eircom league stories - January 2001

Galway players take pay cut - January 31, 2001
Galway United's players have agreed to take a massive £20,000 pay cut between now and the end of the season.
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Byrne quits Saints - January 31, 2001
St. Pat's unsettled midfielder Paul Byrne has quit the club at his own request. Byrne hasn't featured in the team since the FAI Cup win over Wayside Celtic at the beginning of January and has been frozen out for the last four games.
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Mountfield says: I'll be back - January 31, 2001
The expected formal announcement on Derek Mountfield's departure from Cork City didn't emerge yesterday - and the former Everton and Aston Villa star left for Merseyside vowing: "I'll be back on Friday."
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Beckett out for season - January 31, 2001
Derry City striker Gary Beckett, who was carried off during Saturday's goalless draw with Longford Town, will miss the remainder of the season.
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Cork part company with Mountfield - January 30, 2001
Derek Mountfield has been sacked as Cork City boss after just six months in charge. The former Everton and Aston Villa defender met with the board yesterday afternoon to hammer out a compensation package and an official announcement is expected to day.
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Bohs shade ten-goal thriller - January 29, 2001
Shamrock Rovers 4 Bohemians 6
On Friday night Shelbourne showed again that they are made of the stuff of champions - but yesterday Bohemians came back from the dead to prove that they are the genuine pretenders to the throne.
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Sky boys get dream draw with Shelbourne - January 29, 2001
Shelbourne 3 Harchester United 3
Shelbourne played their fourth match in a week yesterday - in front of more fans than watched the other three put together!
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Cats lose ninth life - January 29, 2001
UCD 1 Kilkenny City 0
When you are down, nothing goes right. Kilkenny City dominated this must-win match, missed an assload of first-half chances - including a penalty - and then lost everything to a late strike by substitute Robbie Martin.
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Pat's hit Cork for four - January 29, 2001
Cork City 0 St. Patrick's Athletic 4
Cork boss Derek Mountfield's job is reputedly under threat after a humiliating four-goal defeat by Pat's in City's Turner's Cross stronghold.
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Longford check stripes - January 28, 2001
Derry City 0 Longford Town 0
Longford made it seven points out of a possible nine against Derry this season when they halted the Candystripes' mini-run at the Brandywell yesterday.
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Shels show true mettle - January 27, 2001
Shelbourne 3 Bray Wanderers 2
The reigning champions showed their stuff by taking all the points in a cracking must-win game, to which Bray Wanderers - unbeaten in 13 before this - made a full contribution.
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Harps point not enough - January 27, 2001
Galway United 1 Finn Harps 1
Finn Harps battled hard to come away from Terryland with a point - but with UCD beating Kilkenny later, the Donegal side finished the weekend even worse than started it.
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Crucial six-pointer as Bray meet Shels - January 26, 2001
Shelbourne v Bray Wanderers, Tolka Park 19:45
Shelbourne play their third game in six days tonight when they take on Bray Wanderers at their Richmond Road home. It's crucial week for the reigning champions - and so far it hasn't gone to plan, with just one point from two games. One from three would be disastrous!
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Win or bust for Harps - January 26, 2001
Galway United v Finn Harps, Terryland 19:45 Finn Harps will be hoping some of Bray's magic formula will rub off on them when Alan Dodd makes his debut for the Donegal side tonight against Galway United.
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Bohs to link with Blackburn - January 26, 2001
Bohemians are set to become the latest Eircom League club to forge formal links with an English outfit. Hot on the heels of Cork City's deal with Leicester City, the Gypsies are to tie the net with Nationwide division one club Blackburn Rovers.
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Markey, Sheridan to stay put - January 26, 2001
Bohemians' Brendan Markey and Shelbourne's Tony Sheridan look set to stay with their respective clubs at least to the end of the season.
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Limerick NOT going to the dogs! - January 26, 2001
The GAA aren't the only Irish sports body who can be mean spirited when it comes to sharing facilities. Bord na gCon - the Irish greyhound racing authority - last night firmly slammed the door on soccer making a return to Limerick's Markets Field.
