Setanta Cup: Longford V Linfield

Slash/ED

Longford host Linfield tonight. This will be a big game for the tournament, Linfields 'reputation' means their first away trip in this tournament will be a key one to see how well behaved the fans on both sides are capable of being. On the pitch, it's a big big game for Longford. Having lost away to Glentoran they simply need the full 3 points here to stand any chance of qualifying. If they lose or draw that will mean they will only have 1/0 points on the board with only one home game remaning and a trip to Linfield as their last match.

Longford are without Murphy, Mohan and, stunningly enough, Davy Byrne has gone and picked up a knock. That's not like him...

applehunter

Very diplomatic post there Slash. Since when did Longford cause trouble?

I'd fancy Longford to win. They were unlucky not to get at least a draw from the Cork City match last Thursday and also have home advantage.

Is it true that Longford were made pay €10000 on security just fir this match.

Slash/ED

I think security is being dealt with by Setanta themselves mainly, I doubt Longford could afford to spend 10,000 on security for one match, they'd make a loss by staging it then surely and would be better off playing behind closed doors from a financial point of view anyway.

Really though I'd be suprised if there was any trouble at the match.

thejollyrodger

realistically, can you see longford coming away from anything with this match. im going for a linfield win

applehunter

Longford are a top team in ireland. They are unfashionable compared to Linfield.

Didnt they beat Shels 4-1 last year sometime?

gimmick

As with every season, Longford are starting extraordinarily slowly. I dont fancy them to get any better than a draw tonight. I know absolutely nothing about Linfield apart from the fatc that they are top of their division, which means they are at least confident. Longford as yet have no points on the board and have only played 2 league games.

If this tourney was later in the season, I could see them doing well though.

applehunter

There is €21,000 + traded on betfair so far on this match.

Funny looking in the betfair forum, there is a post title of "Who the hell are Longford?". I suppose he's doing his research before he puts his money down.

_blank_

Well, Well, Well.

Good start to the game, with Longford having taken the lead after five or six minutes.

The minute or so before the goal they had two or three chances to score too.

Bad defence of a corner, but still, nice one. Come on Longford.

_blank_

It's s good game so far, with the Longford 'keeper playing really well.

Longford look threatening everytime they attack, and have scored a second goal just on the stroke of half time.

I cannot see why they won't go on to win this game.

thejollyrodger

Its a pity http://livescore.net/ dont do the scores of the Setanta Cup ! Im surprised that longford have taken the lead :O

Töpher

2-1 Longford, into stoppage time. Just tuned in

_blank_

Great result for Longford Town, well done to them.

I suppose it throws the group wide open, and anything can happen now.

I think it shows that the results at the start of the competition, where the Northern teams did relatively well against the eL teams, might be partly down to the fact that the eL teams may have been a bit rusty.

The Longford 'keeper deserved his Man Of The Match award, as Linfield put them under constant presure for large parts of the game.

And one last thing, the Linfield manager was absolutely brilliant in his post match interview.

Slash/ED

I have to admit, I wasn't impressed by either side really. Linfields defence is awful and some of Longfords passing was completley wayward. A good game drama wise but neither side looked the best imo. The ref also seemed to give every decision Linfields way, including some truly bizzare goal kick/corner kick decisions.

And yeah the Linfield manager was absolutley superb after the match, fair play to him.

_blank_

Slash/ED wrote:

The ref...

...was Anthony Buttimer, do you expect much more out of him.

eirebhoy

Slash/ED wrote:

And yeah the Linfield manager was absolutley superb after the match, fair play to him.

In what way? Missed it.

Slash/ED

eirebhoy wrote:

In what way? Missed it.

He was just very complimentary about the Longford supporters and what an occasion it is and how great it was of Setanta to try and get the tournament up and running.

Brian Kerr was also there at half time and was hinting that he'd love to see an All Ireland league, by the way the Linfield manager was talking I'd say he feels the same, it seems almost everyone on both sides does if it means we can keep seperate National Teams.

Töpher

eirebhoy wrote:

In what way? Missed it.

He was just very sporting about it. Thanking Longford and all their fans etc etc, very ice to see. Said he was disappointed not to get anything but theat Longford deserved it. He just came across really pleasant!

