eircom league stories - December 2000

Rovers surrender home advantage and points - December 28, 2000
Shamrock Rovers 1 Shelbourne 3
Shamrock Rovers, nominally the home team, switched this fixture to Tolka Park - and paid the price. Having taken the game to the champions and taken the lead after just nine minutes, Rovers watched as a 5,000-strong crowd urged Shelbourne into a typically gritty fightback which ultimately yielded another three precious points.
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Ryan robs Cork - December 28, 2000
UCD 0 Cork City 0
Goalkeeper Barry Ryan was UCD's hero at frozen Belfield, producing two top-class saves in injury time to deny Cork a deserved win. Ryan went full stretch to deny John Caulfield and then got the better of Pat Morley in a one-on-one duel right at the death.
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Sinking Cork need a win - December 27, 2000
UCD v Cork City 15:15
With just one win in their last five outings, Cork City are in danger of slipping into the relegation zone and badly need a win against UCD at Belfield today.
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Skeleton Shels need to continue
derby form - December 27, 2000
Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne 19:45
Shelbourne have bossed the Dublin derbies so far this season and, with Bohs having closed to within three points again, they need to continue that streak tonight.
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Cats show fight to hold Bray - December 24, 2000
Kilkenny City 2 Bray Wanderers 2
Could Kilkenny City have hit a turning point? Forty-five minutes gone and the game looked to be going the way the rest of the season had gone, with Bray leading 2-0.
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Harps fall further adrift - December 24, 2000
Finn Harps 0 St. Patrick's Athletic 1
Finn Harps made themselves red-hot favourites to go down with Kilkenny City following their latest defeat at Finn Park.
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Grant does mate no favours! - December 23, 2000
Galway United 1 Derry City 0
There were no Christmas presents from Galway United's Stephen Grant for sometime team-mate Russell Payne when Derry City visited Terryland.
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Bohs back on title track - December 22, 2000
Bohemians 1 Longford Town 0
Bohemians turned in another duffer last night - but they still managed to bag the points to keep themselves in the title race. The Gypsies have temporarily lost their football - but not their resilience.
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Ten-man Monaghan hold on - December 22, 2000
Monaghan United 0 Waterford United 0
Monaghan United held on for a share of the spoils in this first-division promotion six-pointer with a backs-to-the-wall performance at Gortakeegan last night.
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Derry's tough Terryland task - December 22, 2000
Galway United v Derry City 19:45
Derry have been finding goals hard to come by this season and they won't come easy at Terryland, where Billy Clery, back after a ban, is set to partner Tom Silke at the centre of a solid-looking Galway defence.
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Bohs wide-boy worries continue - December 21, 2000
Bohemians v Longford Town 19:45
Bohemians' problems out wide have just got even worse - and that could be good news for Longford Town.
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FAI to fork out Bray compo - December 21, 2000
The FAI will pay £30,000 compensation to Bray Wanderers after an independent arbiter yesterday ruled that Jason Byrne should never have been banned from last season's FAI Cup semi-final.
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Shels Fenlon bid fails - December 20, 2000
Shelbourne's bid to have Pat Fenlon's last-minute red card against Bray Wanderers rescinded has failed - and the experienced midfielder will now definitely miss next week's Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers.
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Dykes in League row - December 20, 2000
Finn Harps manager Gavin Dykes landed himself in hot water yesterday after blasting the Eircom League in a radio interview.
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Longford's Flancare fanfare! - December 19, 2000
Eircom Premier newboys Longford Town have stolen a march on Shelbourne by becoming the first Irish club to sell the naming rights for their ground.
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Bray redress the balance - December 18, 2000
Bray Wanderers 3 Bohemians 1
Having done the rest of the title contenders a favour by beating Shels 3-0 a couple of weeks ago, Bray Wanderers redressed the balance somewhat yesterday by dishing out similar treatment to Bohemians.
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Cork wind back the clock - December 18, 2000
Cork City 3 Kilkenny City 1
Cork wound back the clock yesterday by starting Pat Morley and John Caulfield up front - and by half time the wily old duo had the Leesiders two up against bottom side Kilkenny.
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Deans decides derby - December 18, 2000
St. Patrick's Athletic 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
There was nothing to choose between these top-six Dublin rivals at Richmond Park yesterday and it took a brilliant goal to separate them.
