“This is a big three points for us”
Waterford FC head coach Keith Long was delighted with the three points and the cleansheet in Sligo. Photo: Inho.
The impressive recent run of results on the road continued for Waterford FC in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division at the Showgrounds in Sligo on Friday last as a lone strike from Christie Pattisson saw the Blues get back to winning ways.
Speaking after the game, Long said: “It’s a great win for us tonight and it’s a great win from the team. It was a real solid display by the team typified by the honesty and effort from all the players.
“I suppose if you summarise the first-half, Grant Horton’s clearance off the line late in the half brings us in at 0-0. Maybe if that goes in, the dynamic changes, the atmosphere in the ground changes had we gone behind.
“From our point of view in the first-half, I thought that we started well, and we had the better of the game maybe for 25 minutes to a half an hour. Sligo changed their shape and came into the game more. They had one or two efforts including the effort cleared off the line by Grant.
“All week we were trying to work on our end product and trying to get the ball forward a little bit quicker. To be a little bit more positive in terms of our intention to play forward to get bodies and balls into the box.
“We scored a goal from exactly that. Rowan McDonald puts a high quality ball into the box that causes confusion and Christie Pattisson with a brilliant, brilliant finish. We could have been 2-0 up a couple of minutes later because Podge has a great header.
“I think that showed our approach tonight because we wanted to come and win the game and we were able to do that thankfully.”
The Blues Head Coach added: “The lads that we brought in tonight (Christie Pattisson and Dean McMenamy) were brilliant. They have been waiting patiently in the wings for an opportunity and frustratingly so for them at times and I can appreciate that as manager.
“My job is difficult like all managers’ jobs so far as that we can’t keep everyone happy all of the time. Dean came in tonight and he has done exactly what he is doing in training and he is working his socks off and trying ever so hard.
“We can ask no more of him. Now he has gotten the opportunity and comes into the team. He showed what he can add to the team. It’s something similar with Christie because he is very much a confidence type of player.
“He had a stop-start season with us last year where there was question marks over him coming back in the New Year, but he has applied himself and put his head down. He hasn’t complained and has been very professional.
“We felt tonight that it was a reward for his work rate and what he is doing in training and thankfully he was able to replicate that tonight because some of the stuff that he offers up in training is fantastic and hopefully he can translate that a little bit more on the pitch now.”
Long concluded: “Prior to last weeks defeat to Derry where we were disappointed, we had drawn two games and won away to Bohs. Sometimes draw lull you into a false sense of security because you're tipping over. Not losing games and not winning games.
“Three points are really important, and this is a big three points for us. You look at our squad, and you look how solid we were defensively tonight. Grant Horton was very good and we had Kacper (Radkowski) coming back into the team tonight.
“We have Darragh Leahy captaining the team in Barry Baggley’s absence but hopefully we’ll have Barry back at the club next week. He’ll return to training, and we’ll see how we can reintroduce him, but for now, this is a big win and I am delighted for the players.”
