round of the FAI Senior cup.

Credit to the ground staff who done everything to secure that this game was playable when all other games in the capital were called off

[champagne]

Rockmount made huge efforts to keep in touch with Bluebell all week about the pitch. In the end the ref decided at 11ish Sat morn that all was ok to play.

Clifford, word in Dublin is that Bluebell were on the bus down just past Urlingford when they were told that the game was called off - so they turned back - only to be told half an hour later that the game was back on!

Is this just waffle or what?

[Clifford]

Someone was winding them up or it was wishful thinking on their part, they were reluctant to play even when they arrived. There was an inspection on Sat and Sun morn and it was never in doubt.

[champagne]

It's gas the way these stories grow legs alright. The guy who told me (a dub) was harpin on about it being a "bleedin' disgrace". He wasn't long shutting up when I told him the Ballincollig story!

[razor]

they were reluctant to play even when they arrived.

Twould be hard to blame them, tis a God forsaken place, i heard the ball spent more time in the adjacent field than it did on the pitch.

It's gas the way these stories grow legs alright. The guy who told me (a dub) was harpin on about it being a "bleedin' disgrace". He wasn't long shutting up when I told him the Ballincollig story!

Or the Carrigaline story, 2 sent off and the dubs equalised in the 8th minute of stoppage time, Ridden Rock Solid by all accounts.

[Clifford]

Twould be hard to blame them, tis a God forsaken place, i heard the ball spent more time in the adjacent field than it did on the pitch.
Or the Carrigaline story, 2 sent off and the dubs equalised in the 8th minute of stoppage time, Ridden Rock Solid by all accounts.

There was mild gust of wind now and again, nothing to worry about unless you play all your footie on the slope that is avondale's kip.

Carrig sound like they got done over incredibly, nothing new there with Cork teams going up to Dublin.

[razor]

There was mild gust of wind now and again, nothing to worry about unless you play all your footie on the slope that is avondale's kip.

Carrig sound like they got done over incredibly, nothing new there with Cork teams going up to Dublin.

I was only talking to a chap here in work about days like last Sunday and the various MSL grounds around the place
All are pretty godforsaken spots on a cold and wintery day.