“We found Galway a very difficult opponent”
Waterford FC boss, Keith Long, during Friday night's defeat to Galway United. Photo: Paul Elliott.
Waterford FC Head Coach Keith Long expressed his disappointment that his side weren’t able to deal with the Galway United threat from a long throw that ultimately cost them a result in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division for a second time at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night.
The Blues were undone by a lone Patrick Hickey goal, but it was the long throw from Ed McCarthy that the defence had worked on that proved costly as they failed to clear the ball from the right that broke to the tall number 15, who beat Sam Sargeant with a crisp right-footed finish from deep inside the penalty area.
Speaking after the game, the Blues boss said: “We’ve lost here. We’re disappointed to lose the game, and we’re disappointed with the manner of the goal that we conceded. We probably lost the game in the opening quarter, and after that, I thought that we had passages and moments in the game where we had possession.
“Padraig Amond has a chance where he hits the crossbar, and there’s probably one or two moments in the first-half when we actually got the ball down and played. We gave the incentive to Galway by making too many poor decisions in the wrong area of the pitch.
“I think that gave them the impetuous and it gave everyone a lift. I think that they were on the front foot and I gave their supporters that little bit of oxygen. We played into their hands for the first 15 or 20 minutes and then we concede the goal.”
“We were 1-0 down at half-time, but second-half, I’m pleased enough with the performance. I thought that we took the game to the opposition. We didn’t create a huge amount of goalscoring chances necessarily, but Grant Horton did have a header that looked to be on the way in, but it hits a defender.
“We got some minutes into bodies tonight as well because we’re missing a couple of players. It’s important for some of the players that have come in to get minutes ahead of the rest of the season.” Long added: “It was night and day second-half in terms of our performance. It was much better. We played it forward, we played through the lines a little bit, we had bodies willing to run forward, and we created some opportunities.
“I think ultimately we didn’t work the Galway goalkeeper enough and we didn’t get enough crosses into the box despite having the bodies in there. Listen we’ve lost here again and Galway are a really tough opponent.
“We found them very, very difficult. We’ve lost and conceded a goal to a set play that we worked on during the week. We know when you come here that you’re going to have to defend those moments, by and large we did, outside of conceding the goal, but it’s too late.
“We have been doing well defensively of late, but it’s a poor goal to concede and the players will understand that. Galway have big men and are a large team. They’ve got physicality, height, long throw specialists, and we know that’s a real weapon for them.
“Every team in the country knows about it. They prepare for it, but it’s a different task and challenge when you’re faced with it in a game. You can train, you can work, but it’s in that moment that you have to win your duels, we didn’t and they got the goal.”
The Blues boss felt that Conor McCormack should have been sent off. “I thought that it was a second yellow yeah. He was taken off at half-time for a reason, but did we do enough to get something out of the game, I’m not quite sure.
“It was a game of fine margins and we’ve come out the wrong side. We were able to give players minutes like Sam Bellis. He is an offensive player, but I feel that he is going to be a good player for us. He is going to need time to get up to the fitness of it and it was an opportunity for us to bring him on tonight.
“We were without some keys player tonight, but that’s no excuse. We’ve come here and the players have worked hard. We’re disappointed to lose, but we’ll move on.”
