Mathews - Lack of quality let us down
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
After seeing his sides chances of securing a home draw in the playoffs disappear, Alan Mathews said a lack of quality in the second half was the reason his side surrendered their early lead.
“The first half we were very very good, we needed a second goal and just didn’t get it. We didn’t play well at all in the second half and Pats had plenty of the ball and plenty of the play.
“It was a lack of quality all over really, we just didn’t apply ourselves we opened up and we got the opportunities but didn’t continue that into the second half. We have to give Pats credit but ultimately we look to ourselves.
Our start was good, very positive we kept them on the back foot, good movement and we took the game to them. It’s about converting your opportunities and we just didn’t do that,” he said.
He also admitted that his team just didn’t work hard enough without the ball and they paid the price as a result.
The 90th minute sending off of James Chambers seemed to be a contentious decision for the Drogheda manager.
“I was disappointed with the referee before the game, he has a habit of getting involved in certain things. He forced us to wear our away kits tonight. I don’t know why he sent James Chambers off, we’ll have a look at it, if he deserved to go he deserved to go but James said he didn’t understand why he was sent off.”
The Boynesiders now face an away trip post season to either Galway, Dublin or possibly Sligo and Mathews states that it will be a difficult game.
“Ideally it would be good to have it up here but that just won’t happen now.”
“The first half we were very very good, we needed a second goal and just didn’t get it. We didn’t play well at all in the second half and Pats had plenty of the ball and plenty of the play.
“It was a lack of quality all over really, we just didn’t apply ourselves we opened up and we got the opportunities but didn’t continue that into the second half. We have to give Pats credit but ultimately we look to ourselves.
Our start was good, very positive we kept them on the back foot, good movement and we took the game to them. It’s about converting your opportunities and we just didn’t do that,” he said.
He also admitted that his team just didn’t work hard enough without the ball and they paid the price as a result.
The 90th minute sending off of James Chambers seemed to be a contentious decision for the Drogheda manager.
“I was disappointed with the referee before the game, he has a habit of getting involved in certain things. He forced us to wear our away kits tonight. I don’t know why he sent James Chambers off, we’ll have a look at it, if he deserved to go he deserved to go but James said he didn’t understand why he was sent off.”
The Boynesiders now face an away trip post season to either Galway, Dublin or possibly Sligo and Mathews states that it will be a difficult game.
“Ideally it would be good to have it up here but that just won’t happen now.”
About P.J. Murray
P.J. generally covers Drogheda games at HD Park and can generally be found at any Dublin ground when of a loose end on a Friday night. View Full Profile