Mixed week in tight league

On Friday night we took on Galway in Inchicore. If you were an outsider listening to the previews of the game, you would have heard first take on eighth in this league fixture. Upon closer inspection, there was only ten points separating us from Sean Connor’s team. That is how tight the league table is at the moment. Apart from Bray and Drogheda, the rest of the teams are so close together that a run of two or three wins could move your team right up the table challenging for a European spot.

For the game on Friday, both Shane Guthrie and I were suspended due to four yellow cards. Too often this season I have been a spectator in Richmond Park on a Friday night and it has been a frustrating season so far with injuries and now a suspension.

We started the game brilliant on Friday, Paul Byrne and Vinny Faherty combined down the right and Vinny put a great ball across the box which was finished well by Derek Doyle. Happy days, early goal at home, game over. No such luck. We never really got going after that and it was 2-1 to Galway at half time after a great come back from the them.

I wasn’t in the dressing room at half time but whatever Pete said worked. We came out like a different side and end up winning 4v2, with Doyle scoring a hat-trick (his first in senior football). That sets up a top of the table clash against Rovers in Tallaght on Monday night.
Dublin derbies are great to play in but when both sides are challenging for the top spot it adds a little spice. It turned out like most derby games, frantic. The first 20 minutes Rovers put us under a lot of pressure and the tackles were flying in. It was 0-0 at half time and things were just about to get going.

We went one up, with another goal from Derek Doyle after 50 minutes. In fairness to Rovers, they put us under a lot of pressure and equalised 15 minutes later. I will have to have a look at the DVD but I was sure Stewart was in an off-side position for his first. We can have no complaint about his second though, as he produced a clinical finish putting them 2-1 up.
Throughout the season so far we haven’t been well beaten by anyone and we never lay down on Monday. After putting Rovers under pressure, Vinny should have drawn us level in the last five minutes but he just pulled his shot wide.

Then, in the last two minutes, all the drama happened. Brian Cash produced a great cross from the right and a goal line scramble followed. We were sure the ball had crossed the line not once but twice. In the end, Billy Dennehy handled the ball on the line to deny us the equaliser, I thought we deserved.

Ryan Guy stepped up and Manus made a great save to stop us getting something out of the game. After the final whistle, one or two of the Rovers lads said they also thought the ball was over the line, I am not sure if they were trying to rub it in but that just made it worse.

Goal line technology is very topical at the moment, but when something like this happens you are not happy, although it is just something you need to get on with. People say the decisions will even themselves out over the season, lets just hope that is true when we play Rovers at home in the next round of matches. The officials have a tough job and if the linesmen or referee thought the ball was over the line I am sure they would have given it. We just have to move on and forget about it now.

I have often said that the good teams bounce back after a bad result. So far this season after any disappointment we have managed to get a good result, hopefully Friday in Inchicore versus UCD we can do the same and it won't be long till we are back at the top of the table.