THE FIRST SERIES of games in the Premier Division are done and dusted, and Drogheda United boss Kevin Doherty’s excitement levels remain just north of giddy.
“This league is unbelievable. It’s a brilliant league because you can’t predict anything,” he said.
Doherty was speaking after a 0-0 draw with Bohemians on Good Friday, a result which saw the Boynesiders remain seventh.
He was genuine and effusive in his assessment, helped partly by the good news emerging after Drogheda midfielder Shane Farrell collapsed on the pitch and required an oxygen mask as he was brought to the hospital directly across the road from Sullivan & Lambe Park.
A club statement on Saturday confirmed that Farrell had been released from hospital and would be monitored by the medical staff. He won’t be involved today against a Waterford side bottom of the table, just one point adrift of Sligo Rovers.
The start of Easter weekend saw a new league leader emerge. Unbeaten Bohs, despite conceding just three times and not falling behind in any of their nine games, have been toppled – for now – by St Patrick’s Athletic. The Saints are beginning to look ruthless under Stephen Kenny, with 13 of their 18 goals coming in their last five games.
A slow start – drawing with Bohemians at Aviva Stadium and losing away to champions Shamrock Rovers – was the catalyst for a pile on in some quarters.
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As matters begin to take shape, Pat’s are coming through it in style, although a vulnerability remains for the side that had the best defensive record in the league last season.
Falling behind to The Bit O’Red at Richmond Park on Good Friday, before trouncing them 4-1, came after also giving up the first goal at home to Drogheda on 13 March. Pat’s went on to beat them by the same scoreline. Inchicore is the place to be if you want to be entertained.
Even their dramatic 3-2 win away to Shelbourne at Tolka Park came after throwing away a two-goal lead. The fact Pat’s snatched a 92nd-minute winner through Max Mata only adds to a sense of mixed feelings.
Kenny has his side purring in the final third but knows points will be dropped along the way if this trend continues. However, that may well be a necessary trade off to continue performing with their current verve, and right now it doesn’t look like anyone else will be capable of stringing together a suitable winning run.
Famous last words when Stephen Bradley’s champions are around, loitering with intent just four points off the top in third.
What a thrill it would be to witness a Kenny team in full flow between now and November. With no European football this year, and a strong squad built to challenge on that front, Pat’s should be primed to keep their foot on the gas.
Of course, the Kenny storyline adds an even more intriguing plot to such a challenge. Whether it will be viewed as redemption of some form remains to be seen, but what his team are producing at the moment serves as a reminder of the good he brings to the League of Ireland.
He faced new challenges on his return after his time as Ireland boss came to an end, and through a healthy mix of stubbornness and adaptability he is beginning to thrive once again.
With that in mind, an Easter Monday trip to Oriel Park seems fitting to test the credentials even further of the new league leaders, who will have a firmer grasp of what’s in front of them by the time they play 10 more games between today and the end of May.
Pat’s may have cruised to a 4-0 win over Dundalk earlier in the campaign but that defeat has proved an outlier for Ciaran Kilduff’s newly-promoted side.
For one thing, it remains their only loss in nine games. They have gone to Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians and been fully deserving of the point earned, while Friday’s 3-2 win over Shels in Drumcondra was further evidence of how the Lilywhites are taking the game to opponents and being rewarded for the approach.
Derry City, on the other hand, are enduring a desperate time of things. Injury is also due to leave them without Michael Duffy and James McClean, while Patrick McClean also missed the 2-1 defeat to Galway United on Friday.
That was the first of a four-game streak away from home before they take up temporary residency at nearby GAA ground Celtic Park while the Ryan McBride Brandywell has a new pitch installed.
Whether manager Tiernan Lynch is still in charge after trips to Sligo today, Dundalk on 10 April, and Shels a week later remains to be seen.
One round down and three to go, it feels like the next two months will go a long way to defining the shape of the season.
Today’s fixtures (All kick-offs 5pm)
Premier Division: Sligo Rovers v Derry City; Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne; Dundalk v St Patrick’s Athletic; Bohemians v Waterford; Drogheda United v Galway United.
First Division: Cobh Ramblers v Treaty United; Athlone Town v Longford Town; UCD v Wexford; Bray Wanderers v Finn Harps; Cork City v Kerry.