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Athlone drink toast to Home - January 26, 2001
Dundalk 0 Home Farm Fingal 1
Glasses were being raised all over Athlone last night to Home Farm Fingal after promotion rivals Dundalk used up their game in hand without narrowing the gap on the leaders.
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Saints hold final advantage - January 25, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic 3 UCD 1
Goal-shy UCD took just four minutes to find the net at Richmond Park in last night's League Cup final first leg - but that was to be their only joy on the night as the Saints recovered to carve out a decisive advantage.
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Three-match ban for Herrick the Red - January 25, 2001
Cork City will have to do without the services of Mark Herrick for three games after he was handed down a lengthy ban by the Leagues disciplinary committee.
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Hoops grab the points - January 25, 2001
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 2
Damien Richardson's blistering attack on referee Hugh Byrne last week seems to have got to Byrne's colleague Jimmy O'Neill yesterday.
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Cork tie knot with Leicester - January 25, 2001
Cork City formally tied the knot with Leicester City and local schoolboy club Mayfield United last night. The five-year deal will see the English Premier club pump more than £250,000 into youth development programmes at the two Irish clubs and Cork City's School of Excellence.
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Mountfield to keep the faith - January 24, 2001
Cork City v Shamrock Rovers 14:00
Shamrock Rovers travel to Turners Cross for tonight's Eircom Premier game against Cork with so many injuries they're thinking of taking an ambulance instead of a coach. But Cork's Derek Mountfield has no such problems and is set to name the same team that started against Shelbourne on Sunday.
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McCarthy doubt for League Cup final - January 24, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic v UCD, 19:45
Striker Ger McCarthy is rated as an extremely doubtful starter as St. Pat's go in search of the first trophy of the season in tonight's League Cup final first leg against UCD.
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Derry shock for leaders - January 24, 2001
Shelbourne 0 Derry City 1
Derry's enforced winter break has left them hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone - but it paid off big-time last night as the refreshed Candystripes stormed Fortress Tolka.
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Top referee hits back - January 23, 2001
Eircom League referees are as good as they come and fitter than they have ever been - according to UEFA assessor Paddy Daly.
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Hoops hit by injuries - January 23, 2001
Shamrock Rovers' injury worries are mounting ahead of tomorrow night's crucial clash with Cork City at Turners Cross.
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Shels aim for Derry dozen - January 23, 2001
Shelbourne v Derry City 19:45
Shelbourne can take another step towards burning off the chasing pack when they entertain Derry City at Tolka Park tonight - prize for a win: an even dozen points between the Reds and nearest rivals Bohemians.
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Kilkenny City in cash crisis - January 23, 2001
Kilkenny City have run into a short-term cash crisis - brought on by the bad weather. Now the big freeze over Christmas is threatening a big freeze in players' wages!
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Shels hang on to hold Cork - January 22, 2001
Cork City 1 Shelbourne 1
Champions Shelbourne looked as if they were going to pull off yet another of their noses-in-front, shut-up-shop jobs at Turners Cross yesterday. But in the end they had to hang on for dear life to get anything out of the game at all.
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Galway win basement battle - January 22, 2001
UCD 0 Galway United 1
Galway United hammered another nail in UCD's premier division coffin at Belfield yesterday and did themselves a favour at the same time.
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Cats pick up rare point - January 22, 2001
Kilkenny City 0 Bohemians 0
Bohemians missed another chance to make up ground on leaders Shelbourne when they were held to a no-score draw at Buckley Park.
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Derry dent Rovers hopes - January 22, 2001
Derry City 2 Shamrock Rovers 0
Derry scored their first win at the Brandywell since September (well, it was practically the first time the pitch has been playable since then!) - but referee Hugh Byrne made all the headlines after turning down a big Rovers shout for a penalty.
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Cork fans say no to Leicester - January 22, 2001
Cork City fans yesterday protested against the Eircom club's proposed link-up with English Premiership Leicester City. Fans held up placards and aimed chants of 'No to Leicester' at former Cork boss Colin Murphy, now director of football at Leicester.
