"De Gaffer" Is A Gonner!

So there you have it, Steve Staunton got the boot.
The FAI have hinted that they'll get external consultants to assist with finding his replacement. It's hard to be positive about the likelyhood of us getting a really good manager.
There's no shortage of opinions, so I'll save you from having to listen to mine...

Highs & Lows

Made the trip out to Bray on Friday evening, for our clash with the local outfit. It's an uninspiring ground at the best of times, so I wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

I got out early enough to have something to eat, which was a nice luxury, considering how many times I've had to go straight from work to pitch-side.

The game didn't go our way though, with their lot taking the lead inside 10 minutes. We were absolutely terrible in the first half & didn't look like we'd get anything from the game.
The second half was a different story & we created all the play. That man again, Denis Behan got us back on level terms. That's how it ended & we knew that second place in the league would be the most we could hope for.

Following that game, the Rep. of Ireland played Germany & Cyprus in Croke Park. Neither performance inspired any sort of belief, in an already...

There was much more written here, but the poxy site decided to revert back to something which was saved over an hour ago. I'm too pissed off to rewrite the whole thing again!

Quick Little Catch-up

Been a busy few days & more to follow.

Friday, Cork City FC were playing Shamrock Rovers in the eircom League of Ireland Premier Division, at Turners Cross in Cork. I couldn't make the game, so I took the chance to cover Leinster v Llanelli in the Magners League.

It was my first time covering rugby, so it was a new challenge. Llanelli piled more misery on Irish rugby as they thrashed the home side. Better news on the football front however, with City beating Rovers 1-0. That great result set us up nicely for our rearrange fixture against UCD on Monday night.

I can't stand going to UCD games, because they have the most soulless ground in the world & their fans are made up of a few deviants who think it's cool to be unpopular & the players family members. They're moving ground next season, but I can't imagine any improvement. The league would be a better place without them!

We started brightly & were soon 0-1 up, when Gareth Farrelly crossed for Colin O'Brien, who finished sweetly from close range. Soon afterwards, we were 0-2 up, when Farrelly's throw-in reached Denis Behan & he flicked the ball on, over the keeper.

We let our concentration drop in the second half & they pulled one back, but we held on for the win & all three points. That result puts us second in the league, 8 points behind, with 5 games remaining. We essentially need Drogheda to slip up & us to win all our games. Football is a funny old game, so you never know.

We're away to Bray Wanderers on Friday & away to Drogs the following Friday. We've got a tough run-in, but there's still a lot to play for. We're also still very much involved in the FAI Ford Senior Cup, with an away draw against Bohemians, in the semi-final. I think that's the toughest draw possible & means one of the two best supported teams will be out of the final. We could do with winning that, to make up for the disappointment of losing the final in 2005. Heaven forbid UCD make it to the final, with their few dozen supporters. We haven't had a good record at Bohs this season. Ah well, it could be worse, we might not have made it this far in the first place.

Fingers crossed anyway.
As usual, my pictures are available on flickr...

That Derry Trip...

Have been up to my boobies with work, so posts have been limited this week. The weekend took a lot out of me, but it was well worth it!

I had been doing long hours last week, so I got the chance to leave early on Friday. I started work at 0600, so leaving at 1400 had no guilt attached. That was my cue to head for Derry, where Cork City FC were scheduled to play Derry City FC, in the eircom League of Ireland Premier Division.

The AA Roadwatch Route Planner reckoned that the trip would take 3 hours, but they never factor in road works or Friday traffic. Even without a stop, it would still take at least 4 hours. The journey is an interesting one, as you essentially travel to a different country, where the road signs have no Gaelic Irish on them & the speed limits are in MPH. Thankfully they've implemented a smoking ban up there, because it used to be unbearable!



I arrived in plenty time for kick-off & got parking right next to the ground. This is a real luxury, because my camera gear is very heavy & it's never ideal to have far to walk with it on my back. As I walked onto the pitch, the evening light was fading & some of the City players were warming up, in front of the few fans were first through the turnstiles. It was hard to set the custom white balance because the floodlights weren't fully on and there was still some sunlight.

Before long, the teams were on the pitch & I did my best to get the right combination of exposure, aperture & ISO, to capture the action. Derry started brightly & we were soon 1-0 down. Story of our season so far, starting slowly & being unsteady at the back. They could have been 2-0 up, but we pressed forward & the man of the moment, Denis Behan, stuck a sweet half-volley, on the turn, to bring us level. We had looked like the away side until then, but the Derry heads seemed to drop after our goal & we looked a lot more confident at the back.

The second half saw us playing with far greater composure & we looked very threatening, going forward. When Derry failed to clear a corner, Denis Behan returned the ball across the face of the goal, where John O'Flynn was on hand, to head home from close range. We were good value for our lead & Derry never looked like recovering. Good work from Leon McSweeney down the left, lead to more attacks & kept Derry pinned back in their own half for significant periods.

Injury time seemed like an eternity, but the final whistle eventually came & the points were ours. The delight was shared amongst players & supporters alike as the arduous trip north had yielded the ultimate reward. There's always been a great relationship between Derry City & Cork City fans & neither set of supporters needs an excuse for a few pints. As the last few plastic seats returned to their upright positions, a throng of rival fans headed for the Oak Grove Bar, keen to lubricate their overworked vocal chords & relive the events of the night. It's a friendly bar, where the locals never miss the chance to exchange some banter. Before I knew it, it was 0230 & we were finishing up our last drinks.

I had plans for the following day, so rest was essential. It's not too often that I get up North with some leisure time available, so I was keen to make the most of the trip. I'd see pictures of Dunluce Castle, in Co. Antrim & as it's close to the Giant's Causeway, I decided to visit them both. When I got there, I was surprised to see so many tourists & disappointed to see them scrambling all over the mysterious rocks. It was a bit of an anti-climax, as I couldn't appreciate the site on its own merits. Dunluce Castle is fascinating because of its cliff-top location, but it's in poor condition & lacked the sense of awe that I had expected. None the less, it was worth the trip & certainly was a great way to spend a Saturday.

I can't get down to see Cork City FC play Shamrock Rovers tomorrow, so I'm going to cover Leinster v Llanelli in the Magners League. It will be my first time covering rugby, so I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Check back here for a report & hopefully some pictures.