Weekly Roundup (1st Division)

In a week where Shelbourne were upstaged by their latest local rivals, and Dundalk were put away by an admittedly poor performer against the big sides, how does the eircom First Division look now?

Dundalk went into this weekend looking to maintain at least, extend at best, their comfy lead at the top of the eircom First Division. Their trip to fifth place Limerick 37 was supposedly easy on paper but again the gremlins were around the league’s highflying sides. Limerick were, in our own reporters eyes, ‘classy’ in their destruction of the Lilywhites. Goals from David Ryan and Gary Sheehan just before the half time break sealed all three points for Mike Kerley’s side giving the chasing pack a close up view of the league leaders slowing rear ends. Limerick’s win, their second in a row over Dundalk, scoring four goals and conceding none over the two games, severely dented Dundalk’s promotion push, however it consolidated Limerick’s claim to fifth place in the league, with a goal difference seventeen better than their only rival.

Second placed Waterford United hosted perennial losers Kildare County that same evening and took just 26 minutes to gain the lead against the lowly side. Davey Warren and then Vinnie Sullivan added to Karl Bermingham’s opening strike before Kildare tried to save face with a late late goal from Ciaran Kilduff. The words ‘Philip’ ‘Gorman’ ‘Sinking’ ‘Ship’ may well be fused into a sentence about their talisman’s transfer a few weeks back. Waterford are now two points behind Dundalk at the top, Kildare are bottom.

The stand out fixture last Friday was Shelbourne’s trip to Santry to face Sporting Fingal. The three previous meetings between the sides had ended as draws and neither side played like they wanted a repeat. Captain Damian Brennan opened the scoring for the dominant visitors before Robbie Doyle cancelled it at the break. Conan Byrne’s strike midway through the second half for Sporting, who were now destroying Shels’, was enough to close the gap between the top four to five points, with Shels’ in third only by goal difference.

Second from bottom Wexford Youths welcomed third from bottom Athlone Town to the Football Complex, however neither side could score in the tie, with both sides creeping ever so slightly away from Kildare.

On Saturday, Longford Town were spanked at home by Monaghan United 3-1, thanks to goals from Eoin Lanigan, Andy Haran and Darragh Hanaphy. Stephen Gough got the hosts goal. Monaghan stay in touch with Limerick in mid table bliss while Longford’s gap over the bottom three drops evermore.

This weekends fixtures:(Friday Sep 5th)

Kildare County v Limerick 37 Station Road 19:45
Athlone Town v Dundalk Lissywoolen, 19:45
Shelbourne v Waterford United Tolka Park 20:00
Monaghan United v Sporting Fingal Kingspan Century Park 20:00
Wexford Youths v Longford Town Football Complex 20:00