Week 11 – The time of the LOI season covered by this wrap up. Weak 11 – the UCD starting line up.
With that too-good-to-leave-out dad joke out of the way, let’s dive in to what you should know from the last week of action in our leagues.
UCD are done
City defender McJannet playing a one-two with Smith to score! 🔥
All the goals from last night's 7-1 win over UCD are now on our YouTubehttps://t.co/InmClyywxz pic.twitter.com/OGiOPYrKte— Derry City FC (@derrycityfc) April 23, 2022
It was always going to be a struggle, but we’re 12 games in and they’ve yet to win once. They have lost eight of those fixtures.
Friday’s 7-1 defeat in Derry is their first thrashing but it might not be the last. When they were last in the Premier Division (2019) they included 10-1, 7-0 and 5-0 defeats in their results. Derry are obviously a fine attacking side but it’s unlikely any other side will concede seven this season.
UCD play Bohs on Friday which is just the tonic Keith Long’s men need. The Students’ only hope is that Dave Webster’s season ending injury sends Finn Harps into a tailspin and they can sneak into the play off spot. There’s no way they’re catching Drogheda, Shels, and the rest.
Still at least they won the Collingwood Cup...
Refs are getting the managers all upset again
Ollie Horgan opened his post match interview with Highland Radio complaining about the referee from Friday night's defeat to St Pats in Inchicore. He asked why Pats had received three times the amount of frees Harps did.
The answer was simple enough; that Harps fouled Pats players three times more than their opposition.
He, as he has in the past, stated it wasn't a dirty game. Harps having one player booked suggests the referee agreed with Horgan, but that doesn't mean any of the fouls weren't free kicks.
Horgan is an old hand at this league though. He's had run-ins with most referees by now. He might have some sympathy for new boy Damien Duff who received his first ever red card while managing Shelbourne in Oriel Park.
He came out fighting after the game (not) saying it was the worst refereeing performance he's ever seen. Welcome to the league Damien, you're in the LOI managers club now.
Damien Duff’s red card. Got a yellow, said something to Paul McLaughlin and the red was produced pic.twitter.com/ammLlFXHMl
— Daniel McDonnell (@McDonnellDan) April 22, 2022
An important win for Sligo Rovers
S djidjsnajajwbdbjfdk pic.twitter.com/1ABlnu4U6C
— Sligo Rovers (@sligorovers) April 23, 2022
On Saturday Sligo Rovers threw away a two goal lead before finding a late, late winner against Drogheda United. It was an important goal for Sligo as it kept them ahead of Dundalk and in the hunt for European places.
After their opening win in Inchicore, Rovers have only beaten Harps and Drogheda since, but failure to win on Saturday might have been the worst result of the season. They were two goals up after just three minutes and played against ten men for nearly 40 minutes.
They got the win though and maybe that'll be the kick they need to get back to their best. The other Rovers visit on Friday night and that's always a big night in Sligo.
Shock win for DLR Waves opens up the title race in WNL
GOAL ⚽️ | DLR Waves 1-0 Shelbourne
The Waves break the deadlock just before halftime through Katie Malone!#WNL | #LOITV pic.twitter.com/PQOMhRpZIX— Women's National League (@LoiWomen) April 23, 2022
Champions Shelbourne dropped their first points of the season on Saturday with DLR Waves beating them 1-0 in Belfield. Peamount United and Wexford Youths had easier weekends and now all sides have one defeat so far this year (Peamount's loss being caused by admin of course).
The previously postponed Wexford v Shels game is played this midweek and a win for Wexford would truly open a three way title race.
A win for Shels and they're right back on track...
Cobh the latest club to be bit by the attendance bug
Tonights attendance is 3,942.
An amazing turnout on a perfect night for football.
Thank you to all who came along. #Rams100 🐏 pic.twitter.com/KOP8NaW5aP— Cobh Ramblers FC (@CobhRamblersFC) April 22, 2022
Extratime.ie published an article last week highlighting the increase in attendances across the league and going into detail on each club. It's well worth your time reading it here.