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Derry are derby winners - December 17, 2000
Finn Harps 0 Derry City 1
The Eircom Premier division was as tight as a witch's tights a few weeks ago but it's all becoming clear now. Shels have opened a gap at the top - and flagging Harps have lost their grip on Galway United's coat tails.
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Longford hit the wall - December 16, 2000
Galway United 1 Longford Town 0 Longford Town's brave title challenge is beginning to run out of steam after successive defeats to St. Pat's and now Galway.
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Shels shift up a gear - December 16, 2000
Shelbourne 3 UCD 1 Champions Shelbourne have imperceptibly cranked up the pace in the Eircom Premier title race and this latest win leaves them suddenly six points clear of panting Bohemians.
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Pat's sign Derek O'Connor - December 15, 2000
The career of goalkeeper Derek O'Connor has nosedived since he was a member of the Irish u20 side which finished third in the World Cup in Malaysia in 1997. But things have taken a turn for the better for the Dubliner with the news that St. Patrick's Athletic have signed him to replace Trevor Wood.
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Longford can leapfrog Bohs - December 15, 2000
Galway United v Longford Town 19:45
Longford 'keeper Stephen O'Brien will take the field at Terryland tonight with the praise of Ireland's soccer writers ringing in his ears. O'Brien yesterday picked up the Eircom Player of the Month award for November - the first-ever Longford player to win the honour.
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Shels look to restore lead - December 15, 2000
Shelbourne v UCD 19:45
Shelbourne had their six-point lead at the top of the Eircom League cut to three in midweek when Bohemians beat Kilkenny - but they can restore their advantage tonight by beating UCD at Tolka Park.
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Dundalk hit Saints for seven - December 15, 2000
Dundalk 7 St. Francis 0
Bottom-of-the-league St. Francis heard they were a couple of goals down, somehwere between Dundalk railway station and Oriel Park! Well, not quite - but they WERE 3-0 in arrears after just 13 minutes of his one-sided division one encounter.
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Dundalk's nine-point plan - December 14, 2000
Dundalk v St. Francis 19:45
All Dundalk boss Martin Murray wants for Christmas is nine points - starting with three tonight against lowly St. Francis at Oriel Park.
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Bohs close gap - December 13, 2000
Bohemians 2 Kilkenny City 1
Bohemians cut the gap on league leaders Shelbourne to just three points with victory over Kilkenny City at Dalymount last night.
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Shels frozen out of Atlantic - December 13, 2000
Eleven clubs from Scotland and Scandinavia - including Celtic and Rangers - will today lobby UEFA with their proposals for an 'Atlantic League'. But Ireland's Shelbourne will not be among them.
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Drogheda's Christmas wage crisis - December 13, 2000
While US President Bill Clinton was last night hailing Ireland's 'Celtic Tiger' economy in Dundalk, just fifty kilometres down the road, Drogheda United were revealing that they are the latest Eircom League club in financial crisis.
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Longford and Cork meet in cup crunch - December 12, 2000
High-flying Longford will entertain Eircom Premier rivals Cork City in the plum tie of the FAI Cup second round.
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Stakes are high at Dalymount - December 12, 2000
Bohemians v Kilkenny 19:30
Bohemians and Kilkenny won't believe tonight's meeting is going ahead until the whistle goes to start the game! The previous scheduled meeting of the teams at Buckley Park was postponed four timesand is still pending!
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Markey can go - December 12, 2000
Bohemians boss Roddy Collins is prepared to part company with Brendan Markey, the former Millwall striker he bought from Waterford United at the start of the season.
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Bray stay unbeaten - December 11, 2000
UCD 1 Bray Wanderers 1
It's now eight games since Bray were beaten - but they came perilously close at Belfield yesterday.
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Ten-man Cork take point - December 11, 2000
Derry City 1 Cork City 1
Cork boss Derek Mountfield's mournful violin was playing a familiar tune yesterday - "The Blind Irish Referee" - after skipper Declan Daly was sent off with thirty minutes to go. But at least Mountfield was happy about something, after seeing his ten-man team leave the Brandywell with a hard-earned point.
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Rovers hopes take a nosedive - December 11, 2000
Shamrock Rovers 0 Galway United 0
Shamrock Rovers can forget about the League title for another year on the evidence of this woeful scoreless draw at Morton.
