LoI This weekend - get yourself to a game!

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Friday March 21st
Premier Division

Cork City -v- Derry City Turner's Cross 7:35
Drogheda United -v- Cobh Ramblers United Park 7:45
St Patrick's Athletic -v- Galway United Richmond Park 7:45
Finn Harps -v- UCD Finn Park 7:45
Shamrock Rovers -v- Bray Wanderers Tolka Park 7:45
Sligo Rovers -v- Bohemians Showgrounds 8.00

First Division

Sporting Fingal -v- Limerick 37 Morton Stadium 7:45
Athlone Town -v- Waterford United Lissywoollen 7:45
Monaghan United -v- Shelbourne Kingspan Century Park 8:00
Wexford Youths -v- Kildare County Ferrycarrig Park 8:00

Saturday March 22nd
First Division

Longford Town -v- Dundalk Flancare Park 7:30

So, in the Premier Division, the tie of the weekend is Derry City's visit to Turner's Cross. City manager Alan Matthews last night said that his team was struggling to find the net, indeed only "Gorgeous" George O'Callaghan has found the net this term for the Leesiders, Derry City meanwhile have had no problems in that department, scoring an impressive five already. Derry City will be looking to maintain early momentum to keep the pressure on St Pat's. Should be a decent game, and is on TV somewhere.

Drogheda should pick up their first win with the visit of newcomers to the division Cobh Ramblers to United Park, even though they haven't netted a single goal this season in the league, they will be too strong for a determined Cobh side.

Early Table-toppers St. patrick's Athletic welcome Galway United to Richmond Park, and again, the front runners should be too strong for Galway. Expect three points to stay in Dublin.

Both Finn Harps and UCD have had mixed starts to the season with a win and a loss each, and would seem to be fairly evenly matched. This could prove to be influential in the relegation places come Novemner, so both sides will be looking for the win. I think they'll cancel each other out, and a draw will be the outcome in Donegal.

Currently sitting bottom of the lot, Bray Wanderers make the journey to Drumcondra to face Shamrock Rovers.Shamrock Rovers have had an impressive start to the season, picking up all three points when they visited the champions, and earning a draw with Cork City. Although Wanderers also took a point off Cork City, they were beaten at home by UCD. A win for the home team seems would be where my money is going.

In the First Division, Sporting Fingal are fresh from a nice win over Athlone Town, and welcome Limerick 37 to Santry this weekend. Both teams will be looking for a win, but I think a draw is most likely.

Athlone Town must overcome Waterford United at home, but I think the Munster side will be too strong for Athlone, and will pick uo another three points.

Shelbourne travel to Monaghan, and will be looking for three points so they can stay in touch with the other early movers in the division. I expect Shels to win here.

Kildare County and Wexford Youths are both without a win as the Thoroughbreds go to play Mick Wallace's charges. I think Kildare County will come away with all three points.

A mouthwatering game in Flancare Park, and yet another early-season promotion Six-Pointer with the Lilywhites of Dundalk going to the midlands. Dundalk already drew with fellow title contenders Shels, so will be going for the win here, although I'm expecting a draw.

Pre and post game views and reports can be found at Extratime.ie

gustavo

Sligo Rovers vs Bohemians is also on Friday night at 8

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gustavo wrote: »

Sligo Rovers vs Bohemians is also on Friday night at 8

:o

Added, apologies.

chopperbyrne

After missing the first two matches due to limited tickets and illness, I fully intend to be at Tolka this week.

ibh

DesF wrote: »

A mouthwatering game in Flancare Park, and yet another early-season promotion Six-Pointer with the Lilywhites of Dundalk going to the midlands. Dundalk already drew with fellow title contenders Shels, so will be going for the win here, although I'm expecting a draw.

Pre and post game views and reports can be found at Extratime.ie

Agreed. I wasn't considering going to the game as some people have to work ungodly hours i.e. Saturdays, but it really should be a cracker so i think i might go. I think Dundalk have the better team but i think the home advantage could be enough to keep Longford in it. So i think a draw is the likely result.

