Game Two

Dundalk 1-2 Finn Harps

Me – “Dundalk losing at home to Finn Harps will definitely be the most shocking and depressing home defeat of the weekend.”

Stephen Kenny – “Hold my beer…”

Even after he’s gone the King is still helping us out. Distracting us from another dull and limp performance from Dundalk on Friday by providing an even duller and limper performance from the national team on Saturday. What a man.

I won’t go into the international team and set up here because I just don’t have the time, I’d prefer to focus on the previous night’s abysmal display.

Can I ask a question? When do we start getting worried? I’m not saying I’m worried now. I’m just checking to see when is a rational time to start to worry about finishing in a decent league position?

I know it’s only two games this season but there were problems with this performance which were there for all to see last season too. And not just with Filippo and Keegan involved. Ever since lockdown we’ve been no where near good enough at any aspect of the game.

There has been flashes and some good performances now and then but absolutely zero consistency. On the subject of consistency though…

I’m a bald man and as a bald man I admire and envy those who make bold choices with their hair. Barry McNamee’s bonce has been the same mop style forever. That takes courage. Fair play Barry McNamee. That can’t be easy to maintain.

The McNamee bonce aside, there wasn’t much to enjoy about this experience. The experience which was not helped by awful kick off time. 5.45 on a Friday is a horrendous time to have a football match.

Not long finished work, no time to relax before running headlong into another two hours of stress. There has to be food consumed too.

Food conversations revolving around the 5.45 kickoff time started happening days before hand. You have to be prepared. I don’t want to cook when the game is on. I don’t want Rachel to cook during the game either because I don’t want to have to say “can you arrange to have food ready for me exactly when I want it?”. Even if that is what I want I could never say that. Ever.

So the plan was to get a takeaway. Aim to have it arrive at half time. Eat for 15 minutes, then back to the game.

Food arrived just on halftime. Which was perfect. 15 minutes to eat and to chat. I underestimated how long the eating would take. Had to leave the remnants of the takeaway in the bin outside. Missed Hoban’s goal. Skipped the stream back to watch it. Started cleaning up waiting for the goal to happen again. Looked away, missed it again.

Couldn’t even enjoy the one enjoyable thing that happened in the game.