We are three weeks in now, and things are starting to shape up in the Airtricity League. After another weekend of matches we are getting a clearer picture of who will be in the shake up for the honours come the end of the season. One or two sides have surprised me with their performances so far, and on the other hand it has not been the start some clubs would have wanted. The team who have most impressed me during these early stages of the league has to be the Bohemians and the team who are the biggest disappointment so far are Saint Patricks Athletic. Both clubs are from Dublin and have an amazing history behind them. But I won’t dwell on this being that it’s early days yet.
So what went on in week three, well let me try and fill in the gaps over the next two paragraphs.
On Friday night all roads led to the Tallaght stadium for the clash between two of the fancied sides for this year’s title. Shamrock Rovers were at home to Cork City and expectations were high for a cracking game. Included in both sides were former international stars, Liam Miller, Stephen McPhail, Keith Fahey, Alan Bennett and Colin Healy. But a game that promised so much was in fairness a let-down. It ended in a nil all draw and both sides cancelled each other out, but this result only showed to me that these two will be up there or thereabouts when the medals are given out at the end of the season. The surprise of the night was in Oriel Park, where Champions Dundalk hosted FAI Cup holders Saint Patricks Athletic. It was not the fact that Dundalk won by three goals to nil, but it was the ill-disciplined performance by Saint Pat,s. They had Conor McCormack and Killian Brennan sent off in a bad tempered match. These are the games the Dublin side need to win if they want to go on and challenge this season and already they have lost to Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers. Hopefully they can rectify there discipline problems and put a string of results together to get back on track, long way to go though in fairness. Elsewhere in the Premier League there were wins for Galway who overcame Drogheda United one nil. Bohemians had a super one nil win away at seaside club Bray. Meanwhile Limerick drew two all with Longford Town and the points were also shared in Sligo as the hosts drew one all with Derry City. It is bubbling along quite nicely now and this week we have two rounds of Premier League games to wet the appetite. Game of the week will be Bohemians taking on Champions Dundalk in Dublin and I for one will be very interested to see how the Dublin side do. I will be bring you all the news from that game next week, and anything else that happens in the league.
In Division One things are hotting up and the usual suspects have stared so well. Athlone Town won two one away at UCD, Finn Harps won two nil away in Waterford and Shelbourne won one nil away at Cabinteely. To top it all off Wexford Youths battered Cobh away by four goals to one, it is most unusual for all teams playing away in a division to win, but over the weekend this is exactly what happened. It tells me, it will be tight for promotion out of this league this season. There is only one round of matches in this league this week unlike the premier but the game of the week will be in Tolka Park between Shelbourne and Athlone Town.I for one shall be heading to that match and I am expecting a battle for the points.
One huge game I have to mention before I go this week is the meeting between the Republic of Ireland and Poland in the qualifiers for the European Championship 2016. I feel it is a must win for Martin O'Neill and the boys in green. The Poles will not be an easy side to beat but if the Irish can do it, they really have a great chance of qualification knowing the way things are set out for qualification this time. It will most likely be a full house in the Aviva Stadium on Sunday night and I for one will be in attendance. I know also it is been shown live on TV around Europe so if you get a chance tune in and have a look at it. So as you can see it is all go at the moment in Irish Football and long may it last, I hope you enjoy your week as I plan to do and I will see you next week, Cheers.
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