DmanDmythDledge

Fingal are evens again this week- very good value there. Probably throw them into a lukcy 15 with Rovers, Pats and Drogs

stovelid

chopperbyrne wrote: »

After missing the first two matches due to limited tickets and illness, I fully intend to be at Tolka this week.

You missed a feast of football last Friday, I'm telling ya.

KdjaCL

Clarke
OCarroll Harris Partridge Paisley
Ryan Fahey Lynch Kirby
Fitz O Neill

Not sure if we play that team vs galway thats our ani hoof team with shockingly big back 4, mostly to be used vs Bohs and Drogs, our footballing team puts lynch to right back Carroll slots in centre and partridge to the bench.

Midfield Fahey and dempsey our players with keane and Kirby as the wide players, think Quigley will be rested this week and Fitz giving a chance.

Hopefully galway come to "play" as we owe them from last season


kdjac

gimmick

We have a decent record against Derry in recent years, so would be somewhat hopeful of a decent result. Then I remember we have one of the worst managers in the league who wont grow a pair and drop one of our midfield three, rather than accomodating them all, and my optimism abates very quickly.

Feel sorry for the Derry fans who have to come to a country of closed boozers and offies. Its a long journey to not have any/much/enough booze for.

OhNoYouDidn't

chopperbyrne wrote: »

After missing the first two matches due to limited tickets and illness, I fully intend to be at Tolka this week.

For once a bit of buzz about a Bray game - the return of ratboy!

"Ger Rowe did not do what he did to end up at Bray" P. Scully 1/3/08

patmac

Highlights(admittedly very few this season) of Athlone Town games can be found here: http://www.athlonetowntv.com/

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patmac wrote: »

Highlights(admittedly very few this season) of Athlone Town games can be found here: http://www.athlonetowntv.com/

Are you a new LoI fan patmac?

BaZmO*

Been trying to get the lads to go to a Pats game for a while, we all live quite close, even lived in Inchicory myself for a few years. Anyway, think there's a few going on Friday, I reckon I'll head down either way.

Aren't Pats topping the league?? All credit to glory hunters!!

Pighead

Dundalk, I wish you all the best for your game this weekend and I truly sincerly hope you come away with the 3 points but please forgive me when I say THERES NOT A FCUKING HOPE OF ME GOING DOWN TO LONGFORD TO SUPPORT YOU THIS WEEKEND.

Come on the town!

MrJoeSoap

Will be at the opposite end of the country this weekend so won't be travelling to Gortakeegan or whatever its called now, unfortunately. Very hopeful of a win for Shels though.

Pighead

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Will be at the opposite end of the country this weekend so won't be travelling to Gortakeegan or whatever its called now, unfortunately. Very hopeful of a win for Shels though.

Wouldn't be quite so confident MrSoap. Monaghan aren't too bad in that shitehole of a ground they have. And they beat your lot both times up there last season(including a 4-0!).

Shels record last season V Monaghan=P4 W0 D2 L2 F2 A7

MrJoeSoap

Shels record last season V Monaghan=Irrelevant this season!

Ronan|Raven

Pighead wrote: »

Dundalk, I wish you all the best for your game this weekend and I truly sincerly hope you come away with the 3 points but please forgive me when I say THERES NOT A FCUKING HOPE OF ME GOING DOWN TO LONGFORD TO SUPPORT YOU THIS WEEKEND.

Come on the town!

Sunshine supporter :P

Pighead

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

Sunshine supporter :P

Pigheads an ABF. ANYWHERE BUT FLANCARE

patmac

DesF wrote: »

Are you a new LoI fan patmac?

Always had a passing interest Des, but I intend to get to a few matches this year, (GAA permiting )

Mint Sauce

heading to sligo v bohs myself

com on the bit of red

SectionF

patmac wrote: »

Always had a passing interest Des, but I intend to get to a few matches this year, (GAA permiting )

What? Will they ban you? :eek:

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Pighead wrote: »

Shels record last season V Monaghan=P4 W0 D2 L2 F2 A7

Pighead, wtf relevence does last season's Shels squad and results have to this season's?