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Longford hit Harps for four
- January 21, 2001
Longford Town 4 Finn Harps 1
Longford emphatically stopped the slump that had seen them slip from second place in the division over Christmas - and in doing so more or less sealed Finn Harps' relegation fate.
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Bray dig deep to hold Saints
- January 20, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic 1 Bray Wanderers 1
Bray Wanderers stretched their unbeaten run to a remarkable 13 games - but they had to fight hard to do it against a St. Pat's team who are enjoying their own streak of form.
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Another Bray day? Wanderers take on Saints
- January 19, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic v Bray Wanderers, 19:45
Bray Wanderers have got to third spot in the Eircom Premier league the hard way - by beating the teams above them and around them.
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Myler back to spark Athlone - January 19, 2001
Athlone Town v St. Francis
It's the news the rest of the first division feared to hear - Andy Myler is back!
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Waterford face injury Blues - January 19, 2001
Drogheda United v Waterford 19:45
Waterford must travel to United Park tonight with a mini-injury crisis on their hands.
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McNevin goes to Town - January 19, 2001
Former St. Patrick's Athletic manager Liam Buckley has returned to Inchicore in a bid to strengthen his Athlone Town squad and keep their promotion challenge on track.
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FAI dope code ready to roll - January 18, 2001
The FAI's new Doping Charter will be launched on February 28 at a meeting of Eircom League clubs. The 22 clubs have been asked to send their secretaries, managers and medical staff.
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Geoghegan suffers freak injury - January 18, 2001
Prolific striker Stephen Geoghegan could have played his last game for Shelbourne this season after he suffered a freak injury in training on Tuesday night.
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Bohs win appeal - January 18, 2001
Bohemians decision to side-step a rearranged game with St. Patrick's Athletic by lodging an appeal has worked in the Dublin clubs favour.
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Byrne in trouble - January 18, 2001
Wayside Celtic midfielder Alan Byrne is hot water with the FAI after being reported for pushing the referee during last week's FAI Cup match against St. Pat's.
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Farm beat Ramblers - January 18, 2001
Home Farm Fingal 1 Cobh Ramblers 0
Home Farm moved level on 24 points in Division One with Cobh after beating them 1-0 at Whitehall last night.
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Waterford drop another two home points - January 17, 2001
Waterford 1 St. Francis 1
Waterford United's chances of winning promotion straight back to the Eircom Premier Division took another knock last night as they failed to see off St. Francis at the RSC.
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Dempsey to get Bulldog chance - January 17, 2001
Former Everton midfielder Gary Dempsey will get a chance to prove himself in America with the A-League side Boston Bulldogs.
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Weather claims Cup final - January 16, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic and UCD will have to wait a little longer before getting the Eircom League Cup final first leg going because the game has become the latest victim of the weather.
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UCD aim to end trophy famine - January 16, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic go into tonight's Eircom League Cup final first-leg match at Richmond park hoping to add yet another pot to their already considerable haul - but for UCD the aim is to end a trophy famine stretching back to 1984.
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Menton calls for summer soccer - January 16, 2001
FAI treasurer Brendan Menton has become the latest soccer chief to call for a switch to summer football. His call comes in the wake of a weekend which saw another three Eircom League games postponed because of frozen pitches - and three teams put the expense of fruitless long journeys.
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Big freeze threatens final - January 16, 2001
With low temperatures predicted throughout the day, there are fears that tonight's League Cup final first leg might fall victim to the weather.
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Bohemians get their man - January 16, 2001
Bohemians have signed Mark Rutherford from Newry Town - as predicted exclusively by kickin online last week.
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Derek's Belfield Swan-song? - January 16, 2001
Veteran striker Derek Swan could be about to become a mature student! The 34-year-old goalscorer is currently training with UCD with a view to making the Students' premier squad.
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Shels iced out - January 15, 2001
Shels could have gone twelve points clear at the top of the Eircom premier table on Friday, but their home game against Derry City fell victim to the weather.
