Talking points: Opening weekend

As the curtain was raised for 2013, Alan Smith poked and prodded at the top five stories.

1 Thomond factor ruined by RTE?
Just shy of 4000 isn't a bad crowd to draw in - regardless of the vast Thomond Park confines failing to do that figure any favours - but Sunday evening's scoreless draw should feel like a bit of a missed opportunity for the top tier’s new boys. Of course, that's no fault of their own due to the sway held by RTE. Yet the decision to play the game at a time when on other channels Manchester United are playing Chelsea and Liverpool are hosting Tottenham Hotspur (along with both Limerick footballers and hurlers in action during the afternoon), surely robbed the Shannonsiders of a bumper crowd.
Why was it moved, you ask. Because the national broadcaster had to show the Irish U20 rugby team on Friday night. That wasn't even the right rugby game to show, with the women's side heading for an historic grand slam. It’s a pity because while Limerick will have been pleased with the crowd, it should have been much better.

 

2 Pat’s quick out of the Trap
Who would have thought it? The manager of the national team at a League of Ireland game. The rich king mixing with the paupers at Richmond Park. We're not sure if Giovanni Trapattoni enjoyed the 82 minutes of football he watched between Pat's and Drogheda United on Friday night, but even after Shane McFaul's effort gave the Saints a strong start to the new campaign with the only goal  of the game, it was quite clear that the manager doesn't have too much enthusiasmus for players in the league. Quizzed earlier that day after announcing his squad for the upcoming games against Sweden and Austria, Trap said he would prefer to use players from the Premier League and Championship as that's better suited to international football. Fair enough, until it was pointed out eight of his latest crop earned their stripes on home shores.

 

Giovanni Trapattoni faces off with Paddy the Panther (Image by Darragh Connolly)
 

3 Kenny can smile after stalemate
Exacting revenge might be too strong, but deep down Stephen Kenny would have been happy to open his reign as Dundalk boss with a draw against his former club. Having being relieved of his duties in Tallaght midway through the last campaign, following poor results by their standards, it's fair to expect some big things from Kenny in Louth with his determination to prove those at the Hoops wrong ratcheted up. His work at Derry was terrific, let's not forget, and while things didn't work out as planned with Rovers, Dundalk might surprise a lot of people this year. As for the Hoops, they really should be winning the title back with the squad they have assembled.

 

4 Reds see red already
It didn’t take too long. To be exact, just a mere 27 minutes. Last season, Shelbourne were the only side to reach double figures in dismissals and with some tipping them for a relegation battle, it is clear their discipline needs to improve drastically to keep them away from returning to the second tier. Things didn’t get off to a great start though, as Paul Crowley went flying in on Daire Doyle and Padraigh Sutton showed him the exit gate. Inevitably, former striker Jason Byrne scored to send Alan Mathews and his side back to Drumcondra with nothing apart from a suspension for one of the key cogs in their machine in tow and an argument between players and some supporters.

5 We do like to be by the seaside
Bray, and its wonderful chip shops, has been a favoured destination on pleasant summer evenings for donkey’s years at ET HQ, but it’s equally pleasing to have welcomed another coastal side back to the league this weekend. Cobh Ramblers’ financial difficulties at the tail end of the previous decade spelled disaster for the Cork side. Yet after four years cast in the wilderness, it was nice to have them back on Saturday – even if they had forgotten there might be a couple of reporters requiring a socket and a table to do their work. Dave Hill has assembled an eclectic panel, experienced campaigners like the Meades and Davin O’Neill combined with a splattering of promising U19 players, so it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming weeks.They certainly made a good start though, even if Wexford Youths' sloppy defensive performance was a gift from above.