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Stephen Kenny takes St Pat's back to the top with hectic period to test title credentials
THE FIRST SERIES of games in the Premier Division are done and dusted, and Drogheda United boss Kevin Doherty’s excitement levels remain just north of giddy.
“This league is unbelievable. It’s a brilliant league because you can’t predict anything,” he said.
Doherty was speaking after a 0-0 draw with Bohemians on Good Friday, a result which saw the Boynesiders remain seventh.
He was genuine and effusive in his assessment, helped partly by the good news emerging after Drogheda midfielder Shane Farrell collapsed on the pitch and required an oxygen mask as he was brought to the hospital directly across the road from Sullivan & Lambe Park.
A club statement on Saturday confirmed that Farrell had been released from hospital and would be monitored by the medical staff. He won’t be involved today against a Waterford side bottom of the table, just one point adrift of Sligo Rovers.
The start of Easter weekend saw a new league leader emerge. Unbeaten Bohs, despite conceding just three times and not falling behind in any of their nine games, have been toppled – for now – by St Patrick’s Athletic. The Saints are beginning to look ruthless under Stephen Kenny, with 13 of their 18 goals coming in their last five games.
A slow start – drawing with Bohemians at Aviva Stadium and losing away to champions Shamrock Rovers – was the catalyst for a pile on in some quarters.
As matters begin to take shape, Pat’s are coming through it in style, although a vulnerability remains for the side that had the best defensive record in the league last season.
Falling behind to The Bit O’Red at Richmond Park on Good Friday, before trouncing them 4-1, came after also giving up the first goal at home to Drogheda on 13 March. Pat’s went on to beat them by the same scoreline. Inchicore is the place to be if you want to be entertained.
Even their dramatic 3-2 win away to Shelbourne at Tolka Park came after throwing away a two-goal lead. The fact Pat’s snatched a 92nd-minute winner through Max Mata only adds to a sense of mixed feelings.
Kenny has his side purring in the final third but knows points will be dropped along the way if this trend continues. However, that may well be a necessary trade off to continue performing with their current verve, and right now it doesn’t look like anyone else will be capable of stringing together a suitable winning run.
Famous last words when Stephen Bradley’s champions are around, loitering with intent just four points off the top in third.
What a thrill it would be to witness a Kenny team in full flow between now and November. With no European football this year, and a strong squad built to challenge on that front, Pat’s should be primed to keep their foot on the gas.
Of course, the Kenny storyline adds an even more intriguing plot to such a challenge. Whether it will be viewed as redemption of some form remains to be seen, but what his team are producing at the moment serves as a reminder of the good he brings to the League of Ireland.
He faced new challenges on his return after his time as Ireland boss came to an end, and through a healthy mix of stubbornness and adaptability he is beginning to thrive once again.
With that in mind, an Easter Monday trip to Oriel Park seems fitting to test the credentials even further of the new league leaders, who will have a firmer grasp of what’s in front of them by the time they play 10 more games between today and the end of May.
Pat’s may have cruised to a 4-0 win over Dundalk earlier in the campaign but that defeat has proved an outlier for Ciaran Kilduff’s newly-promoted side.
For one thing, it remains their only loss in nine games. They have gone to Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians and been fully deserving of the point earned, while Friday’s 3-2 win over Shels in Drumcondra was further evidence of how the Lilywhites are taking the game to opponents and being rewarded for the approach.
Derry City, on the other hand, are enduring a desperate time of things. Injury is also due to leave them without Michael Duffy and James McClean, while Patrick McClean also missed the 2-1 defeat to Galway United on Friday.
That was the first of a four-game streak away from home before they take up temporary residency at nearby GAA ground Celtic Park while the Ryan McBride Brandywell has a new pitch installed.
Whether manager Tiernan Lynch is still in charge after trips to Sligo today, Dundalk on 10 April, and Shels a week later remains to be seen.
One round down and three to go, it feels like the next two months will go a long way to defining the shape of the season.
Today’s fixtures (All kick-offs 5pm)
Premier Division: Sligo Rovers v Derry City; Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne; Dundalk v St Patrick’s Athletic; Bohemians v Waterford; Drogheda United v Galway United.
First Division: Cobh Ramblers v Treaty United; Athlone Town v Longford Town; UCD v Wexford; Bray Wanderers v Finn Harps; Cork City v Kerry.
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