Lol, I sound like a chick!

_blank_

He said they had been treated like kings by the Longford people. Very decent of him to say, and he was more than generous to both sets of fans.

Interesting what your saying about the all Ireland league there Slash/ED. I got that feeling off the Linfield manager myself.

I wonder. Can it be too far off at all.

applehunter

I fancied Longford beforehand and am sorry now that i didnt lay Linfield on Betfair.

I only saw the 2nd half, but from what I saw the teams were pretty even.

Post match analysis in the bar it looked like. The Linfield manager was brimming with adulation for Setanta. Overall the Setanta coverage is top class. Everything is just way ahead of anything RTE has ever done for the league.

Has it rained for every Setanta Cup match so far? The Linfield supporters got drenched.

Harsh on digger when he was asked "you're not the tallest of goalkeepers"

Oh the irony of Stephan Paisley scoring the 1st goal after deciding that there would be no minutes silence for the pope at the start.

Big Ears

great result for Longford , and being the Cup specialists..........you never know .

Also Great to see the game going off without any major incidents security wise .

Big Ears

seansouth wrote:

Can it be too far off at all.

Well if the clubs who are seen to be Unionists want it then it can't be .
The only objections I can see are from extremists such as Pasiley , who have nothing to do with football so **** them .

_blank_

applehunter wrote:

Oh the irony of Stephan Paisley scoring the 1st goal after deciding that there would be no minutes silence for the pope at the start.

Am I missing something?

Big Ears wrote:

Also Great to see the game going off without any major incidents security wise .

Yeah, I have to agree with this.

Can't wait to head to Portadown for the Shels match now, this result for Longford shows the eL teams should be able to outdo the IL teams.

thejollyrodger

the northern clubs must know that the EL is making progress. Another 5 years would make another big difference and there isnt much point in them sitting on the fence only to catch up. Great to see there wasnt any security problems or anything like that.

applehunter

Quote:
Originally Posted by applehunter
Oh the irony of Stephan Paisley scoring the 1st goal after deciding that there would be no minutes silence for the pope at the start.

Am I missing something?



Irony, poetic justice .. whatever you want to call it. I was crap at English in school.

_blank_

Without a doubt they know that the eL is making great strides, I'm sure they are looking enviously down here at the quality currently on show.

They may have no choice but to sit on the bench. I think that with the current state of football on this island, that if the Northern teams stand any chance of survival there will have to be some kind of merging of at least the top divisions.

How much longer will the players stay up there, only to see teams less than a hundred miles down the road competing and doing well in the European competitions. Also, I'm sure the potential for money earning is better here than in the Irish League at the moment, for the top players at least.

applehunter

I hope i dont have to point out that Stephen has the same sirname as the Reverend Ian.

thejollyrodger

Wages put paid to transfers
April 03, 2005
Football Ireland
Dundee’s manager, Jim Duffy, shocked the denizens of Scottish football when he returned from a scouting trip to Dublin with the news that Eircom League players earned more money than most SPL clubs could possibly pay. In town looking for bargains at Shelbourne versus Shamrock Rovers, Duffy discovered that some of those who caught his eye were reputedly trousering £1,000 a week. From what he saw, Duffy reckoned that four of those on view were up to SPL standard. No word on whether one of that quartet is the Eircom League player rumoured to be taking home €4,000 every Friday.

That was in the times on sunday. It just shows where things are going.:):) As the sentanta cup continues, I think it will just highlight the gulf in class;)

_blank_

There is no eL player on 4K a week.

That is over 200K a year.

I think some wires got crossed somewhere in the writing of that piece, in that there are possibly 4 Shels players, each on about 1K a week.

All specualtion, granted.

thejollyrodger

4 shelbourne players on €1,000 a week sounds more realistic.

gimmick

seansouth wrote:

There is no eL player on 4K a week.

That is over 200K a year.

Gareth Farrelly is said to be on a 3 year contract worth e450k, and he is the top played guy in the eL supposedly.

_blank_

Which is only 150K a year, if true.

I would find it hard to believe Bohs can afford that kind of money.

