2018 League of Ireland First Division
Season | 2018 |
---|---|
Dates | 23 February – 22 September 2018 |
Champions | UCD |
Promoted | UCD Finn Harps |
Matches played | 135 |
Goals scored | 397 (2.94 per match) |
Top goalscorer | David O'Sullivan (Shelbourne, 15 goals) |
Biggest home win | Shelbourne 7–0 Athlone Town (6 April 2018); Wexford 7–0 Athlone Town (20 April 2018) |
Biggest away win | Wexford 0–8 UCD (7 May 2018) |
Highest scoring | Wexford 1–8 Drogheda United (16 March 2018) |
Total attendance | 59,946 |
Average attendance | 422[1] |
← 2017 2019 → All statistics correct as of 2 November 2018. |
The 2018 League of Ireland First Division season was the 34th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The league began on 23 February 2018 and concluded on 22 September 2018. Contrary to the previous editions, this tournament had 10 teams, which was the largest number since the 2011 season season, and saw the return of the promotion/relegation playoffs.
Overview
[edit]The First Division has 10 teams. Each team plays each other three times for a total of 27 matches in the season.
On 22 December 2016, the FAI announced that the league would be restructured into two 10-team divisions from the 2018 season onwards, one of the recommendations made in the 2015 Conroy Report.[2]
Teams
[edit]Stadia and locations
[edit]Personnel and kits
[edit]Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
Athlone Town | ![]() | ![]() | Nike | Nitro Sports |
Cabinteely | ![]() | ![]() | Uhlsport | Geoghegan Home Extensions |
Cobh Ramblers | ![]() | ![]() | Legea | Tony & William O'Shea Fuels Rushbrooke |
Drogheda United | ![]() | ![]() | CX+ Sport | Scotch Hall Shopping Center |
Finn Harps | ![]() | ![]() | Joma | McGettigan Group |
Galway United | ![]() | ![]() | Uhlsport | Comer Property Management |
Longford Town | ![]() | ![]() | Legea | City Calling |
Shelbourne | ![]() | ![]() | Macron | Dublin City University |
UCD | ![]() | ![]() | O'Neills | O'Neills |
Wexford | ![]() | ![]() | Bodibro | Premier Tickets |
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | UCD (C, P) | 27 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 57 | Promotion to League of Ireland Premier Division |
2 | Finn Harps (Q) | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 46 | 22 | +24 | 54 | Qualification to Promotion play-offs |
3 | Shelbourne (Q) | 27 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 52 | 21 | +31 | 50 | |
4 | Drogheda United (Q) | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 50 | 27 | +23 | 49 | |
5 | Longford Town | 27 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 54 | 36 | +18 | 45 | |
6 | Galway United | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 37 | |
7 | Cabinteely | 27 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 32 | 45 | −13 | 30 | |
8 | Cobh Ramblers | 27 | 8 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 41 | −17 | 29 | |
9 | Wexford | 27 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 59 | −36 | 17 | |
10 | Athlone Town | 27 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 16 | 81 | −65 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[3]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Results
[edit] Matches 1–18[edit]Teams played each other twice (once at home, once away). | Matches 19–27[edit]Teams play each other once.
|
Top scorers
[edit]- As of 22 September 2018
Rank | Player | Club | Goals[4] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Shelbourne | 15 |
2 | ![]() | UCD | 14 |
3 | ![]() | Longford Town | 13 |
4 | ![]() | Drogheda United | 11 |
![]() | Shelbourne | ||
6 | ![]() | Galway United | 10 |
7 | ![]() | Galway United | 9 |
![]() | UCD | ||
![]() | Finn Harps | ||
![]() | Longford Town |
Play-Offs
[edit]The second, third and fourth placed First Division teams played off to decide who would play Limerick, the ninth placed team from the Premier Division. The winner of this play off would play in the 2019 Premier Division.[5]
- Semi-finals
5 October 2018 | Drogheda United | 0–1 | Shelbourne | United Park |
19:45 | Report | English ![]() |
8 October 2018 | Shelbourne | 1–2 (2-4 p) | Drogheda United | Tolka Park |
19:45 | Evans ![]() | Report | Brennan ![]() Lyons ![]() | |
Penalties | ||||
O'Sullivan ![]() Evans ![]() Fitzgerald ![]() Farrell ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2–2 on aggregate. Drogheda United win on penalties.
- Finals
12 October 2018 | Drogheda United | 1–1 | Finn Harps | United Park |
19:45 | Kelly ![]() | Report | Boyle ![]() |
19 October 2018 | Finn Harps | 2–0 | Drogheda United | Finn Park |
19:45 | Kavanagh ![]() Boyle ![]() | Report |
Finn Harps win 3–1 on aggregate.
- Relegation-promotion match
29 October 2018 | Finn Harps | 1–0 | Limerick | Finn Park |
19:45 GMT | McCourt ![]() | Report | Attendance: 2,379 Referee: Robert Harvey |
2 November 2018 | Limerick | 0–2 | Finn Harps | Markets Field |
19:45 GMT | Report | Timlin ![]() Boyle ![]() | Referee: Graham Kelly |
Finn Harps won 3–0 on aggregate and were promoted to 2019 Premier Division. Limerick were relegated to the 2019 First Division.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "From the Archives - extratime.ie League of Ireland Attendance Report 2019". extratime. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Mackey, Liam (23 December 2016). "It's three down, one up for LOI season". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "First Division 2017 - Season rules". Scoresway. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ "Extratime.com - Extratime.ie - Top Scorers - 2018 League of Ireland First Division".
- ^ "Ireland 2018". RSSSF. Retrieved 7 October 2018.