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Cork out of Cup - January 15, 2001
Cork City 1 Longford Town 2
What a result for Longford Town, who looked dead and buried in the drawn game. Two superb goals, both in the second half, including a fairy-tale 80th-minute winner from young Niall Byrne.
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Robinson rescues Rovers - January 15, 2001
Shamrock Rovers 1 UCD 1
Rovers, who started the weekend in third spot, have slipped to fifth after being held to a draw by third-from-bottom UCD.
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Cats lose out - January 14, 2001
Kilkenny City 0 St Patrick's Athletic 2
Kilkenny grabbed a draw and a win in their last two outings but it was back to reality with a bang against the Saints. Another Buckley Park defeat and a man sent off to boot.
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Bray fight back to go third - January 13, 2001
Bray Wanderers 3 Longford Town 1
Bray went behind to a first-half Eric Smith goal but fought their way back for a convincing win leapfrog Shamrock Rovers into third place in the table.
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Galway in trouble again - January 13, 2001
Galway United 0 Cork City 2
James Mulligan repaid another slice off his £15,000 transfer fee when his 74th-minute goal broke the Terryland deadlock and sent Cork City on their way to a full-point haul.
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Bray can go third with win over Longford - January 12, 2001
Bray Wanderers v Longford Town 19:45
With recent wins over championship contenders Shelbourne and Bohemians already in the bag, Bray can claim another top-five scalp tonight against Longford.
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Fans to protest as Cork meet Galway - January 12, 2001
Galway United v Cork City 19:45
The Shed will stage a protest tonight at Terryland as Cork City take on Galway United - and an even bigger demo at Turners Cross after Sunday's cup replay against Longford Town.
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Rutherford's Eircom return? - January 12, 2001
Former Shels favourite Mark Rutherford could soon be back in the Eircom League. The flying winger has been transfer-listed by Irish League club Newry Town.
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Shelbourne set up fantasy fixture - January 11, 2001
Eircom League champions Shelbourne will enter the realm of fantasy football when they take on the stars of Sky TV's 'Dream Team' soccer soap in charity match this month.
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Cup Blues as Saints see red - January 11, 2001
St. Francis 0 Waterford United 2
Waterford United had a surprisingly easy passage through to a third-round FAI Cup with UCD after a bad-tempered replay with St. Francis at Hyland Park, Baldonnel, yesterday.
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Spoilsport Biggles messes up cup replay! - January 10, 2001
St. Francis v Waterford United, FAI Cup replay, 13:30
Dash it all, Biggles! What's going on? Seems the Air Corps chappies out in Baldonnel are afraid the floodlights at Hyland Park will cause a prang!
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Eircom League set to name supremo - January 10, 2001
The FAI's board of management has given the green light to the Eircom League to appoint their long-awaited supremo. Delegates gave the go-ahead for the IR£60,000-a-year job of League Commissioner to be advertised.
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Cup draw throws up Bray-Bohs grudge match - January 9, 2001
The FAI Cup third-round draw has pitted together Bohemians and Bray Wanderers - the clubs at the centre of a bitter row which marred the final stages of last year's competition.
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FAI Cup: easy ride is over - January 9, 2001
Eircom premier clubs got an easy passage through the second round of the FAI Cup - but yesterday's third-round draw announced that the soft ride is over with a vengeance.
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Longford, Cork face two matches in 48 hours - January 9, 2001
Longford Town and Cork City must play two games each within 48 hours this weekend - with Longford due to play three game in five days!
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McGee wants Harps job - January 9, 2001
Former Finn Harps player Paul McGee wants to return to the Ballybofey club - as manager.
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Cousins out tilt March - January 9, 2001
Shamrock Rovers striker Tony Cousins has learned that he will be out of action for at least another six weeks with a back injury.
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Orchard take the cherry - January 8, 2001
Moyle Park 0 Cherry Orchard 1
Cherry Orchard took the honours in the battle of the non-leaguers at Clondalkin, seeing off Moyle Park College with a Paul Kenny strike on 17 minutes.
