1st series of games nearly over

[Sam_Heggy]

some big games at either end of the table,

Dorgs -v- Pats - A Drogheda win will really opens things up at the top and potentially brings the top 5/6 within 6 points of top spot.

Bohs -v- Cork - Cork need to win these kind of games or risk being out of the title race at an early stage (too early imo, and surely Matthews will be under pressure if this occurs)

UCD -v- Galway - Galway need to win this or imo they will be looking at mission impossible to avoid relegation, UCD look a handy outfit and of the 4 at the bottom they are looking the favourites to stay up at present.

Harps -v- Rovers - If Harps can pull of a victory here then you can count Rovers in the mix for the relegation contenders. Harps and UCD wins would bring both teams within 2 and 1 point(s) of Rovers and surely Scully will be looking over his shoulder.

Sligo -v- Bray - Sligo are looking strong at home, winning their last 3 scoring 9 in the process, they are up against a Bray side who, since beating Harps are unbeaten in 7, winning their last 5 and only concedeing 2 goals. A draw might be the end result here.

Derry -v- Cobh - Derry need/expect a big performance tonight and imo its very possible. Sammon is finally looking the part and with McGinn in fine form on the wing there will be ample supply for the big striker. By all accounts Cobh were unlucky last weekend and will be up for the big game but I expect Derry to have too much for them in the final third.

[Schumi]

If we could get a good run over the next month few games with Galway, Bray (on good form but I can't forget how poor they were against us earlier in the season) and Harps at home, we could pull a bit of a gap on Haprs, Cobh and Galway. Having drawn against Bohs and Pats without conceding a legitimate goal, our defence is playing well enough to be optimistic in these games, as usual the question is whether we can score.

I realise every team in the bottom few can say that 2 or 3 wins in the next 4 games will pull them clear but the teams we're playing against and our recent good results suggest we have a better chance than most.

[thischarmingman]

some big games at either end of the table,

Dorgs -v- Pats - A Drogheda win will really opens things up at the top and potentially brings the top 5/6 within 6 points of top spot.

Bohs -v- Cork - Cork need to win these kind of games or risk being out of the title race at an early stage (too early imo, and surely Matthews will be under pressure if this occurs)

UCD -v- Galway - Galway need to win this or imo they will be looking at mission impossible to avoid relegation, UCD look a handy outfit and of the 4 at the bottom they are looking the favourites to stay up at present.

Harps -v- Rovers - If Harps can pull of a victory here then you can count Rovers in the mix for the relegation contenders. Harps and UCD wins would bring both teams within 2 and 1 point(s) of Rovers and surely Scully will be looking over his shoulder.

Sligo -v- Bray - Sligo are looking strong at home, winning their last 3 scoring 9 in the process, they are up against a Bray side who, since beating Harps are unbeaten in 7, winning their last 5 and only concedeing 2 goals. A draw might be the end result here.

Derry -v- Cobh - Derry need/expect a big performance tonight and imo its very possible. Sammon is finally looking the part and with McGinn in fine form on the wing there will be ample supply for the big striker. By all accounts Cobh were unlucky last weekend and will be up for the big game but I expect Derry to have too much for them in the final third.

It's been an intriguing opening third. Much as I hate to say it but "Come on Drogheda!" A win for them keeps the title race open, and coupled with a Bohs victory could see St. Pats' lead cut to just a point. If Drogheda, Bohemians and Derry win then Cork will be kicking their heels 3 points off the third. I think Cork have the quality to do it though and tip them to edge it tonight at Dalymount Park.

Bray obviously the shoch team so far. They're already 10 points clear of the relegation pack but it seems more pertinant to point out that a win for them could move them into third. But I think they'd take a hard fought score draw tonight, and reckon that's what they'll get.

Derry surely should end their drawing sequence tonight but it's not something I'd put the house on. They've stalled a bit in recent weeks and really need to be getting three points tonight given how close it is at the top, and the fact that it's against the second from bottom side. It's so congested at the top that only 2 points separate Derry from Sligo in 7th. With at least two of Bohs, Cork, St. Pats and Drog dropping points, they have to use the opportunity to make up ground tonight.

