“My aim is to keep this club in the Premier Division”
Waterford FC's head coach Matt Lawlor and coach Mark Yeates during the game against Galway.
Matt Lawlor arrived to Waterford with one mission and that was to keep the Blues in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division and he’ll have one more chance to accomplish the mission in the relegation/promotion playoff after his side drew 1-1 with Galway United.
The result means that the Blues must face into a playoff to ensure their top flight status for 2026 as their goal difference was substantially more conceded than Galway and now they have one more chance against.
Speaking after the game, Lawlor said: “It's not a defeat, but it does feel like one at the moment. I just told the lads to feel that disappointment and let it motivate you or whatever it needs to do, then park it before a massive game next week.
“We drew today, and probably should have won in my opinion. We drew against St. Pat’s last week, While it’s the same result, there’s a different feelings coming away from it. So for us, we need to park the disappointment and move on.
“We had a good week this week, and we have to go and have another good week going into another chance of what was the ultimate aim of me coming in. My aim coming over for the club was to help them to safety. We've got another chance at it next week.”
Lawlor admitted that there was anxiety and tension in the players. “We've got a young group. We've got a group that probably lacks a little in terms of that experience been through moments like that.
“I know we've got Podge, who is 37, but I think the next oldest is 27/28. So if you've not been through it and you're going through it for the first time, it obviously brings a bit of anxiety.
“We were doing things that we've not looked like and not worked on in training in the first half. In the second-half, we reacted. We made a substitution and it wasn’t at Sam Glenfield, but Dean McMenamy came on and did really, really well.
“He just gave us a sense of control in that middle that we didn't have in the first half, not because of Sam, but just because he is that type of anchor in the midfield that will hold the middle of the pitch and make it big for us. I thought he were excellent second half. “Obviously the result or the not winning tampers the perception and the performance, but look at the stats of the second-half, we had 76% possession. We had plenty of crosses from everywhere, but we need to get in better areas.”
The Blues Head Coach was pleased with how the team responded after going a goal down. “It obviously wasn't in the game plan to concede first. We don't anticipate. We've said to you all the other week, we've always scored first when I've been in charge, and we've conceded first in the last two so for us to have the character to come back is brilliant.
“For us to show moments of quality like Conan Noonan does for Podge is fantastic. They are a great combination that would get into any team in the country. We’re lucky to have these players and the quality that they have.
“It’s not just the quality, but look how hard the pair of them work. You would think for talented players that sometimes you get a lesser output, but f you get out output, and you get quality like that with these two. We've got to utilise that, and we'll go again.”
Lawlor had a message for the fans. “They were brilliant again, and they've always, always have done when I've been here. They've been amazing to me, personally, to my family, and then to the lads today.
“They were absolutely unbelievable considering what's just happened in terms of us going into a playoff. They stuck by us. They show passion, show everything, even the tifo at the start. It was unbelievable.
“The effort that they go to is never, ever under appreciated. We have got a really, really strong fan base, a passionate fan base, that we go all around the country with. We need them to please follow us again next week. We'll need you. We'll be representing you in the best way we can.”