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Portmarnock rock Rockmount - January 8, 2001
Portmarnock 3 Rockmount 0
Portmarnock stuck three past Rockmount to join fellow non-leaguers Cherry Orchard in the draw for the third round of the FAI Cup.
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Harps take it out on Farm - January 8, 2001
Home Farm 0 Finn Harps 3
Harps have had a bad week at the office and they took it all out on the hapless amateurs of Home Farm yesterday.
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Athlone win in extra time - January 8, 2001
Athlone Town 1 Home Farm Fingal 0 (aet)
It took an extra-time, extra-special winner from former Manchester United starlet Eric Molloy finally to separate these first-division rivals, who drew on Thursday night at Whitehall and replayed yesterday at St. Mel's.
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Boys against men as Derry cruise - January 8, 2001
Rathcoole Boys 0 Derry City 3
An Eamonn Doherty double helped untroubled Derry City cruise through the second round of the FAI Cup against Dublin amateurs Rathcoole Boys.
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Youghal make Students sweat - January 8, 2001
UCD 3 Youghal United 1
Munster Leaguers Youghal United made Eircom Premier side UCD work hard for their place in the FAI Cup third-round draw.
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Professional Rovers overtake Bus - January 8, 2001
Shamrock Rovers 3 Dublin Bus 0
It always happens against Dublin Bus - no goals for 20 minutes and then two come along together! At least that's the way it happened at Morton Stadium as thoroughly professional Rovers disposed of the FAI Cup challenge of their amateur opponents.
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Doolin wins battle of the vets - January 8, 2001
Shelbourne 2 Monaghan 0
The spotlight was on Shelbourne veterans Bobby Browne and Gary Howlett - now jointly managing Monaghan United - before this second round FAI Cup tie at Tolka. But it was another veteran, Paul Doolin, who stole the show with a double strike which steered the defending champions safely through a potentially hazardous encounter.
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Cats do it again - January 7, 2001
Galway United 0 Kilkenny City 2
Terryland seems to be the only ground Kilkenny can win on this season - and that includes Buckley Park! This was the Cats' first win in fifteen games and their first since Joe McGrath took over as manager.
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Dundalk march on - January 7, 2001
Dundalk 3 Limerick 0
Dundalk marched impressively into the third round of the FAI Cup with a clear-cut win over in-from Limerick, who had won three on the trot before this.
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Cork denied in injury time - January 7, 2001
Longford Town 1 Cork City 1
Eircom Premier newboys Longford Town kept their hopes of a double alive - just about - when they scraped a last-gasp draw with Cork City at Flancare.
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Cobh's Golden double - January 7, 2001
Cobh Ramblers 4 St Michael's 0
A double strike by Donal Golden put the gloss on a workmanlike performance by Cobh Ramblers in dismissing the FAI Cup challenge of non-league St. Michael's from Tipperary.
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Bray's five-star show - January 6, 2001
Bray Wanderers 5 Sligo Rovers 0
Bray put the frighteners on the rest of the teams left in this year's FAI Cup with a comprehensive 5-0 win against Sligo Rovers at the Carlisle Ground.
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Bohs stumble into next round - January 6, 2001
Bohemians 2 Drogheda United 0
Roddy Collins' Bohemians side will have to raise their game to a different plateau if they are to reach the final of the FAI Cup for the second year in succession.
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Russell ends Wayside hopes - January 6, 2001
St. Patrick's Athletic 4 Wayside Celtic 1
Wayside Celtic's hopes of causing a major upset in the FAI Cup were extinguished with two goals from St. Pat's midfielder Martin Russell.
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Francis hold out for draw - January 6, 2001
Waterford 1 St Francis 1
St. Francis earned another crack at Waterford United after somehow holding out for a draw at the RSC. Waterford were on top for most of the game but they failed to kill off their Dublin opponents which could prove costly.
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Wayside seek Saints revenge - January 5, 2001
FAI Cup: St. Pat's v Wayside Celtic, Richmond Park 19:45
Non-league minnows Wayside Celtic travel to the Stadium of Light tonight with a revenge mission in mind - but, unless you believe in Santa Claus, bet on in-form St. Pat's.
