Tonight's EL Ackshun

Roar

Bohemians -v- Waterford 7.45
Dalymount Park
Drogheda United -v- Bray Wanderers 7.45
United Park
Shelbourne -v- Derry City 8.00
Tolka Park
UCD -v- Cork City 7.45
Belfield

______________________________

Starting with the big one, should be an entertaining match in Tolka. Fancy a draw, both sides really need to win this game. Was last weeks win over Waterford the return to form of the champions or was it a false dawn?

Prediction: 2-2

---

UCD/City: Christ i'd be delighted to come away with a win from this one, but UCD are our bogey team and we never seem to perform well against them. George O'Callaghan has signed a new two year deal which is great news for the club.

UCD are in good form winning their last 2, while City are coming into the game on the back of a poor draw with Longford last week.

Prediction 0-0

---

Elsewhere I fancy bohs to beat waterford, and comfortably,(3-0) while i think bray could cause an upset against Drogs (1-2)

Big Ears

Bohs
Draw
Derry
Draw

Anybody have any idea when the next game will be shown on either RTE or TG4 ?

_blank_

Bohemians -v- Waterford

Expect Bohs to win quite comfortably in this one, they have been playing really well in the past few weeks. Waterford are in a very bad run.

Drogheda United -v- Bray Wanderers

Drogheda should be too good for Bray, although Bray aren't the bad team that people expected. Drogheda, however, will be too strong for them

Shelbourne -v- Derry City

Shels need to win, as the table currently Derry can go second if they win their two game in hand over us. Also, Shels are back in touching distance of Cork City, so any slip up in Belfield needs to be exploited, even no slip up by Cork City will mean Shels need to winto maintain their recent mini-run in the league.

UCD -v- Cork City

UCD are very good this season, and took a point off Shels at Belfield recently. Would be hoping for a similar result this evening, from a Shels POV.

gimmick

Bohemians -v- Waterford - 5-0

Drogheda United -v- Bray Wanderers 1-0

Shelbourne -v- Derry City 2-1

UCD -v- Cork City 1-0

---

How easily an 8 point lead at the top of the table dissapears

_blank_

Are you serious?

You have Shels down to beat Derry, and City to lose to UCD :eek:

Shels beating Derry I can understand, just about, but your lot to lose in Belfield I cannot.

If that happens I'll eat my proverbial hat.

Now I know you have been kidnapped and someone is using your account, so I won't be taking any notice of posts by "gimmick" until I know it's the real one back.

gimmick

^

Citys record in Belfield is shockingly poor. I can remember one win in the last 6 years, 2 or 3 draws, and the rest have been 1-0 UCD. Even in Turners X, our record against them reads alot of Draws, and when we do win, its by the odd goal in piss poor games.

Ill happily eat my hat if City get the 3 points tonight.

madjack

Bohemians -v- Waterford - 3-1
Drogheda United -v- Bray Wanderers 3-0
Shelbourne -v- Derry City 2-1
UCD -v- Cork City 1-2

actually did a bet including these...
Bohemians v Waterford ... 1
Drogheda United v Bray... 1
UCD v Cork City 2
Shelbourne v Derry City 1
Longford Town v Shamrock Rovs 1

odds nearly 18/1 ...mmm!

eirebhoy

madjack wrote:

odds nearly 18/1 ...mmm!

If thats the case, add Pats in and its over 50/1.

jank

Well City's excellant away form continues
5-1 to city with Flynn scoring a hat trick!

$hels lose 2-1

Happy days!

gimmick

gimmick wrote:

Ill happily eat my hat if City get the 3 points tonight.

Hhhhhmmmmm 1-5. Id, nor any City fan would have ever predicted that. A hat trick from John O Flynn, ironically on the ground where his eL injuries started, Fenn getting a screamer, and Kearney all bodes well for City. 6 points clear thank you very much.

As for Shels. I watched the game on Setnata, and I would like to hear redspiders comments. It was a fantastic game filled with endeavour, attack and adventure. 3 screamers of goals. Once Shels got one back they absolutely battered Derry but couldnt penetrate. Some great keeping, and solid defending kept Shels out, all the while Derry looked dangerous on the counter. Derry truly are contenders this season, and that must burn through the throast of those Bohs muppets who helped Stephen Kenny be sacked 12 short months ago.

City play Bohs next week at the Cross in a truly imagination grabbing game. Both teams are playing fantastic football, and getting results both home and away. Yet, who is on the telly? SPA Vs Shels (deferred coverage)! :mad:

This seasons league is turning out to be a gem. So many expected it to be a procession from Shels. Many expected Bohs and City to be screwed due to behind the scenes politics, Derry to be mid table at best, and Longford to maybe make a push.

