Another game, another win! For the first time since the 1997/98 season, City have started the season with four straight wins, and Sean Maguire is closing in on Denis Behan’s record of scoring in seven straight league games. All in all, things are looking well for the Rebel Army so far.
This was the type of game that we would have more than likely dropped points in last year, and when Sligo took the lead, it felt like a bit of deja vu. But a minute later, Steven Beattie equalised, and a collective sigh of relief filled the ground.
Looking back on City’s performance from last night, I can’t think of one player who stood out more than the Skerries man. Looking at some of his previous performances in a City shirt, in my opinion, it’s hard to believe he is not playing at a higher level than the League of Ireland. He’s quick, strong, a good crosser of the ball, can finish and is versatile, proving as much throughout last season when he was played at right back and was still putting in top quality performances.
Two players for The Rebel Army didn’t stand out as much, however, Karl Sheppard, despite being named man of the match against Drogheda last Friday, just did not have the same spark. It could have been the quick turnaround in games, but he just did not look like the same player. I think it could have been the perfect time to debut Christian Nanetti, or even re-introduce Stephen Dooley into the fray.
The other player in question for me was Garry Buckley. On his day, Buckley can be one of the best midfielders in the league, but when he's bad, he’s bad. A lot of misplaced passes, mistimed headers and just losing the ball in midfield, the former U19’s captain just did not have a good game. Personally, I would like to see maybe Conor McCormack pushed up into midfield instead of Buckley when the back line is at full health.
Speaking of defence, it’s great to have John Dunleavy back, for what we hope, is for good. Despite the fact he gave away the goal, he was a key part of the squad in 2014 and hopefully can regain that form this campaign.
Sligo were our bogey team last season, with us only picking up two points last season against Dave Robertson's men in 2016, in one game, we have gotten more this season. At this point of the season, to get the Sligo monkey off our back, it’s a very good sign. If you look at the our first President’s Cup against Dundalk in Turners Cross and we beat them 2-0, it showed that we had a team that could finally beat Dundalk, and we did four times out of five that year. While The Bit O’Red aren’t the same caliber team as The Lilywhites, it shows that this season, we have a different side than last, and hopefully, it’s a side that can go one better in the league than last season.
The Rebel Army’s next game though is this Patrick’s Day in Tallaght, against Shamrock Rovers. While we shouldn’t expect another 5-0 win, we will have LIVE coverage with Colm and Dave, starting at 4:45.
Photo: Doug Minihane