... And what we’re least likely to see

THE journey is over for another er year for domestic clubs, whose e European expeditions were all too fleeting. For the first time in 14 years, no League of Ireland side won a tie in Europe. The draws were unkind to Derry City, Sligo Rovers and Drogheda, while St t Pat’s still wonder how they didn’t dn’t defeat veryve defeatable opponents from LithuLithuania. Is it a crisis? No. But it coucould become one. Very quickly. ThThe aggregate score was 16-5. It cacannot be allowed to become ththe norm. But when the league hhere is run by an association ththat spends more time evading leglegitimate questions than findifinding answers to the league’s malaisemalaise, hope is hard to find.