LOI in Europe 2022

[Philosophizer]

Shkupi kind of doing a Rovers there at the end.

I was just thinking the exact same thing. So often it's LOI teams shooting themselves in the foot with red cards, late goals conceded killing a tie or a defensive/goalkeeper calamity.
How sweet that the shoe was on the other foot tonight...

[Straightstory]

Rovers were awful second half - lucky to get away with that. They obviously felt they had the job done at 2-0. Great to see the antics of the shameful time-wasting goalie punished.
Brilliant result for Pats. Don't think the lad got much of a touch to nudge it past their keeper - it just seemed to end up in front of him and he stroked it home.

[ger121]

Rovers now need to do something they have not done so far this year. Score away from home. They could do with Byrne and Burke next week.

[A N Mouse]

Thank you to both for the answers. I was curious earlier watching the Pat’s game in the case of CSKA having more in the tank coming here, would the result be rendered meaningless in that regard - not quite.

Unless something gives when the new format beds in, the national co-efficient will likely become meaningless for lower ranked sides soon.

Either you're in the top thirty and start a round later (unless they have to feck around to fit in teams), or you start in the first round of conference league.

To be in the top thirty you'll have to have teams playing, and winning, in the group stage of the conference. One or two bad seasons and you'll drop out of the top thirty. Expect to see countries bounce between 25th and 35th soon.

I mean it already happens, but expect it to be more obvious

[pineapple stu]

So Bert has updated - we're up to 38th, having passed out Lithuania and Luxembourg tonight. Bosnia and Finland are a full win (0.250) ahead of us. HJK have one foot in the Conference League groups after today, so there's still plenty to play for.

Credit to Dundee United beating Alkmaar tonight, and to Viking Reykjavik beating Lech Poznan

[nigel-harps1954]

Maybe that 30th place inside a few years isn't totally out of the question. Losing a bad year next summer. A couple more wins on the board this year and a similar year next year takes us up very close to 30.

[Philosophizer]

In the end there was 1 result worse than Sligo's tonight. Fehervar (who scraped past Bohs on pens in 2020) hammered Petroclub 5-0.

[MichaelCherrito]

And there was talk here last week about the antics a few teams use when playing LOI sides and the need to replicate those antics away from home.

No better chance to do it than next week in N. Macedonia.

[yurt]

Another 2 European wins. So impressive from Pat's to notch another away win against a league ranked way above us. I'm assuming that is rare and surely the first time its been done twice in one year.

Up to 38th in the co-efficient table now too. Having 3 sides remaining when most other leagues are down to their champions only is such an advantage from moving up this table. Shows there is in fact some depth in the LOI and isn't just a one team league like most of Eastern Europe.

Both CSKA and Shkupi looked so average at times there today that I would be sickened if we aren't talking about a having a club in each of the EL and ECL playoffs next weekend.

[patsdad]

It's hard to see Sofia not scoring.

You'd have said that before tonight's game but they never even came close.

[Candystripe]

Another 2 European wins. So impressive from Pat's to notch another away win against a league ranked way above us. I'm assuming that is rare and surely the first time its been done twice in one year.

2006 Derry city beat IFK Gothenburg home and away and then beat the Scottish dream team 5-1 away from home.
But yes, it doesn't happen very often.

[Calcio Jack]

Rovers looked like they’d score a hatful in first half …. Started the second brightly ; then lost Burke followed by motm McCann and lost their way when Bradley subbed Watts & Gaffney ( poor decision unless they were injured) .

Mannus then came into his own making a series of brilliant saves and they missed a ‘sitter’.

We at least kept it together and with last kick Gary O’Neill received the ball outside the box and with 20 players in front of him steered as sweet a curler into top right hand corner….. cue pandemonium…. As for them a right dirty shower of…

[ontheotherhand]

Rovers now need to do something they have not done so far this year. Score away from home. They could do with Byrne and Burke next week.

Eh? I'd be happy enough with a 0-0 to be honest ger.

[yurt]

Absolutely. Need a repeat of game in Malta where absolutely nothing of note happens at any point.

Shkupi were the better team in the second half (until the red card) from the bits I saw. Will do very well to control the game next week. That strike at the end has changed the tie completely.

[Kingswood Rover]

I thought Rovers were very average tonight, started very slowly with the Pen giving them a nice leg up. Skupi were atrocious at the start but you could see that their better players were up front, they looked capable and not afraid to shoot. 2nd half once McCann went off we were poor and with them scoring they started really come into the game. They made several really rash tackles and it was no surprise that they had a man sent off. At that stage they then tried to close up shop time wasting throwing themselves on the ground and we were always going to get a chance and what a take the place exploded the noise was incredible. 3 1 probably flattered us tbh. 50 50 chance of going through i reckon. Brilliant from Pats

[Nesta99]

So Bert has updated - we're up to 38th, having passed out Lithuania and Luxembourg tonight. Bosnia and Finland are a full win (0.250) ahead of us. HJK have one foot in the Conference League groups after today, so there's still plenty to play for.

Credit to Dundee United beating Alkmaar tonight, and to Viking Reykjavik beating Lech Poznan

Jamie McGrath getting a run out in that one.

Excellent wins tonight. It dont think teams should be entirely writen off and tonight is an example of why. There is always a chance and if teams go in to games that mindset they are giving themselves a chance. Sligo were always the least likely to pull something out of the bag but i wouldnt have though that they'd get a heavy beating.

Wonder what the NMs will have to say after the game,

[sbgawa]

Great result for Rovers tonight id have taken a 2 goal lead at the start but was getting greedy at half time
Absolute scenes at the end and as loud as ive heard Tallaght.
Same team to start on Tuesday with Kavanagh instead of McCann (looked like a hamstring) and keep it tight.
Heard a rumour Jack was out doing a fitness test pre match so maybe he might be ready for Tuesday.

[EatYerGreens]

Well done Pats and Rovers. The Pats result in particular was well-deserevd, but very unexpected. It spurred me to get a ticket for the home game next Thursday* Hard luck Sligo, but they're genuinely not a European-quality team and have been blessed up to this point in the competition.

*(on which note - where is a good place to park near Tallaght Stadium to make it easy to get to the M50 quickly after a game ? I don't want to park in The Square and spend forever trying to get out).

[paul_oshea]

I saw only the first half of rovers but what I read on rte it sounded like a very different game to what I watched. Rov rs were in total control and shkupi looked extremely limited. What happened ?

[Knocklyonhoop]

I saw only the first half of rovers but what I read on rte it sounded like a very different game to what I watched. Rov rs were in total control and shkupi looked extremely limited. What happened ?

Turns out they could be a lot better than what they shows in 1st half. In 2nd they were miles ahead of what we saw from Lidogrets and Mannis had 3 top class saves. Thought their no 8 (despite ‘missing’ a sitter ‘saved) was a big diff when he came on.

tie far from over