We are a totally, totally different team this year, with only ~4 players remaining from last term.

We have improved in every department, and are better than Dundalk.

patmac wrote: »

Always had a passing interest Des, but I intend to get to a few matches this year, (GAA permiting )

Cool, fair play, hopefully more than a few

SectionF wrote: »

What? Will they ban you? :eek:

Probably. Do they still have that rule?

KdjaCL

Hunt out for 6 weeks with a broken foot, thats not good for bohs.



kdjac

Pighead

DesF wrote: »

Pighead, wtf relevence does last season's Shels squad and results have to this season's?

We are a totally, totally different team this year, with only ~4 players remaining from last term.

Plenty of relevance Desmond. They're your bogey team. They've got a voodoo curse over your lads. You haven't beaten them in 5 games.

DesF wrote: »

We have improved in every department, and are better than Dundalk.

HA HA HA HA! Excellent stuff. Thats Pigheads first laugh out loud of the day. Better than Dundalk even though they couldn't beat 9 Dundalk men at home a couple of weeks ago! Quality Mr F!

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Five games?

What was the last game before last season's 4?

Curse over our lads? Jaysis, the Shels team haven't played Monaghan yet.

Shelbourne will be out in front by themselves after this weekend.

Draw in Flancare, and a draw in Lisseywoolen, and we'll beat Mons.

Mark my words Pighead.

Once we get our noses in front, we won't be caught.

Pighead

DesF wrote: »

Five games?

What was the last game before last season's 4?

Curse over our lads? Jaysis, the Shels team haven't played Monaghan yet.

Shelbourne will be out in front by themselves after this weekend.

Draw in Flancare, and a draw in Lisseywoolen, and we'll beat Mons.

Mark my words Pighead.

Once we get our noses in front, we won't be caught.

Monaghan beat Shels 1-0 in a League of Ireland classic back in 2002 when your lot were a good team.

Draw in Flancare will be a decent reult for Dundalk. 5 points from the first 3 games will be a decent haul so far all things considered. Dundalk will win this league Des and you can take that to the bank.

DSB

Pighead wrote: »

Monaghan beat Shels 1-0 in a League of Ireland classic back in 2002 when your lot were a good team.

Hahaha talk about plucking at straws.

super_furry

Expect Rovers to pick up a handy three points against Bray tomorrow. We've had a solid start to the season with a great win away to Draaaaaaawheeeeda and really should have beaten the Langers after one of the most clear penalties you'll ever see was turned down.

Judas Rowe is going to get slaughtered too.

Pighead

DSB wrote: »

Hahaha talk about plucking at straws.

Its clutching at straws ya big ninny!

DSB

Pighead wrote: »

Its clutching at straws ya big ninny!

Hahaha ****e.

Jonny Arson

Pighead wrote: »

Wouldn't be quite so confident MrSoap. Monaghan aren't too bad in that shitehole of a ground they have. And they beat your lot both times up there last season(including a 4-0!).

Shels record last season V Monaghan=P4 W0 D2 L2 F2 A7

you're making a fool of yourself pighead (again!)

2 shels players survive from the first 1-1 draw
1 player survives from the 4-0 demolition job
5 players survive from the second 1-1 draw
and only 3 players survive from last October's 1-0 defeat

thats a total of 11 apperances out of a possible 56!

Pighead wrote: »

HA HA HA HA! Excellent stuff. Thats Pigheads first laugh out loud of the day. Better than Dundalk even though they couldn't beat 9 Dundalk men at home a couple of weeks ago! Quality Mr F!

did Dundalk play the whole 90 minutes with 9 men? i can only recall Dundalk having 9 men in the dying minutes... what i do remember is when both teams had 11 players like a normal match the team in red were dominant!

anyway Des is right, Shels have a better team than Dundalk, the only players from Dundalk who would get into Shels starting XI would be Cassidy, Lynch and hoofer Crawley and he is only in by default as our LB Hedderman is even worse than Crawley! :eek: i get the feeling that this going to be yet another season of underachievement and so near yet so far for the poor souls of Dundalk F.C.

