2010 League of Ireland First Division
# 2010 League of Ireland First Division

The 2010 League of Ireland First Division season was the 26th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The First Division was contested by 12 teams and Derry City won the title.

## Teams

| Team | Base | Stadium |
| - | - | - |
| Athlone Town | Athlone | Athlone Town Stadium |
| Cork City FORAS Co-op | Cork | Turner's Cross |
| Derry City | Derry | Brandywell Stadium |
| Finn Harps | Ballybofey | Finn Park |
| Limerick | Limerick | Jackman Park |
| Longford Town | Longford | Flancare Park |
| Mervue United | Galway | Terryland Park |
| Monaghan United | Monaghan | Kingspan Century Park |
| Salthill Devon | Salthill | Drom Soccer Park |
| Shelbourne | Drumcondra | Tolka Park |
| Waterford United | Waterford | Waterford RSC |
| Wexford Youths | Crossabeg | Ferrycarraig Park |

## Overview

This season the division featured 12 clubs. The regular season began on 6 March and concluded on 30 October. Each team played the other teams three times, totaling 33 games. Derry City finished as champions and were automatically promoted to the Premier Division.

## Final table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Derry City (C) | 33 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 65 | 24 | +41 | 69 | Promoted to Premier Division |
| 2 | Waterford United | 33 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 59 | 27 | +32 | 66 | Lost promotion/relegation play off |
| 3 | Monaghan United | 33 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 59 | 29 | +30 | 62 | Lost promotion/relegation play off |
| 4 | Shelbourne | 33 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 57 | 31 | +26 | 61 | |
| 5 | Limerick F.C. | 33 | 17 | 6 | 10 | 55 | 35 | +20 | 57 | |
| 6 | Cork City FORAS Co-op | 33 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 39 | 31 | +8 | 52 | |
| 7 | Wexford Youths | 33 | 12 | 6 | 15 | 42 | 54 | −12 | 42 | |
| 8 | Finn Harps | 33 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 37 | 43 | −6 | 40 | |
| 9 | Longford Town | 33 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 39 | 53 | −14 | 35 | |
| 10 | Athlone Town | 33 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 35 | 50 | −15 | 31 | |
| 11 | Mervue United | 33 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 34 | 84 | −50 | 19 | |
| 12 | Salthill Devon | 33 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 26 | 86 | −60 | 15 | Won promotion/relegation play off |

* ↑ After Cork City were liquidated following the 2009 Premier Division season, the supporters' trust, FORAS, re-entered the club in the First Division under a temporary name.

## Results

### Matches 1–22

| Home \ Away | ATH | COR | DER | FHA | LIM | LON | MER | MON | SAL | SHE | WAT | WEX |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlone Town | | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–4 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Cork City | 0–1 | | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| Derry City | 1–0 | 1–1 | | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Finn Harps | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | | 0–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Limerick | 3–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| Longford Town | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–0 | | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 3–5 | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| Mervue United | 1–0 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 4–3 | | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 |
| Monaghan United | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | | 3–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 |
| Salthill Devon | 0–1 | 1–3 | 0–7 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–6 | | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Shelbourne | 6–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Waterford United | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 8–0 | 0–3 | | 3–0 |
| Wexford Youths | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–0 | 5–3 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |

* ↑ The match was awarded to Salthill Devon by 3–0 after Wexford Youths fielded an ineligible player.

### Matches 23–33

| Home \ Away | ATH | COR | DER | FHA | LIM | LON | MER | MON | SAL | SHE | WAT | WEX |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlone Town | | 0–1 | | | 1–5 | 0–0 | 1–0 | | | 0–2 | | |
| Cork City | | | | | | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | | 0–1 | |
| Derry City | 2–2 | 0–1 | | 2–2 | | | 6–0 | | | 3–0 | | |
| Finn Harps | 2–2 | 1–0 | | | 1–1 | | 4–0 | | 3–2 | | | 1–1 |
| Limerick | | 1–3 | 0–1 | | | 3–1 | | | | 0–1 | | 1–0 |
| Longford Town | | | 1–1 | 1–0 | | | 2–2 | | | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Mervue United | | | | | 0–1 | | | 2–1 | 2–1 | | 1–6 | 2–5 |
| Monaghan United | 2–0 | | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | | | | | 4–2 | |
| Salthill Devon | 1–1 | | 1–5 | | 1–3 | 1–4 | | 0–3 | | | 1–1 | |
| Shelbourne | | 2–0 | | 3–1 | | | 3–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | | 1–2 | |
| Waterford United | 3–2 | | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | | | | | | | 1–0 |
| Wexford Youths | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | | | | | 1–4 | 2–1 | 1–1 | | |

## Promotion/relegation play-offs

### Premier Division

The second and third placed First Division teams, Waterford United and Monaghan United, played off to decide who would play the winner of the Premier Division play-off. The winner of this play off would play in the 2011 Premier Division.

**First Division v Premier Division**

Bray Wanderers won 7 – 6 on penalties and retained their place in the Premier Division

### First Division

The tenth placed First Division team, Salthill Devon, played the highest placed non-reserve team, Cobh Ramblers, from the 2010 A Championship. The winner of this play off would play in the 2011 First Division.

Salthill Devon won 3 – 1 on aggregate and retained their place in the 2011 First Division

## Top goalscorers

Includes goals scored in regular season only.

| Rank | Scorer | Team | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Graham Cummins | Cork City | 18 |
| 1 | Mark Farren | Derry City | 18 |
| 1 | Willie John Kiely | Waterford United | 18 |
| 4 | Philip Hughes | Monaghan United | 14 |
| 5 | Patrick McEleney | Derry City | 12 |
| 5 | Kevin McHugh | Finn Harps | 12 |