As it is, Longford are slightly outside the reckoning, Derry are the surprise package, playing great ball, and getting results. Bohs' partnership of Hunt and Farrelly in centre midfield is truly awesome, and is shaping a great team with some good football with new young players and decent veterans (Terry Plamer). Bohs are known for being a team who like to play ball, and are doing exactly so this season.

City are playing fantastic football, and deservedly top of the league, and Shels collapsing (for now) under pre season expectation and poor tactics. Not that anyone should write them off - they will be in the reckoning come the last day of the season, no doubts there.

Poor league? No excitement? Lack of goals and incident? Move to winter football? If you want to see how to improve the eL, look no further than the league table.

Its all up for grabs!

therecklessone

Glen Crowe was atrocious tonight, looked either unfit or uninterested. Shels lost their composure after a great first goal from Derry, Derry capitalised then did a good job of keeping us out (except for Jayo taking his fifth chance... )

Anybody know what the barney at the end was about?

Joey Ndo is a fantastic footballer.

gimmick

therecklessone wrote:

Glen Crowe was atrocious tonight, looked either unfit or uninterested.

I thiught he and Byrne linked quite well together.

therecklessone wrote:

Shels lost their composure after a great first goal from Derry, Derry capitalised

Shesl ahd no composure befoire the first goal. it was a matter of time before Derry got one.

therecklessone wrote:

except for Jayo taking his fifth chance...

Thought he looked very dangerous, and certainly looked like a player who is regaining form. Fantastic goal, and unlucky not to add to it.

therecklessone wrote:

Anybody know what the barney at the end was about?

Heary? Ollie Byrne?

therecklessone wrote:

Joey Ndo is a fantastic footballer.

No contardiction there. Comfortable at all times. Himself and George O Callaghan would make a formidable centre midfield combo.

Slash/ED

Ndo really is the only mid fielder out of those four who can play football, we need Wes Hoolahan back starting and fast, the two wide men were awful and Stuey Byrne is badly off form this season. It was probably a good game for the neutrul alright, espically the not so neutrul in Cork, but Shels will struggle badly to even beat Glentoran nevermind thinking of Steau at the moment.

I missed what happened in the end but if it involved Heary I'd imagine he was angry about being punched in the face and only a yellow being produced.

gimmick

Slash/ED wrote:

It was probably a good game for the neutrul alright, espically the not so neutrul in Cork

A draw was the ideal result for us tonight, but I'll not lie, i thoroughly enjoyed tonights game, and it was a great advertisement for the eL.

Slash/ED

I can't see Derry winning the league in the end, I think this was the best result for Cork, but we'll wait and see. If they do get McCourt than anythings possible.

redspider

gimmick wrote:

As for Shels. I watched the game on Setnata, and I would like to hear redspiders comments. It was a fantastic game filled with endeavour, attack and adventure. 3 screamers of goals. Once Shels got one back they absolutely battered Derry but couldnt penetrate. Some great keeping, and solid defending kept Shels out, all the while Derry looked dangerous on the counter. This seasons league is turning out to be a gem. So many expected it to be a procession from Shels. Bohs' partnership of Hunt and Farrelly in centre midfield is truly awesome, and is shaping a great team with some good football with new young players and decent veterans (Terry Plamer). Bohs are known for being a team who like to play ball, and are doing exactly so this season. City are playing fantastic football, and deservedly top of the league, and Shels collapsing (for now) under pre season expectation and poor tactics. Poor league? No excitement? Lack of goals and incident? Move to winter football?

The matches tonight, judging by their scorelines, were a good endorsement for the LOI. I give credit where credit is due.

Bohemians 2-1 Waterford RES
Drogheda Utd 3-0 Bray Wanderers RES
Shelbourne 1-2 Derry City RES
UCD 1-5 Cork City RES

I missed the live showing of the Shelbourne/Derry game but the re-run is on Setanta as I write this. Both the Derry goals were good, top-drawer stuff in fact and if all goals in the LOI were like this, fans would be coming in droves, once they are awoken to that type of quality. The Ndo pass for the Shelbourne goal was alsotop quality stuff. Ndo had a good game.

I think from a Shelbourne pov, this was a very poor result. They are missing quality in players in several areas of the pitch. They have some nice build up at times, but can commit horrid "phoenix park" like fouls and their defence looks dodgy at times, mainly composed of hatchet men. It looks as Slashed says that they will struggle in Europe if their LOI form is to go by. Crowe and Byrne are just not playing that well and getting into enough dangerous positions, although they created a few tonight. Hoolahan is missed but came on wiht 30 mins to go. But its the defensive players where I would have worries for Shelbourne.

