There was a debate after the show this week as to what the technology is called that produced the 3-D effect on Sligo Rovers second goal against Finn Harps at Finn Park last Friday night.
Modern technology can be very enlightening, and it was nice to be able to prove with certainty that the officials had got it right, and the goal was correctly awarded.
Incidentally, MNS is the first soccer programme on RTE to have used this technology, whatever its called, and hopefully it will be used again in the future to determine whether the ball crossed the line, or whether a foul took place in the box or outside and so on. In this case, referee Hugo Whoriskey and his assistants got the decision spot on, for which they deserve credit.
The defeat for Harps was a real blow, and add in the wins for Galway United and Cobh over the weekend, and then Galway’s win at Inchicore against St Pat’s, and it makes for a miserable few days for both the Donegal men and UCD.
The students are looking doomed unless they can clock up three wins out of three in their last few matches. Likewise, Harps probably need seven out of nine points to avoid the drop.
It's awful for the clubs involved, but it makes for great excitement for neutrals. A few weeks ago when Finn Harps went seven points ahead of their nearest rivals, they looked home and hosed, but good results for the chasing pack allied to a dip in form for Harps has created a very tense situation at the bottom.
I never cease to be amazed by the diversity of those with an interest in the eircom league. On Saturday night I played in a media/celebrity poker tournament on a sidetable at the Boylepoker.com International Poker Open at the Regency Hotel in Dublin.
Dublin footballer Shane Ryan only lasted a couple of hands before going out. I knocked out the doyen of Poker commentators Jesse May, from America, who told me he'd love to go to a soccer game in Ireland.
This emerged when I was talking to poker professional Padraig Parkinson about Finn Harps. I was telling Padraig that we'd been in Ballybofey the previous night for Harps versus Sligo Rovers, and he told me that he was a Harps fan as a youngster and was at the match in Finn Park when Shamrock Rovers played the Donegalmen in their first ever league match.
Rovers won 10-2 on that occasion, and Damien Richardson was in the Hoops starting eleven. Despite playing in attack, Damien failed to score, but he had vivid memories of the game all those years ago. As did Padraig, who remembered where he'd been standing in the ground for that game. He went on to list off the names of the Harps and Rovers players who had played that day.
Here's a man who lives in Paris, and has played in the biggest poker tournaments around the world including a third-placed finish in the World Series of Poker main event in Las Vegas. For the non-Poker playing fraternity, that's the equivalent of reaching a World Cup final for Ireland, and yet he can still recall those days from Ballybofey so clearly. He also supports Manchester United, but that’s allowed I suppose.
The point I'm making is that there are probably hundreds if not thousands of people in Ireland, who at one time or another, either supported, or at least went regularly to games here, and who still retain an interest, albeit from a distance. In Padraig’s case, quite often a considerable distance as he follows the Poker Tour around the world. In an ideal world, we'd be able to harness that interest from years ago and re-instil a love for their local team into the future.
By the way, I finished third in the tournament, knocking out Jesse May, Tony Fenton (Sorry Tone), Padraig Parkinson himself, and a former Eastenders actor, Ray Panthaki, - who I have to admit I had never heard of until I saw his photo in the papers on Monday morning.
With the money I won in the poker tournament I'd nearly be able to afford the shoes Damien Richardson wore on the show this week. He claims to have bought them in a sale in Italy for €235. I've always thought that those Italians were a cute lot, and the shoe salesman in this case definitely saw Damien coming. I'm not sure what’s worse, the shoes themselves, or the fact that they cost so much.
We did a feature on Keith Fahey this week, who'll surely play for St Pat’s in the FAI Ford Cup semi-final against Bohemians on Friday night. He really is a special talent, and it should be a great game. I'll be at my cousin Justin’s wedding in America that weekend, so I'll miss the game unless I can get to an internet connection somewhere in Arizona.
I've no doubt that Fahey must be a contender for player of the season, but I'd be interested to get your views. If you have any nominations that should be considered, email us at mns@rte.ie.
There was an interesting debate about the merits or otherwise of Pat’s saving players for Friday’s match, and handing an advantage to Galway United in Monday night’s league game. I know if I was a Cobh, UCD or Finn Harps fan I wouldn't be happy at that situation, although Cobh may have benefited similarly recently at Inchicore. What can be done about it? Not much, I'd guess, but it will leave a slightly sour taste in Harps’ and UCD's mouths all the same.
With Bohs having already supped the champagne and now Pat’s assured of European football, most interest will centre on the battle for survival. There are huge matches to come for all four sides hoping to avoid the drop and hopefully their fans will come out in big numbers over the next few weeks when they're really needed more than ever.
Enjoy the Cup semi-finals live on RTE TV this weekend, and remember there's no MNS this coming Bank Holiday Monday, but we will be back on Monday the 3rd of November.