Cobh Ramblers' average was just under 1,000 which is significantly higher than in previous years. Since the article was published, Cobh welcomed their local rivals Cork City and just under 4,000 attended the game. They were treated to an exciting game too with Ramblers fighting back against the league leaders before giving up a winner.
We can only hope the locals in attendance reward the performance with a return visit soon.
Bohs, Rovers, whataboutery, and deflections
A Shamrock Rovers fan arrested before the match for throwing flares on the pitch.Very poor behaviour by a large number of their supporters tonight.Match was delayed by the flares and imagine throwing an object at an injured Bohs player on the ground? #BohsRovers #LeagueOfIreland pic.twitter.com/87E4QgE3fe
— Kieran Kelly (@KieranKelly1988) April 22, 2022
Friday night's big Dublin Derby ended with Shamrock Rovers pretty easily beating Bohemians in Dalymount. Danny Mandriou scored the pick of the goals and the champions are now unbeaten in eight games with five wins in-a-row too.
The drama was off the field though.
The game was delayed with Rovers fans throwing flares onto the pitch as the teams came out for the second half. Flares have been a point of emphasis for FAI security this season with several clubs fined already for their use. Clubs have been warned not to use pictures or videos using flares or other pyrotechnics in their promotional material.
There has been growing tension in the Bohs fanbase as their club struggled to cope with rising ticket demand. Their excellent work in the community and a return from the doldrums on the field has seen interest and subsequently membership increase just as Dalymount Park becomes smaller and smaller.
Several times since the return of fans post-covid, the club has contacted their members and season ticket holders informing them of Garda-mandated restrictions and pleaded with fans not to congregate in blocks F&G for health and safety reasons. Tension bubbled over on Friday night as stewards and Gardai focused attention on home fans while Rovers fans, in the eyes of some Bohs fans who contacted the club, "did what they liked".
Bohemians emailed their members on Saturday to acknowledge the concerns raised. They lambasted Rovers fans for "multiple acts of vandalism in the Des Kelly Stand, smashing advertising hoarding and seats" and thanks Bohs fans for their "behaviour last night in such extremely provocative circumstances."
They went further: "We particularly wish to thank supporters for not rising to the persistent incendiary attempts by members of the Shamrock Rovers backroom team to provoke a reaction from them after the game." This, of course, set social media spinning with fans of both clubs pointing out examples when the others had misbehaved.
As you can imagine, fans of other clubs joined in too, taking potshots at both sides.
Practice what you preach pic.twitter.com/KvOosOfkox
— Conor (@srfconor) April 25, 2022
We're about to go on a bit of a ramble so bare with us.
Throwing flares onto the pitch has happened multiple times, in multiple grounds, this season. A grown up discussion needs to happen on what is and what isn't acceptable in LOI grounds with flares.
The league is not going to eliminate them, so the league and clubs should come to an understanding on how best to manage them. Then, when clubs don't act within these rules, heavy sanctions can be applied. Rovers, of course, had a stadium ban overturned after appeal when their fans set off fireworks in Waterford last season.
Acts of "provocation" happen all the time at football. The mere act of scoring against their team enrages some. Fans do what they can to annoy opposition players and management and players and management have every right to gloat when they win. There are plenty of heroes to Bohs fans because of their actions towards Rovers fans before, during and after derbies.
All of which is to say, fans on both sides, and in other clubs, need to calm down a little when players and managers "provoke" them. It's the old adage "don't give it, if you can't take it".
So there you go, five paragraphs on a not very serious incident that probably isn't mentioned if Bohs won.
There are definitely minor fan issues this year in the league and we're not suggesting they're not dealt with but thankfully we're a world away from violence with both sets of fans arriving and leaving Dalymount at the same time on Friday testament to that.
Meanwhile Bohs are 11 points off Rovers after 12 games. Luckily they have UCD at home on Friday to get things right on the pitch. Off it, the away fans won't be an issue.
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