Pat's game

**pineapple stu** · 07/08/2003, 11:17 PM

First defeat to Pat's in about two years (since the league Cup final) going over eight league games. We started very slowly and game away a soft goal before playing okay but not spectacularly for the remainder of the half. The second half started with us going 2-0 down, but we played much better after that - knocked the ball about very well, had about 60% of possession but, as is our wont, did very little with it - most notable incident was when five Pat's players on the line blocked about four shots in succession before Griffin shot side.

Pat's played their usual game of hope to get a free around the area and score from that - one of their goals was a corner, the other from a cross. They did have the better chances in the second half and could have gotten a third, but all their chances were on the counter.

Niall Donnelly was at full-back today - no idea why he was even considered for there, 'cos he looked so out of place! Did alright though - think he could have done better for the first goal, but did provide one memorable incident in the second half when he turned his man twice!!! before losing the ball...

Don't think the Thursday had much of an effect, but Doolo won't be happy with it as we didn't win.

Incidentally, remembering the Rovers fan who was pointing out our comments on Rovers in the programme, the Pat's programme (down to A5 now) had about three articles about how UCD annoyed them and that we had very few fans (completely failed to mention how their fans are mainly complete knackers however!

) Should at least even things out a little bit though!

Anyway, eight days until Drogheda. A win's a definite possibility (possibly after a replay) - into the quarters...?!?!

**Dodge** · 08/08/2003, 8:11 AM

"Pat's played their usual game of hope to get a free around the area and score from that - one of their goals was a corner, the other from a cross. They did have the better chances in the second half and could have gotten a third, but all their chances were on the counter. "

So crossing the ball is boring now is it? I though we played some nice football and I'd refute your 60% statistic too. It was by far the easiest gamewe've had against you in years and I thought we very much deserved to win...

**Aberdonian Stu** · 08/08/2003, 12:09 PM

You can't seriously think Pats aren't a remarkably boring team to watch.

**John83** · 08/08/2003, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by Dodge
So crossing the ball is boring now is it? I though we played some nice football and I'd refute your 60% statistic too. It was by far the easiest gamewe've had against you in years and I thought we very much deserved to win...

Y'all got all of two or three decent crosses in during the whole ninty minutes of dross punctiated only by perhaps the worst PA man in the league. And don't forget that program. I mean, some of that stuff would be edited out of our fanzine FFS.

I don't see how you're going to "refute" a possession statistic given that the game wasn't filmed.

I agree with Pinapple_Stu, UCD had a great deal more posession, but, as usual, just couldn't do anything with it. For the love of Pete, our best crosser of the ball on the night was from the aformentioned Donkey Donnelly, while only Cawley of the midfielders was seemingly intent on opening up Pats, which he failed miserably to do, thanks no little bit to the poor movement of Gallen and the 'fine' control of Rooney. That lad can trap a ball further than I can kick it.

**pineapple stu** · 08/08/2003, 12:41 PM

Originally posted by Dodge
"Pat's played their usual game of hope to get a free around the area and score from that - one of their goals was a corner, the other from a cross. They did have the better chances in the second half and could have gotten a third, but all their chances were on the counter. "

So crossing the ball is boring now is it? I though we played some nice football and I'd refute your 60% statistic too. It was by far the easiest gamewe've had against you in years and I thought we very much deserved to win...

Yez played some decent passing stuff in the first half, but in the second half, yez went for long balls over the top most of the time, while we passed it around far more than youz. Certainly in the second half, we bossed possession without doing anything - my 60% possession guess is from after the second goal, and I don't think you can seriously claim that you had anywhere near as much of the ball as we did for the last 40 minutes.

I'm not saying that youz didn't deserve to win - you did - but certainly not because of your style of play. You got about one or two decent crosses in for all your first half possession. Yez rely on set-pieces a hell of a lot - nothing wrong with that if it works, but it does make for a dull style. Although maybe my way of saying that in the report didn't come across the best...

Incidentally, for all the programme whingeing about us having very few fans, I thought the Pat's fans were very poor last night. No cheering at all, except for a brief bit at the start of the second half when that feckin' PA man came on and tried to work up a bit of excitement. It's easy to say that it's hard to make an atmosphere if there's few opposition fans, but for all the self-congratulation Pat's fans seem to indulge in, the crowd was very poor. And the "Shed End Invincibles" name looked even more of a joke than usual - almost completely deserted, probably more UCD fans than Pat's fans in it during the first half!

Anyway, after 2� years, we were due a defeat to Pat's. Here's looking for another 2� years till the next!

**Schumi** · 08/08/2003, 1:25 PM

Originally posted by Dodge
So crossing the ball is boring now is it?

You were the first to mention boring!

Pats were the better team for most of the game and did deserve the win but for whatever reason, UCD just didn't look very interested in the game. It's probably the most sluggish performance they've put in this season. As for Donnelly at right-back, I don't know what Doolin was thinking. Surely there must be someone more suited to the position at the club.