KdjaCL

Jonny Arson wrote: »

did Dundalk play the whole 90 minutes with 9 men? i can only recall Dundalk having 9 men in the dying minutes... what i do remember is when both teams had 11 players like a normal match the team in red were dominant!

However men you finish with and the score at full time is what you beat X with.

Pats have beaten Cork and Bohs AWAY with 9 men GTFI!


kdjac

Pighead

Jonny Arson wrote: »

did Dundalk play the whole 90 minutes with 9 men? i can only recall Dundalk having 9 men in the dying minutes... what i do remember is when both teams had 11 players like a normal match the team in red were dominant!

Dundalk played the best part of 15 mins with 9 men. They had a man sent off at the end of the 1st half. Despite all this, Dundalk still had more chances than Shels. Face it Jonny Shels aren't quite up to winning this league just yet. Next year maybe.

Jonny Arson

Pighead wrote: »

Dundalk played the best part of 15 mins with 9 men. They had a man sent off at the end of the 1st half. Despite all this, Dundalk still had more chances than Shels. Face it Jonny Shels aren't quite up to winning this league just yet. Next year maybe.

good spin Pighead but Whelehan went off after the 80 minute mark and Shels dominated possession during the 2nd half but credit where credit is Dundalk played an effective counterattacking game. under normal 11 vs 11 circumstances Dundalk were very weak.

but unless you plan to get two players sent off the opening minutes of your remaining 34 matches ye lot are heading for a miserable 2nd place! :pac:

Pighead

Jonny Arson wrote: »

good spin Pighead but Whelehan went off after the 80 minute mark and Shels dominated possession during the 2nd half but credit where credit is Dundalk played an effective counterattacking game. under normal 11 vs 11 circumstances Dundalk were very weak.

but unless you plan to get two players sent off the opening minutes of your remaining 34 matches ye lot are heading for a miserable 2nd place! :pac:

Spin me arse. Whelehan went off in the 81st minute. 4 mins of injury time plus 9=13 mins. Which is the best part of 15 mins.

Shels dominated possession only after Dundalk went down to 9 men and started to sit back and defend deep. Heres the stats from the game. You still reckon Shels dominated?

Goals: 0-0
Shots: 9-10
Shots ON Target: 3-5
Shots OFF Target: 6-5
Corners: 7-2
Fouls Committed: 12-20
Offsides: 2-0
Yellow Cards: 1-4
Red Cards: 0-1

Jonny Arson

Pighead wrote: »

Spin me arse. Whelehan went off in the 81st minute. 4 mins of injury time plus 9=13 mins. Which is the best part of 15 mins.

Shels dominated possession only after Dundalk went down to 9 men and started to sit back and defend deep. Heres the stats from the game. You still reckon Shels dominated?

Goals: 0-0
Shots: 9-10
Shots ON Target: 3-5
Shots OFF Target: 6-5
Corners: 7-2
Fouls Committed: 12-20
Offsides: 2-0
Yellow Cards: 1-4
Red Cards: 0-1

play was stopped for a good 3 minutes around Whelehans injury in the 81st

anyway those stats are limited and tell the whole picture. Shels were the stronger team creating more chances in the 1st half when it was a proper game of football and apart from two 5 minute spells in the 2nd half bossed possession and the game. i already said Dundalk from played an effective counterattacking game in the 2nd and could have snatched the game, Shels couldnt create any chances with Dundalk's excellent desperate defending

anyway those fouls and yellow/red card stats dont lie about the dirt you have in your team

