Lift off for Bohs
After five defeats in their opening seven games, there was huge pressure on Bohemians boss Alan Reynolds as his team welcomed bottom of the table Sligo Rovers to Dalymount.
He will have revelled in a dream start. The home side went two up inside five minutes – sharp finishes to thank from Colm Whelan and Ross Tierney. The latter ran straight to his manager to celebrate.
Sligo’s problem this season has not been in front of goal and with half an hour gone, they had made it 2-2. Both goals highlighted Bohs’ soft centre – their defence split far too easily in transition and twice they were punished by Francely Lomboto and Owen Elding.
Kacper Chorazka, a bright light in a difficult season last year for Bohs, was given the nod ahead of James Talbot in goal. He will be disappointed with Elding’s goal in particular, having rushed out recklessly to close down the teenager.
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Tension restored, grumbling chants were starting to echo from the home section, but blushes were eventually spared. Tierney, who was excellent, grabbed a decisive second before an audacious lob from Dawson Devoy secured the win in injury time. Equally impressive, Devoy had a hand in all four Bohs goals.
It is starting to look ominous for Sligo, but John Russell can point to an unmerciful injury and suspension list. They now prepare for a Connacht derby against Galway at the Showgrounds.
Drogheda defying all the odds
Despite entering the season with hopes of avoiding relegation, there is no fluke about Drogheda United’s table-topping form.
Kevin Doherty’s side rarely look like conceding. When they attack, they do so with pace and intent. To a man, they work exceptionally hard, and, in Warren Davis, they appear to have unearthed a real talent.
On the week of his 20th birthday, the Dubliner netted his third goal in four games. He gambled on a looping header from the impressive Ryan Brennan, watching the ball bounce carefully and slotting it past McMullan in the Waterford goal right on half time.
The away side did miss a couple of chances – Pádraig Amond was uncharacteristically blunt when played through after half an hour – but they struggled to break Drogheda down in the second half. Ultimately Darragh Markey’s cross, missed by everybody, wrongfooted McMullan and secured the points.
For a Drogheda side featuring a string of first-time Premier Division regulars, it has been a remarkable opening eight games.
Fans take issue with LOITV
There is plenty to applaud about LOITV. The streaming site’s commentators epitomise the passion and local flavour that has attracted so many new fans to the league; the quality of the camerawork and production has improved significantly in the last couple of years. If everything is working, the service represents decent value for money.
It has its moments though. Heavy traffic may have excused widespread crashes on the opening day of the season but eight games in, plenty of users reported streams skipping backwards and forwards intermittently – rewinding 10 or 15 minutes at times. With so much conversation about the need for improved infrastructure around the grounds, there is scope for a better digital product too.
Attendances show no sign of slowing down
Frustrations may have been vented by viewers online, but sellouts at four of the five League of Ireland Premier Division fixtures should not be taken for granted.
Eight games into the season, attendances continue to offer cause for great optimism around the league. So far, over 200,000 fans have turned up at grounds around the country, meeting and hopefully surpassing the high standards set last season.
Derry City’s unveiling of their new North Stand, fitting another 850 supporters in the Brandywell, is a welcome sign that slowly but surely, stadia may start catching up with demand.
Important wins for Derry City and Shamrock Rovers
Rory Gaffney, making his first start in just under a year, was the difference maker for Shamrock Rovers as they brought Galway United’s unbeaten run to an end at Eamonn Deacy Park.
It was a Rovers performance that resembled Galway’s general approach to this sort of fixture. The away side were tight at the back (Roberto Lopes particularly influential) and pounced on a defensive mix-up from a set-piece – a welcome moment for Gaffney, who suffered an injury-plagued 2024.
It threatened to be a frustrating evening for Derry City, who went behind to an early Kitt Nelson header at the Brandywell, served to him via a nicely shaped Bernardo Couto cross. Cork were decent value for their lead in the first half, despite goalkeeper Tein Troost being forced into a couple of smart saves.
The second period was perhaps the best Derry have played so far this season. They forced the issue, equalising through an unlikely overhead kick from Ronan Boyce before the talismanic Michael Duffy drilled home 15 minutes from time. It’s five goals in eight games for Duffy, who can add the first match winner in front of his side’s new North Stand to his collection.
Goalless draw but no lack of quality in Dublin derby
There was no repeat of the drama from the last meeting between Shelbourne and St Pat’s – that game in September stolen late on by the Inchicore side in a frenetic 3-2 win.
Despite the lack of goals on Friday night, there were glimpses of why these sides are two of the favourites to challenge this year. Pat’s were the better side in the opening half, much of their good play dictated by midfield catalysts Brandon Kavanagh and Chris Forrester.
Shelbourne were always a threat on the counter though, with Harry Wood proving difficult to pick up when the ball evaded the Pat’s press. The champions forged the better chances, and should really have scored through Mipo Odubeko, who took a second half shot on too early when racing through on goal, allowing Joseph Anang to make a strong save.
Damien Duff dedicated the Shels performance to his mother on her 75th birthday. Neither he nor Stephen Kenny will be too unhappy with the result.
