title: 1972–73 League of Ireland
text: # 1972–73 League of Ireland
  
  Statistics of League of Ireland in the 1972/1973 season.
  
  ## Overview
  
  It was contested by 14 teams, and Waterford won the championship.
  
  ## Final classification
  
  | Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Waterford | 26 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 67 | 21 | +46 | 42 |
  | 2 | Finn Harps | 26 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 59 | 32 | +27 | 41 |
  | 3 | Bohemians | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 46 | 25 | +21 | 37 |
  | 4 | Cork Hibernians | 26 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 53 | 27 | +26 | 34 |
  | 5 | Shamrock Rovers | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 45 | 32 | +13 | 30 |
  | 6 | Athlone Town | 26 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 38 | 31 | +7 | 30 |
  | 7 | St Patrick's Athletic | 26 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 37 | 43 | −6 | 25 |
  | 8 | Shelbourne | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 50 | 40 | +10 | 24 |
  | 9 | Limerick | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 32 | 35 | −3 | 20 |
  | 10 | Sligo Rovers | 26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 25 | 51 | −26 | 20 |
  | 11 | Home Farm Drumcondra | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 29 | 60 | −31 | 19 |
  | 12 | Cork Celtic | 26 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 29 | 50 | −21 | 18 |
  | 13 | Dundalk | 26 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 19 | 48 | −29 | 14 |
  | 14 | Drogheda United | 26 | 1 | 8 | 17 | 22 | 56 | −34 | 10 |
  
  * 1 2 After the Limerick 2-1 Sligo Rovers game, both points were awarded to Sligo Rovers.
  * ↑ Home Farm Drumcondra changed their club name to Home Farm for next season.
  
  ## Results
  
  | Home \ Away | ATH | BOH | CCF | CHF | DRO | DUN | FHA | HOM | LIM | SHM | SHE | SLI | StP | WAT |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlone Town | — | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
  | Bohemians | 2–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 5–3 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–3 |
  | Cork Celtic | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–5 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–5 |
  | Cork Hibernians | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 |
  | Drogheda United | 0–1 | 1–6 | 4–2 | 0–1 | — | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–4 |
  | Dundalk | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 |
  | Finn Harps | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | 4–2 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 |
  | Home Farm Drumcondra | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 |
  | Limerick | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | — | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
  | Shamrock Rovers | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 6–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–3 | 1–3 |
  | Shelbourne | 0–1 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 3–0 | — | 6–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 |
  | Sligo Rovers | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 1–4 | — | 0–2 | 1–3 |
  | St Patrick's Athletic | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | — | 2–3 |
  | Waterford | 2–1 | 0–0 | 7–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | — |
  
  * ↑ The points from the match between Limerick and Sligo Rovers (2–1) were awarded to Sligo.
  
  ## Top scorers
  
  | Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Alfie Hale | Waterford | 20 |
  | 1 | Terry Harkin | Finn Harps | 20 |
  | 3 | Johnny Matthews | Waterford | 14 |
  | 4 | Eric Barber | Shelbourne | 13 |
  | 4 | John Lawson | Cork Hibernians | 13 |
  | 4 | Kevin Murray | St Patrick's Athletic | 13 |
  | 7 | Joe Nicholl | Finn Harps | 12 |
  | 8 | Turlough O'Connor | Bohemians | 11 |
  | 8 | Jim 'Chang' Smith | Finn Harps | 11 |
  | 10 | Phil Buck | Waterford | 10 |
  | 10 | Des Kennedy | Limerick | 10 |
  | 10 | Mick Leech | Shamrock Rovers | 10 |
  