[The Lilywhites]

I realise every team in the bottom few can say that 2 or 3 wins in the next 4 games will pull them clear but the teams we're playing against and our recent good results suggest we have a better chance than most.

Here's hoping!

[Schumi]

Wow, someone hopes UCD will stay up!

[Duggie]

Wow, someone hopes UCD will stay up!

i do - always play good football and i think pete mahon is a good manager. has a bit of class about him, old school.

[Duggie]

i reckon bohs will beat cork and that cork gone as far as im concerned if this happens. Alan Matthews gone at seasons end. terrible appointment.

[sonofstan]

I think Cork have the quality to do it though and tip them to edge it tonight at Dalymount Park.

They should have no problem tonight - we won't be there till Sunday.

[John83]

i do - always play good football and i think pete mahon is a good manager. has a bit of class about him, old school.

Pete Mahon's so old school that the players have to bring a sod of turf to training for the fire.
Pete Mahon's so old school that he frequently has to be restrained from giving poor referees a solid caning.
Pete Mahon's so old school that he makes left footed players train with their left foot tied to a chair.

[Schumi]

Pete Mahon's so old school that he frequently has to be restrained from giving poor referees a solid caning.

So that's why he got sent off against Bohs.

[celticV3]

Pete Mahon's so old school that the players have to bring a sod of turf to training for the fire.
Pete Mahon's so old school that he frequently has to be restrained from giving poor referees a solid caning.
Pete Mahon's so old school that he makes left footed players train with their left foot tied to a chair.

shocking

[sonofstan]

i do - always play good football and i think pete mahon is a good manager. has a bit of class about him, old school.

Occured to me at our game out there that he looks like a spivvy opposition manager out of Roy of the Rovers. Old school is right.

[DmanDmythDledge]

If we could get a good run over the next month few games with Galway, Bray (on good form but I can't forget how poor they were against us earlier in the season) and Harps at home, we could pull a bit of a gap on Haprs, Cobh and Galway. Having drawn against Bohs and Pats without conceding a legitimate goal, our defence is playing well enough to be optimistic in these games, as usual the question is whether we can score.

Good results, but they merely papered over the cracks of poor performances. Our performance was a bit better tonight and lost to a worse team.

[fbtn]

UCD have been the best side that I've seen out of the bottom four.

[HarpoJoyce]

UCD have been the best side that I've seen out of the bottom four.

Thanks for the compliment. I havn't seen Finn Harps yet, but when comparing I think Cobh are the best footballers of the bottom five and yesterday against UCD, Galway Utd, as expected, showed more than their 3 points from 10 games. But Cobh for me are the team that can play their way out of trouble. Same way Bray and any of the other vunerable mid-table teams have.

Mid-table is where the mother-load of points will be for the bottom clubs. The bother is if there are too many challengers for honours or Europe that those normally accessible points won't be available as easy as before.

[Aaron]

I'm happy enough with how we have done in the firsat series of games. If anyone had offered me at the seasons start I would have taken it no problem. I think Pat's will falter as they always do after the mid-season break. Bohs look good away from home, need to get their home form sorted.

We could be hit by the expected departure of Paddy McCourt, but Niall McGinn and Owen Morrison are doing excellent as it is. We will get a nice windfall from Paddy's sale if the figure I hear is correct

[Maroon 7]

Obviously at the bottom it looks like perm three from four to go down so picking the one team to survive is a bit of a lottery.

Galway United are actually probably the form team down there at the moment having kept clean sheets in their last three away games but who knows how long that will last. They've dragged themselves back to the others anyway. Fancy it will go down to the last game or two of the season at the bottom.

Whoever recruits well mid season could give themselves a chance.

[SligoBrewer]

Sligo in 4th

Tom thinks we'll win the league.

[TonyD]

I think Pat's will falter as they always do after the mid-season break.

Maybe not this time. I'm starting to get a good feeling about this year. No way would we have got a point away to Drogs last year after going behind twice.

[deecay]

Tom thinks Cobh and Cork will go downHes at Cork v Bray next week