Cork, Bohs and Drogheda are stringing some results together, but even at this stage now it looks as if Cork can only throw it away. All they need to do is to take the weaker teams and play for draws against the top teams and they should be heading for the title. Here's the top of the table:

<html code>
Team P W D L F A Pts
Cork City 15 10 4 1 27 8 34
Shelbourne 16 8 4 4 25 14 28
Derry City 14 8 3 3 17 9 27
Drogheda U 15 7 5 3 21 14 26
Bohemians 13 6 4 3 15 13 22
</html code>

There is a long way to go though, but it is clearly advantage Cork.

If every LOI evening's entertainment was like this, support would grow and the league would do better.

Some of the suggestions I've made in the "improvement" thread are worth looking at, such as the 10-team premiership. This was in evidence tonight as the Derry game was good enough quality where it looked as if both teams brought out each other. Good play can encourage good play. Also, not playing on Fri night as half the country is commuting or going out.

Redspider

Slash/ED

The problem with Shels defence is simply injuries. We're missing Harris and Hawkins, our two best central defenders, so this means we have to play Crawley, a left back and a poor one at that, beside Rogers in central defence and play a reserve left winger at left back. It's obvious what will follow is a defence all over the place. We're after Worrell and are supposedly favourites to sign him ahead of 3 other English sides, he's a full back and a first team regular last season with an english first division (or championship, whatever the hell it is) team.

Worrell, if he's any good, Harris, Hawkins Heary

Is a good defence. At the moment it's all over the place.

You're right that we are missing quality, in this game specifically on the wings. Wes Hoolahan is the best left mid fielder in the league, he is absolute quality, he must be carrying a knock to not be starting. With him on the left we looked a much more dangerous side. Ndo is quality, and in the transfer window I'd look at trying to get a right winger as a priority. McCourt is available, if we got him and had a mid field of Hoolahan Byrne Ndo McCourt we'd be looking very very well.

So at the moment a few players who should produce better are off form, Crowe and Byrne up front and Stuart Byrne in mid field, Heary at right back isn't at his best either. Also two crucial injuries in the same area have hurt us, and a combination of that has led to some awful form.

With one or two additions, my ideal would be Worrell and McCourt, and a few players back we'll be fine, but the Glentoran match is very very soon and the way we're playing it'll be a struggle. I think we'll have to win this one in the second leg, the first leg is wednesday week and I can't see a massive turnaround in that space of time.

therecklessone

gimmick wrote:

I thiught he and Byrne linked quite well together.

Jayo got on the end of the crosses/long balls aimed at him, Crowe struggled to get to the knock downs. Crowe's main contribution was to throw himself on the floor every time a Derry player got within five yards of him.

Don't get me wrong, I think he's a fantactic player when on form, I just hope that form returns soon. He had a great shot across goal in the 2nd half mind, would have made up for the rest...

gimmick wrote:

Shesl ahd no composure befoire the first goal. it was a matter of time before Derry got one.

I though we looked solid up to their goal TBH. OK, I was near the Derry goal for the 1st half so maybe my view wasn't the best of our defensive work, but our passing in the first ten minutes was crisp, Ndo was seeing plenty of the ball, and Jayo was getting into useful positions (and getting closer and closer to on target when he received the ball). Did Derry have a clear shot on goal before they scored? I honestly can't remember one. I definitely thought we were unlucky to concede the first goal. After that we went to pieces, the defence was all over the shop, and the midfield returned to that old habit of playing the ball to Baker or Ndo then standing off and failing to provide options. They can't do it all on their own!

gimmick wrote:

Thought he looked very dangerous, and certainly looked like a player who is regaining form. Fantastic goal, and unlucky not to add to it.

He took his goal well, and he had a few good chances in the first half. Miles better than his strike partner, I still think he needs to be more clinical.

A big hand to the Derry fans who never let up on the singing for the entire match. But can you leave the fecking lambeg at home next time? Where'd you get it anyway, off an Apprentice Boy???

gimmick

slash/ed wrote:

With one or two additions

You cant buy your way out of trouble all the time. Look at Drogs at the moment. Splashing the cash right, left and centre. 2 years, guaranteed, they will be relegated.

Shels had a great squad last season, as was proved by the league win, and by the CL run. Things havent changed that much, and If memory sserves, most Shels fans were against Honkers' signing.

Wes Hoolahan is the best left mid fielder in the league, he is absolute quality

I think Liam Kearney and every Cork City fan would argue with that. Not doubting Hoolahans qualty or anything, but Kearney is better.

Slash/ED

gimmick wrote:

You cant buy your way out of trouble all the time. Look at Drogs at the moment. Splashing the cash right, left and centre. 2 years, guaranteed, they will be relegated.

Shels had a great squad last season, as was proved by the league win, and by the CL run. Things havent changed that much, and If memory sserves, most Shels fans were against Honkers' signing.