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Bohs odds-on to advance - January 5, 2001
FAI Cup: Bohemians v Drogheda United, Dalymount 19:45
The last thing struggling Drogheda wanted at this stage of the season was a trip to Dalymount - but the embattled Drogs players might just see this as a welcome break from their ongoing re-election fight.
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Bray aim to put record straight - January 5, 2001
FAI Cup: Bray Wanderers v Sligo Rovers, Carlisle 19:45
Cup specialists Bray Wanderers won the trophy in 1999 and reckon they were diddled out of it last year - a claim vindicated when they were awarded £30,000 compensation from the FAI a couple of weeks ago.
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Memories drive St. Francis on - January 5, 2001
FAI Cup: Waterford United v St. Francis, RSC 19:45
Dark days again at Baldonnel - but one of the things that keeps St. Francis going is the memory of FAI Cup glory days a decade ago.
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Longford sign Prunty - January 5, 2001
Eircom Premier high-flyers Longford Town have swooped to sign Irish youngster Sean Prunty.
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Donnolly faces knee op - January 5, 2001
Former Irish u18 star Paul Donnolly will see a top specialist this week in a bid to end 15 months of injury agony.
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Vultures circle over Harps - January 5, 2001
With the entire Finn Harps first-team squad on the transfer-list at their own request, other Eircom Premier managers are already casting covetous eyes towards Ballybofey.
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Farm and Athlone must meet again - January 5, 2001
Home Farm Fingal 0 Athlone Town 0
'Keeper Gary Connaughton, whose participation was in doubt right up to kick-off, was Athlone's hero last night as the first division leaders lived to fight another day in the FAI Cup.
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Harps players demand transfers - January 4, 2001
The Finn Harps playing staff have slapped in a mass transfer request in protest at the departure of manager Gavin Dykes.
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Shels accelerate away - January 4, 2001
Shelbourne 3 Galway United 1
It took Shelbourne just 22 seconds to break Galway hearts last night - and dispel any faint hopes of a shock that the premier chasing pack might have harboured.
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Farm host Athlone as big boys enter Cup - January 4, 2001
Home Farm Fingal v Athlone Town 19:30
The big boys of the Eircom Premier and first divisions make their debuts in the 2001 FAI Cup this weekend and it's Home Farm Fingal who get the ball rolling tonight when they host division one table-toppers Athlone Town.
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Gaughan boost for Cork - January 4, 2001
On-loan midfielder Steve Gaughan has boosted Cork City by agreeing to stay at Turners Cross for another month.
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Sligo boss in the dock - January 4, 2001
Sligo Rovers manager Tommy Cassidy has been fined £100 for falling foul of match officials in a recent game. The former Northern Ireland international has also been cautioned as to his future behaviour.
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Dykes quits Harps - January 3, 2001
Finn Harps player-manager Gavin Dykes has quit the club. He resigned after a meeting with the board late last night, at which he learned that further cutbacks would be necessary.
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Bohs appeal outsmarts League - January 3, 2001
Bohemians made good their threat last night of refusing to turn up for an Eircom League premier fixture against St. Pat's - but neatly sidestepped any censure from the League by lodging an appeal to the FAI!
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Whyte double does it for Limerick - January 3, 2001
Limerick 2 Monaghan 0
Two brilliant headers by John Whyte were enough to give Limerick three precious points against promotion-chasing Monaghan United last night.
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Shels can go nine clear - January 3, 2001
Shelbourne v Galway United 19:45
Champions Shelbourne can open a nine-point gap at the top of the Eircom premier league when they take on Galway United at Tolka tonight.
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Cork will record TV milestone - January 3, 2001
Cork City will host the first ever Eircom League match to be broadcast live on TV on a Sunday afternoon.
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Bohs on collision course with league - January 2, 2001
At 19:45 tonight Bohemians should be at Richmond Park, kicking off against St. Patrick's Athletic in their rearranged Eircom Premiership fixture.
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