Since he last faced Waterford, Tommy Barrett’s luck had not exactly been in. In the eight games following May’s 6-3 RSC victory, Limerick FC managed only one win. Good performances, achieved in the teeth of cashflow problems and player departures, were met with scant reward. Barrett, in other words, was due a touch of good fortune. And on Friday night he finally got it. Continue reading
Shorn of five first-teamers, AEK Larnaca still won the tactical battle against hosts Dundalk. Playing with a heavily depleted deck, novice manager Andoni Iraola outmatched Stephen Kenny on his first night in football management. Level ahead of Thursday’s second leg in Cyprus, the Lilywhites will struggle to succeed where Cork City have failed before them. Continue reading
St Patrick’s Athletic’s win drought is over. Having presided over seven straight defeats, shipping 18 goals along the way, Liam Buckley’s thirst was in danger of becoming terminal. The Saints only bagged three goals of their own throughout that abject run, too. And, on the basis of the first-half here, it’s easy to see why. Continue reading
This was Stephen Bradley’s shot at glory. Despite boasting eight full internationals, AIK arrived in Tallaght with precisely zero interest in controlling proceedings. Shamrock Rovers, therefore, were invited to give the Swedes their best shot. But, alas, their visitors escaped with nary an eyelash out of place. The Hoops, in short, were absolutely harmless here. Continue reading
The phrase ‘diamond in the rough’ was invented for Barry Maguire’s performance here. The Dutchman’s quality was enough to tip this ugly scrap, between two depleted strugglers, in Limerick FC’s favour. Continue reading
With dreams of Benidorm dancing in players’ heads, this was the ultimate pre-holiday snoozefest. A somnolent Shamrock Rovers looked every inch the side that exacted only one win on the road this year. But, ultimately, Limerick were sleepier, and the Hoops had the quality to take advantage. Continue reading
For Derry City, grabbing three points from Bohemians is almost customary at this stage. With ten defeats out of ten since Kenny Shiels assumed the Brandywell helm, the Gypsies are the Generals to Derry’s Globetrotters. One could be forgiven, then, for seeing the Candystripes’ victory at Dalymount Park, last Friday evening, as somewhat routine. Continue reading
Truthiness: Merriam-Webster’s 2006 Word of the Year. Coined by American late night host Stephen Colbert, to mock the many baseless decisions of George W. Bush, it describes a gut-feeling of truth; even when no such truth exists. Continue reading
The phrase ‘relegation six-pointer’ calls to mind adjectives like ‘tight’, ‘attritional’, ‘scrappy’ and ‘dull’. This was none of those things. Continue reading
It’s a little over a month now since I sat in Limerick’s Strand Hotel scribbling notes on Cork City’s televised Dalymount Park triumph. I should have been in Tallaght that night, commentating on a creditable Limerick FC draw. Instead, I was making the best of a bad situation, after running afoul of Shamrock Rovers director Mark Lynch. Continue reading
Tactics Truck v2.0 