Pighead

Jonny Arson wrote: »

play was stopped for a good 3 minutes around Whelehans injury in the 81st

anyway those stats are limited and tell the whole picture. Shels were the stronger team creating more chances in the 1st half when it was a proper game of football and apart from two 5 minute spells in the 2nd half bossed possession. i already said Dundalk from played an effective counterattacking game in the 2nd and could have snatched the game.

anyway those fouls and yellow/red card stats dont lie about the dirt you have in your team

Listen Jonny here are the facts. Shels couldn't beat 10 man Dundalk and actually had fewer shots in the game than them. You can take from that what you will. As for the foul count all I can say is theres nothing wrong with showing commitment!

stovelid

Will be at Rovers.

Driving there and back (i.e. no pints before and after) will feel a bit strange though.

Jonny Arson

Pighead wrote: »

Listen Jonny here are the facts. Shels couldn't beat 10 man Dundalk and actually had fewer shots in the game than them. You can take from that what you will. As for the foul count all I can say is theres nothing wrong with showing commitment!

kicking Anto Flood to pieces for 90 minutes is some commitment! anyway enjoy defeat in Longford even tho' you wont be there:)

Pighead

Jonny Arson wrote: »

kicking Anto Flood to pieces for 90 minutes is some commitment! anyway enjoy defeat in Longford even tho' you wont be there:)

Heres Jonnys prediction from the prediction league thread.
Longford 1 Dundalk 2
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55440505&postcount=131

Jonny seems to be a bit of a mixed up kid. Argument over. Pighead wins.

Back to matters at hand. Drogheda look banker material to beat Cobh tomorrow whilst I can see Cork edging out Derry and registering their first win of the season.

MrJoeSoap

Pighead wrote: »

Heres Jonnys prediction from the prediction league thread.
Longford 1 Dundalk 2
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55440505&postcount=131

Jonny seems to be a bit of a mixed up kid. Argument over. Pighead wins.

Hehe, well played. We were still better than you in Tolka. The red card denied a certain goal, don't forget that!

Pighead

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Hehe, well played. We were still better than you in Tolka. The red card denied a certain goal, don't forget that!

Certain goal me backside! Check it out again Joe. He would have done very well to finish that off. He's going away from goal and theres two Dundalk lads running towards goal. Go to about 2.15 on this video.
http://www.vimeo.com/765714

MrJoeSoap

Pighead wrote: »

Certain goal me backside! Check it out again Joe. He would have done very well to finish that off. He's going away from goal and theres two Dundalk lads running towards goal. Go to about 2.15 on this video.
http://www.vimeo.com/765714

I don't need your Sky Sports red button man, I was there. I WAS THERE!!!

I can see myself at the very back row to the left of the floodlight at 0:18. Hehehe. How the hell did that first "highlight" make it in?

Mint Sauce

stovelid wrote: »

Will be at Rovers.

Driving there and back (i.e. no pints before and after) will feel a bit strange though.

sligo, shamrock??

MrJoeSoap

irish-stew wrote: »

sligo, shamrock??

Not this again...

Mint Sauce

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Not this again...

have i missed something, theres more than one club that has rovers in their name

MrJoeSoap

irish-stew wrote: »

have i missed something, theres more than one club that has rovers in their name

There was a big argument last week over which side could claim the name "Rovers". Apparently, Sligo fans shouldn't be allowed called their side "Rovers", and Shamrock Rovers fans don't understand who people are referring to as "Shams"....

applehunter

Like Gimmick, I fear we are trying to put square peg into round slots.

Get a balanced TEAM.

George O'Callaghan is so talented that even when he plays on the right wing he is class. But hes more effective when he's roaming.

I thought we bossed Drogs on Tuesday with Healy and Gamble supreme. I hope he can make it work.

Expect a comfortable win tomorrow.

stovelid

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Not this again...

Sorry stew, I meant SRFC. I'm used to saying rovers; shams sounds like, well, a sham or shambolic.

MrJoeSoap

stovelid wrote: »

Sorry stew, I meant SRFC.

Thanks for clearing that up.