Ahead of Friday’s visit by Drogheda United, Head Coach Stephen Bradley gave shamrockrovers.ie an update:
Q: Stephen, how would you sum up your feelings on Monday’s derby?
A: Really disappointed obviously to lose the game. We should win the game, we have enough chances to win the game, but we don’t take them and we get punished with the one shot on target that they had, but that’s football. We have to suck it up and move on.
Q: We had that flurry of chances in the opening 20 minutes. Were those our best opportunities of the game that we really should have taken?
A: Yeah, we definitely have to take them. When you get four or five good chances, in any game, it’s important you take them. Especially in a derby because you usually don’t get that many, but we had them on Monday night and like I said, we just didn’t take them and sometimes that happens and we got punished.
Q: Having performed well in the first half and looked the better team, was it frustrating to fall behind then?
A: Yeah, because we were in control of the game, we were creating chances, without being a great footballing game, we were in control and creating the better chances and like I said, they had one shot on target and they score from it, and if you don’t take your chances, that’s unfortunately what can happen.
Q: We really came at them in search of an equaliser. How did you feel the team played for the rest of the second half in terms of creating and finding the right ball?
A: Our decision making in the final third could have been better at times we made the wrong decision, but again, that’s football, that’s the way it goes at times. The players, you can’t ask for much more in terms of effort and desire to win the game. We just, in the final bit in the second half, made the wrong decision at times.
Q: That ended our recent winning run over our rivals so it’s always going to be a tough one to take for the fans isn’t it?
A: It’s a tough one to take for everyone. For fans, players, staff. It’s always disappointing when you lose games but especially to a rival. We know that people are disappointed but that’s the way it goes. We’ve been on a great run in them games. Unfortunately, it came to an end on Monday, but it is what it is, we put it to bed and we move on.
Q: Chris McCann came off with an injury. How is he?
A: He won’t be involved tomorrow. We’ll have to assess it next week.
Q: What other injuries and suspensions do we have?
A: Neil (Farrugia) is longer term. Hopefully, we have Dylan (Watts), Sean Kavanagh back. We’ll have to check on Joey, but other than that we’re okay.
Q: Drogheda have really impressed this season. Although they’ve lost their last two games. What threats will they bring to Tallaght?
A: I think they’ve been very, very good Drogheda. They had an off night against Bohs and obviously got beat, but in every other game they’ve been very good. They have some really good players in the attacking part of the pitch and I’m sure they’ll come to Tallaght looking to win the game, so it’s going to be a difficult game, but one we will be ready for.
Q: Once again we’ll have a thousand people in the ground on Friday. Having felt their support two weeks ago, are the players looking forward to this just as much if not more than the first time against Harps?
A: Yeah, having the fans there against Finn Harps was brilliant. They brought great energy to the ground and to the play and we look forward to having that again tomorrow night.
Friday’s match kicks off at 8pm and is available to stream on LOITV.ie
