The State of Play(First Division)..

The eircom First Division begins part two of its fixture list this weekend, allowing extratime.ie now perhaps the first opportunity to see the state of the sides. At the start of the season, the bookies had it Dundalk, Shels, Waterford then Sporting, and, looking at the table so far, it shows you that they don’t get it wrong often.

Last night Shels’ kicked things off by beating current leaders, and heavy favourites for promotion, Dundalk on their home patch in an action packed affair that yielded four goals and three red cards. This win is huge for Shels, Waterford United and indeed Sporting Fingal, given that all four will be in the hunt for the one promotion place available this year.

Dundalk were unbeaten going into this game with a 100% home record having only dropped points away to Shels and Sporting. However this loss will be a huge confidence blow as a victory would have created a hefty eight point lead over the reds.

Shels’ however were coming back into form after a frustrating start to the campaign. Despite twelve goals from Anto Flood (incl. Thursday's game), they had struggled away to Monaghan, Wexford and Sporting Fingal and will be delighted with the victory in Oriel Park. Unbeaten since mid March, Shels’ have conceded just one goal in their last four games and are looking like strong challengers for the league.

Waterford United have suffered away from home too. Dropping points at Athlone, Dundalk and Shels’, it is their home form keeping them in touch, recently underlined by a 5-0 demolition of Monaghan United.

Sporting Fingal suffered the humiliation of an opening day 5-1 loss to Longford Town. Not a great way for a new club to get going. However, results have improved and Sporting find themselves still within touching distance of the leaders, a very respectable position for the debutants.

Further down the table we find Longford Town who, after spanking Sporting 5-1 on the opening day, struggled to keep pace, however, seven points from the last nine available shows promising signs of a return to form. None of these last three games were against the top four and Longford will have to turn in another good performance to turn over Sporting this weekend, who will have revenge high on their list of priorities.

Limerick 37, next in the table, have conceded fourteen goals, five more than Sporting and Longford above them. A recent loss to Shels’ at Jackman Park can be avenged against Monaghan United this weekend at the same ground. For Limerick to have any aspirations of mounting a promotion challenge, a win against a side below them is paramount to the cause.

Wexford Youths are seventh in the league and after a miserable March in which they won just won point, they enjoyed their two wins of the campaign in mid April against Monaghan and Athlone. Coupled with an impressive draw with Shels’ and another with Longford, Wexford were unbeaten in the month. However an improvement on their current position in the league could prove difficult as the bottom sides all take points off each other.

Monaghan United were early season high flyers after wins against Shels and Limerick. They have also beaten Sporting at home however beyond that they have been miserable. Six losses is a shocking return for a side capable of beating the two Dublin sides at home. Four goals scored in nine games is below 1 in 2, and nineteen conceded is the most in the league. Miserable.

Kildare and Athlone. One win each, three draws each, five losses each. The embarrassment of a cancelled opening day fixture aside, both sides have been awful.

If Kildare could hold a lead they would be far further up the table however points surrendered against Shels’, Wexford, Athlone, Waterford and Limerick, all from winning positions (they lead Waterford twice), all show one of two things. Either they are capable of competing with the best, or they are unable to do a job. A forty five minute demolition at the hands of Dundalk recently was admirably cast aside as Kildare won their first league game last week 4-0 against Monaghan however they really need to dig in to achieve any respectable position this year.

As for Athlone, their goal difference is only better than Monaghan, who cant score! Athlone lost all their preseason games and were consistent with this at the start of the campaign, as they failed to score in March. A win away at Monaghan, followed by draws with Limerick and Kildare seemed to change the tone of the season, however, comfortable losses to Wexford, Dundalk and Longford since then have reverted them to old.