Big week in the SSE Airtricity League. Here are our take-aways;
1) The Cup specialists add another one
Sligo Rovers won the Setanta Cup by beating Dundalk 1-0 in Tallaght Stadium with a first half back-heel finish by Paul O'Connor. It's their fifth cup success in as many years (to add to the league title in 2012). Having reached five straight Setanta Cup semi finals, they captured the only missing trophy yesterday and will now look to kick on in the league title race. Dundalk played their part but came up short again. There's no doubting the're the best team in the league not to have won anything in recent years.
2) The Champions are top of the table for the first time this year
Another exciting game involving St Pats as they overcame the early pace-setters Cork City to go top of the league for the first time this season. Their defensive frailties were shown up early as Cork took an early lead but Pats were pretty dominant throughout and deservedly went 2-1 ahead. A Ger O'Brien error gifted Cork an equaliser but for the 2nd time this season the Saints scored in injury time to win 3-2 at home. Cork have now suffered back-to-back defeats away to their title rivals and have dropped from first to fourth. They, like Dundalk, have a game in hand over the leaders.
3) Losing to Shamrock Rovers costs Roddy Collins his job
A 1-0 defeat at home to Shamrock Rovers heaped pressure on Roddy Collins and he didn't respond well in this interview with the Sentinel. Two days later Derry announced that Collins had left by 'mutual consent'. No one could claim to be surprised. For weeks we read rumours of bust-ups with senior players. No wins and little entertainment in the last 5 games was enough for the Derry board it seems. As we mentioned in our pre-season preview 2001 was the last time Collins finished a Premier Division season with one club. Where next for the Roddy Rollercoaster?
4) Bray Wanderers well on the road to safety
Bray Wanderers notched another win on Friday night as they beat second from bottom Limerick 1-0 in the Carlisle Grounds. It was the fourth clean sheet in five games for Alan Mathews' side. 19-year-old goalkeeper Stephen McGuinness has been a revelation in his first season in the league. Bray had been heavily tipped to struggle this season after Pat Devlin was ousted but they're up into fifth this weekend after taking seven points from the last three games.
5) There's no such thing as summer football
The Setanta Cup final was played in an almost biblical downpour yesterday. While it lent itself to great pictures for Sligo Rovers fans, there was a genuine doubt whether extra time could have been played had Dundalk equalised. Longford Town's crunch first division tie with Wexford Youths was postponed because of the rain. It's the middle of May.
Tonight's First Division game between Longford Town and Wexford Youths at City Calling Stadium has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch
— SSEAirtricity League (@SSEAirtricityLg) May 10, 2014
