| We're still in the cup - Connor speaks his mind |
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| Monday, 02 October 2006 | |
 The fact that Sligo Rovers are still in the cup is some source of comfort following the missed opportunites against Killester on Saturday night last. Sean Connor speaks to sligorovers.com ahead of Thursday night's replay in Tolka Park.
"It was a frustrating night but you have got to score goals to win football matches. I was frustrated afterwards because we created enough opportunities and the players are frustrated. We tried to do the right things. We tried to get it down and pass it. But I think our final ball into the box was not good enough and our finishing in front of goal was sloppy. We have seen a good half dozen balls go right across goal where someone really has to dive to get on them. “Maybe we took tonight for granted, maybe the players did. I certainly didn't. I didn't sense that before the game during the week in the build up. We have just given ourselves another game to go and play. The only good thing about it is we are still in the cup. That’s really the only positive thing I can take away from this." Connor then went on to praise the team that had left him frustrated and gave reasons why Rovers could not break down the non-league side. "I have a lot of respect for Killester. They came here with a game plan, a very good game plan. We watched them and saw them play 3-4-3 a lot. We thought they would play 3-5-2 tonight and they did. We did not get the ball wide with enough urgency or early enough and our balls when we did get it wide were not good enough. They stuck to their game plan and fair play to them. If I am honest, their goal lived a charmed life. A couple hit their keeper that he did not know about but that is cup football. That is probably what makes cup football so exciting. We live to fight another day, it could be worse, we could be sitting here out of the cup." The tension around the Showgrounds last Saturday night was apparent and it was a frustrating night for the supporters too as chance after chance came and gone the pressure grew on the players and Connor conceded the tension had got to the players "We always felt if we scored the first goal, that we were good enough then to go on . And I think probably the tension around the place got to the players, certainly in the last 20 minutes. You could feel the tension in the air . The supporters are anxious for us to get into the semi-final, the players are anxious and this is a horrible stage to get knocked out of the cup so there is a lot of pressure. The fact is if we had won three or four nil tonight we would not have been given any credit, they are probably going to get lots of credit and we are probably now going to get slated. C’est la vie. The Belfast native is now faced with a selection dilemma for the replay with Killester as he is set to be without 5 players from his squad. One of the casualties is defender Liam Burns, Connor said losing Burns in the first half of Saturdays game had a bad effect on the team " It was a big blow. I think Liam Burns is the one player on the park we don't like to be without . I certainly don't like to be without him, he marshalls the back four, reads the game well and he keeps everyone on their toes. We knew going into the game Burnsy had a slight ankle problem . We've rested it and been looking at it for the last two weeks but he is now going to need intensive treatment and he is probably going to be out for two to three weeks. Darren Manseram is a definite doubt for the replay, he has a groin injury and I would say he will be out for a week to ten days. Michael McNamara has strained his thigh, it is enough of a strain that if he was to play he would potentially tear it and pull it. If we were to treat it right he is probably out for seven to ten days, if he plays on it and gets injured he is out for 6 weeks. It is a decision I have to make as a manager.Add to that Brian Cash and Sean Flannery and that’s 5 players out. With 5 players out Rovers are struggling to field 16 senior players and maybe have to call on the likes of the inexperienced John Bellew, Sean Kelly and Emlyn Mulligan or re jig the side and play some players out of position to fill in. "That is why at the start of the season I argued over the size of my squad and people think "Oh you are doing well", maybe the size of my squad will come back to haunt me" Looking ahead to Thursday night Connor is hopeful his team will learn from their wrong-doings last Saturday and book their place in the semi final and that they will be able to handle the increased pressure that is now on them to do just that "The game isn't over. They will fancy their chances down in Dublin. I am sure they will have a bigger crowd. It is at Tolka Park thankfully so that should help us. They didn't really hurt us but they had enough about them to make it difficult. They were never just going to come down and roll over. Can they continue that into Thursday? I don't know. “We've got 16 full time players so it should not be problem for us. You have to go and beat teams like that because they are not going to give it to you. Nobody gives you anything in life for free - I have struggled to get to this position with Sligo Rovers. Worked hard. Got nothing for nothing. That’s something that some of my players might still have to learn. Maybe one or two of them have lived good lives in England and getting everything handed to them and then being well looked after over here. Maybe they have to realise that sometimes in life you have to go after things to get what you really want.” Killester United v Sligo Rovers, Thursday October 5th,Tolka Park. Kick off 7.30pm By Rory Houston |
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