I'd dump the dead wood to make way, I wouldn't add to the wage bill if at all possible. If there's quality like McCourt available than why pass up that oppurtunity? We did this last year with Ndo. Get rid of one or both of Baker and Ryan, I'm sure there would be loads of takers.

I was against Hawkins signing too but he's been outstanding, our best and only consistent defender this season.

I think Liam Kearney and every Cork City fan would argue with that. Not doubting Hoolahans qualty or anything, but Kearney is better.

Disagree, Hoolahan don't forget has been in an Ireland squad and was nomianted for Irish U21 player of the year before, though both are quality, Hoolahans been our best player this season.

Illkillya

What a night for Cork City... have to say I agreed almost exactly with gimmick's predictions beforehand, Belfield has always been a nightmare for Cork City and I was expecting a 0-0 draw at best. And I'll second that about Liam Kearney - hes been pure class every time I've seen him this season.

gimmick

redspider wrote:

play for draws against the top teams

Thats not a great endorsement for the league is it? City dont play for draws. Thats why they sit proudly atop the table.

Its amazing really. Any team who has tried to play ball against City have suffered, while those who have tried to stifle the game have succeeded and got a draw, and in Drogs' case, a win at Turners X.

Roar

I agree with the comment about Kearney, he's absolutely superb, scored one, crossed brilliantly for Flynny's first, and got taken down for the spotter. He was a constant pain in the arse for the UCD right flank, and whenever he got the ball you can feel the buzz of excitement, the feeling that absolutely anything can happen. Reminds me a bit of when Ollie Cahill played for us (before he started attacking the fans in the media,like), not in their style of play (Kearney light years ahead skill wise) but just the excitement they both generate.

Anyway, it was a good performance from City, some of the football was absolutely magic, great one and two touch stuff all the way through. Still get the feeling we can play better though. And flynny's performance was something else, absolutely brilliant, great to see him back to full fitness/sharpness, who said we wouldnt score goals now that Doylers gone?

Derry beating Shels took me by surprise a little, i thought the champs had genuinely turned the corner with the win over waterford. Pressure on Fenlon now big time.

League table looks great this morning!

therecklessone

Roar wrote:

League table looks great this morning!

If Derry, Drogheda, and Bohs win their games in hand, Shels will be 5th... :eek:

Slash/ED

The thing about O'Flynn is, a few seasons ago he was absolutley incredible. He was then as good or probably better than Doyle ever was, then he hit injury hell. That's when Doyle emerged as a great player for Cork, then Doyle went. But really, in all Doyles time at Cork he and a fully fit on form O'Flynn never played together, so if O'Flynn is now back to form and fitness, it's like a direct replacement for Doyle and really he isn't that big a loss afterall.

Roar

agreed Slash/ed. a lot of people were convinced we'd struggle to score once doyle left, forgetting we had a striker the calibre of flynny waiting in the wings to take over. Would a doyle/flynn combination be that effective anyway? they're pretty similar in terms of the style of game they play, and i think flynny likes having someone of neal fenns qality just behind him to lay ball on etc.

Töpher

Roar wrote:

agreed Slash/ed. a lot of people were convinced we'd struggle to score once doyle left, forgetting we had a striker the calibre of flynny waiting in the wings to take over. Would a doyle/flynn combination be that effective anyway? they're pretty similar in terms of the style of game they play, and i think flynny likes having someone of neal fenns qality just behind him to lay ball on etc.

No, look at Byrne/Crowe. Then look at Byrne/Fitzpatrick. The first combinations is similar to Flynn/Doyle, and the second Fylnn/Fenn. Which would you rather?

KdjaCL

Einst&#252 wrote: »

No, look at Byrne/Crowe. Then look at Byrne/Fitzpatrick. The first combinations is similar to Flynn/Doyle, and the second Fylnn/Fenn. Which would you rather?

Any of the above to even get a bus past Richer ,least we could say there was a decent striker there at some point this season.


We buggered to night hopefully get a draw , altho we slaughtered them at home our 0 away wins in the league isnt helping us. If Rovers got their points back they be ahead of us.


kdjac

_blank_

You have Ger Rowe

KdjaCL

SATURDAY JULY 2
EIRCOM LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Finn Harps 0-2 St Pat's Ath 7.45
Fahey 62
Foley 71
Longford Town 2-1 Shamrock Rvs 7.30
Paisley 73 McDonnell 49
Dillon 78


Superb results for us

kdjac

KdjaCL

seansouth wrote:

You have Ger Rowe

He scored tonight.


kdjac

Töpher

KdjaC wrote:

He scored tonight.


kdjac

He did?

Finn Harps 0-2 St Pat's Ath 7.45
Fahey 62
Foley 71

KdjaCL

The magic of Aertel changed it 3 times now, back to Fahey scoring a deflected shot. Deflected of Rowe seemingly according to sms review.




kdjac