Our trip to Sligo is a very important one for us

It was a very positive week for us, with two good results against teams with real title aspirations this season, Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians. In both games, we took the lead and were only undone by a late penalty, which was disappointing for us. 

While both teams had the majority of possession against us, we limited their opportunities, and when they did break us down, our goalkeeper, Arlo Doherty, stood tall and made big saves. 

It wasn’t all one-way traffic, either, mind. We carried a threat going forward ourselves, but it was so important to us that we stood strong and came away from both games with something to show for the effort we put into the 180 minutes we played, and they were deserved points, too.

A DISASTER TRIP

Those two results gave us great confidence heading into a home game against Drogheda United at the RSC last Friday night. The week’s training was excellent, and our preparation was spot on. 

Unfortunately for us, the game failed a very late pitch inspection less than an hour before kick-off, and now it has to be replayed. The decision to call the game off was the correct decision, but one team in the ground was happier than the other for it to be called off.

I never thought while driving down that the game would be in doubt, even though there was a lot of rain falling on my journey. My mind was perhaps preoccupied, as there was an issue with my car on the journey, and I was more worried about making it down on time than about whether the game would go ahead. 

Speaking to people around the ground when I got there, though, it only became problematic just after six o’clock, and the constant rain meant it was going to be a miracle for the game to go ahead. Once the referee and his assistants looked at the pitch, they needed to go ahead and, from those above them, call the game off, and I think that is where the confusion lay regarding how long it took to call the game off. 

We were watching the referee do the inspection, and the ball was really struggling to roll or bounce in certain areas of the pitch, and we all knew the game wouldn’t go ahead. The ground staff did some work on the pitch to try and help it, but it was a losing battle for them, and once the referee got the go-ahead from the league, the game was called off.

We were really disappointed that we didn’t get the opportunity to get our first win of the season, but player safety is paramount for the referee, and the correct decision was made.

IMPORTANT SLIGO TRIP

We now head to Sligo this week to play them on Saturday night, and it is a very important game for us. It won’t make or break or season by any means, but we want to build on our last two performances against Rovers and Bohs, while Sligo will be thinking the exact same after their great away win in Dalymount against Bohs last Friday night. Touch wood, as it stands, it looks like we will have almost a fully fit squad to choose from for the game in Sligo, and everyone is rearing to go for the game. Sligo have always been a talented side under John Russell, who has built some very good squads there. Unfortunately for him and the club (a bit like us at Waterford), when he builds those squads, his best players get cherry-picked from the bigger clubs, and then it’s back to the drawing board to rebuild for the next season.

Confidence is a huge thing in competitive sport, and it one or two good results can change so many things. When Sligo are on song and full of confidence, they are one of the best sides in the country, so it is up to us on Saturday night to make sure that we don’t let them settle in the game and build on those two previous results against Bohs and Derry City. That is easier said than done, but hopefully on Saturday night, we can get our first win of the season, keep looking up, and get our season going properly.