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Longford falter on the brink - December 10, 2000
Longford 0 St. Pats 3
Having climbed to dizzying heights in the Eircom Premier division, promoted Longford made the mistake of looking down last night - and St. Patrick's Athletic profited handsomely from the Midlanders' severe attack of vertigo!
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Shels strike early, hold out easy - December 9, 2000
Bohemians 0 Shelbourne 1
Pat Scully must have thought he was back at Arsenal last night as Shelbourne hammered a nail into Bohemians' title coffin in classic pre-Wenger Gunners style.
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Derby days make it tough on Dubs - December 8, 2000
Bohemians v Shelbourne 19:30
Arsene Wenger once said that it was almost impossible for a London team to win the Premiership because there were so many London derbies: Chelsea, Spurs, West Ham and Wimbledon meant that there were at least eight games a season in which you were happy just to get a point.
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Costello's rollercoaster! - December 8, 2000
Eircom first division preview
Greg Costello has dropped down one place in the Eircom League ladder by transferring from Kilkenny City - bottom of the Premier division - to runaway first division leaders Athlone Town.
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Dykes to stay on at Finn Park - December 7, 2000
Gavin Dykes has withdrawn his threat to quit as Finn Harps manager after a clear-the-air meeting with directors yesterday.
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O'Connor to play on for Bohs - December 7, 2000
Veteran Bohemians defender Tony O'Connor has signed a deal which will keep him at the club until his 36th birthday.
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Gilzean is Sligo-bound - December 7, 2000
Striker Ian Gilzean has signed for Sligo Rovers - his third club of the season!
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Longford miss out - December 6, 2000
Finn Harps 2 Longford Town 2
Longford Town missed the chance to go top of the Eircom League for the first time in their history when they were held to a draw at Ballybofey last night.
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Cobh show Limerick how to finish - December 6, 2000
Limerick 0 Cobh Ramblers 2
What a game! Limerick could have been three or four up inside the first half hour - and instead found themselves two down!
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Longford can go top - December 5, 2000
Finn Harps v Longford Town
Longford Town can complete a fairy-tale transformation tonight by beating second-from-bottom Finn Harps at Ballybofey.
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No Payne, no gain for Derry - December 5, 2000
Derry City's American goalkeeper, Russell Payne, made his Eircom League debut for the Candystripes at the weekend - and now he wants to make a habit of it.
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Keegan foils Rovers - December 4, 2000
Shamrock Rovers 1 Bray Wanderers 1
Paul Keegan fired home an 89th-minute equaliser to leave Hoops fans gasping at the most impudent smash-and-grab raid ever.
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Collins sent off as Bohs flop - December 4, 2000
Bohemians 1 Derry City 1
Bohs manager Roddy Collins was in trouble again yesterday as his side slumped to another draw.
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McMahon's triumphant return - December 4, 2000
Cobh Ramblers 3 Dundalk 2
Hollywood couldn't have scripted it better: a tumbleweed town, the sheriff has quit, nobody else wants the job and the invincible Murray gang are riding into town - and suddenly former sheriff Liam McMahon comes galloping over the hill to save the day!
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Mountfield fury over referee - December 3, 2000
Longford Town 2 Cork City 1
Cork City boss Derek Mountfield claims there isn't a decent referee in the entire Eircom League - and if this display was the yardstick, he could be right!
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Draw no good to Harps - December 3, 2000
Finn Harps 1 UCD 1
Money-troubled Finn Harps battle to a draw with UCD - but they really needed the three points.
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Champs too good for Cats - December 3, 2000
Kilkenny City 0 Shelbourne 3
Kilkenny City finally got the chance to debut their three recent signings -but they were still no match for reigning champions Shelbourne.
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Kelly is Pats' hero - December 2, 2000
St. Patrick's Athletic 3 Galway United 0
It looks easy on paper but the Saints can thank their back four and, particularly, a superb display by goalkeeper Seamus Kelly for this victory.
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Foley set for Galway return - December 1, 2000
St. Patrick's Athletic v Galway United, 19:45
Kieran Foley is set to return for Galway United tonight at the Stadium of Light after his latest injury nightmare.
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Athlone look to bounce back - December 1, 2000
Athlone Town v Waterford United
First division Athlone Town hope to get back to winning ways tonight when they host Waterford at St. Mel's - but boss Alan Buckley is warning his players to take nothing for granted.
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