Isn't Hunt their highest paid player anyway, they had to decide which of the trio of him, Crowe and Ryan they could afford to keep.

KdjaCL

seansouth wrote:

I would find it hard to believe Bohs can afford that kind of money.

Find it hard to belive Shels can pay at least 11 players 1k a week for over 8 years now with so little income from games.

Shels have always had players hovering around the 1k mark amazes me they can afford it. Brown envelopes galore


IL players are well paid 2 i know off Arkins and Coyle were offered 1k + off shels about 7 years ago and both refused as it was less than what they were getting, wages rarely ever go down (unless you play for Pats or Rovers then its lower to none).

And before people start saying how much better EL is, could one of our top 2 teams actually win a game vs IL teams 1st. Nice to be an elitist but lets gets some results vs IL before we go all elitist.

kdjac

_blank_

Wow KdjaC, are you an agent for Shels players?

KdjaCL

seansouth wrote:

Wow KdjaC, are you an agent for Shels players?

No worked with Stephen Geoghan for a long time who was on 1k a week at the time (97 to 99)


kdjac

_blank_

Oh.

Slash/ED

KdjaC wrote:

No worked with Stephen Geoghan for a long time who was on 1k a week at the time (97 to 99)


kdjac

And worth every penny

shockingly Geogho was rumoured to be on similar money at Dundalk, which is why they were so keen to get rid of him. That and the fact that by the time he signed for them he was forever injured and so not much use to them

KdjaCL

OT but funny anyway, he once told me how Kerr (Pats manager at the time) brought him out for dinner to Red Cow and discussed football tactics and how he would play him in the then Pats side. This went on for hours till the end when money was mentioned it was half what he was getting at Shels.

Said he would have signed if they had got closer to 700 as Kerr had him sold on the football side of things, kerr had him penned in to replace Ricky.

Would have been nice at the time


kdjac
.

thejollyrodger

And before people start saying how much better EL is, could one of our top 2 teams actually win a game vs IL teams 1st. Nice to be an elitist but lets gets some results vs IL before we go all elitist.

Well seeing that the north is near the end of their league and the EL is only starting up, coupled with the fact that Shels have so many new players, that might have something to do with it.

Has a IL ever reached the third round of the Champions League

The standard of football is also better in the EL, and so are some of the stadia

KdjaCL

As the sentanta cup continues, I think it will just highlight the gulf in class

Winning games well highlights things like gulfs in classes

I think if it was later in season El would thump them but its not so less of thumping and more of winning games by any means.

kdjac

Slash/ED

Well our bottom team just beat their top team, EL sides will simply keep on getting better in this tournament, which stands to reason. Lucky for Cork then the way the fixtures worked out for them

rovingrover

Lets not get too carried away with the gulf in standard.

So far we've had 3 north v south games - 2 in the south and 1 2-1 win each and 1 draw. Portadown were every bit as good as Shels and well worth their point. The Glens were worthy winners at the Oval and Longford likewise deserved all 3 points on monday night.

Now I do believe the EL is better but have yet to see the evidence in this competition.

2 home wins for Portadown this month, a glens win over Linfield and a draw in Longford would setup a Glens v Portadown final. Still can't see it happen but not that unrealistic.

gimmick

To be fair, Longford result against Glens would probably have been different had it been played a bit later into the eL season.

The Portadown Vs City match Monday will tell alot, as City will be fairly fully match fit at this point. A win for City will really put pressure on Shels.

KdjaCL

gimmick wrote:

A win for City will really put pressure on Shels.

Come on City so.....


kdjac

rovingrover

gimmick wrote:

To be fair, Longford result against Glens would probably have been different had it been played a bit later into the eL season.

The Portadown Vs City match Monday will tell alot, as City will be fairly fully match fit at this point. A win for City will really put pressure on Shels.

Not sure I buy the fitness one - Longford scored last and were pressing at the end for an equaliser.

Agree re Monday night. A win for City would virtually win the group assuming they can repeat the trick back at the Cross. However Portadown on their day can beat anyone and it will be a close game.

Big Ears

rovingrover wrote:

Not sure I buy the fitness one - Longford scored last and were pressing at the end for an equaliser.

maybe they are fitter than Glentoran but still arent fully fit .