No sugarcoating a poor performance from Long
Waterford FC manager Keith Long wasn't a happy camper at the end of the game against Drogheda.
In the immediate aftermath of a Blues’ performance that was instantly forgettable for the two hundred or so fans that had made the journey to Sullivan & Lambe Park, there was no sugarcoating the display from a Waterford side that lacked the creativity and invention that was abundant a week previously.
As manager Keith Long faced the media it was obvious that he was not a happy camper and he found it difficult to find the words to describe the previous ninety minutes.
“It was a deserved defeat. When you defend the way we did unfortunately you’re not going to win football games and you can’t cough up the goals we conceded tonight either side of half time. They were poor poor goals so a disappointing night for everyone.” And despite searching for positives there was little to take from the game where they were under pressure for long periods with a high press from the home side.
“When you come to Drogheda you’ve got to win your duels. They’ve got electric pace up top – Thomas [Oluwa] played for us, he’s an honest boy who works extremely hard and he runs the lines. But we have pace in our last line with Kacper [Radkowski].” And despite the threat posed by that offensive line, Long was disappointed to go in at half time one goal down.
“We were comfortable enough without doing a whole lot in the game ourselves but maybe we should go in at one all especially when James Olayinka has a chance and probably should score. But the goal we conceded was awful and then in the second half we conceded another poor goal and the game was over.”
And the timing of the opening goal was hard to take.
“It’s poor timing and not what we needed going into half time having not played well in the first half.” And while the goal was a blow, it might have been all the more different with the only other real chance for the visitors.
“Maybe ten or fifteen minutes before half time, before their goal, we started to open them up a little bit. Kyle White came into the game a little bit more and showed good feet and good balance. We had a chance with Padraig Amond in a one on one with [Luke] Dennison but the keeper stands up, makes himself big and does well.” In the end though it came back down to the concession of poor goals that weighed heavily on the manager’s mind.
“You can’t win matches conceding the goals that we’ve done tonight and we haven’t kept a clean sheet all year (Note: last clean sheet was October 11 2024 versus Drogheda in a nil all draw). It’s something that we are trying to address, it’s something that we know is an issue” When pressed on the Drogheda performance there was really only one word that sprung to the manager’s mind when.
“It wasn’t a strong performance from Drogheda, it was a comfortable performance from Drogheda. Let’s call a spade a spade. We didn’t test Drogheda at all so it was comfortable for them. The boys will try, they’re an honest bunch but trying is not enough.
“You have to show quality as well and you have to execute in the moments when you’re asked to. We didn’t ask enough questions of their last line, we didn’t ask enough questions of their goalkeeper so we’ve got beaten and deservedly so.”
And Long had a word for the supporters who had made the long journey to the North East.
“We need to do an awful lot better because the travelling supporters who travelled all the way up here deserve better.
