Patience a virtue for Gallagher
Credit:
Finn Harps manager James Gallagher thought that his side did well to recover from a nervous first half to settle themselves and post their first win of the season against Salthill Devon on Friday night.
After an indifferent first 45 minutes, Gallagher’s team played much the better football after the break, but had to be patient as their opponents threw little in the way of caution to the wind. In the end, it took two goals in the final nine minutes to ensure a 2-0 home win.
"I wasn’t pleased with the first half and I let them know that at half-time, but they weren’t pleased themselves," Gallagher said of his team. "As a player you don’t need someone to tell them, but that’s my job. It was disappointing because you want them to do well, especially in their first home game and in front of a decent crowd. In a certain way, maybe that had a wee effect and they might’ve been caught in the lights.
"But we settled in the second half and all that I was really looking for was just to be a wee bit braver. I mean brave in possession. I thought in the first half that there were too many flick-ons and nobody was taking responsibility. So, credit to them, in the second half they did that. When you don’t look like giving anything away at the back and have the likes of Kevin McHugh and Davitt Walsh then you have a chance.
"Patience was the key. Last weekend against Longford we gave away three silly goals, but I thought that Packie Mailey was outstanding tonight. Jonathan Minnock coasted through the game and the two full-backs gave good accounts of themselves in the second half. The key was not to force the issue and keep doing what you’re doing."
Harps’ frustrations failed to boil over and they kept pushing to grab the opening goal.
McHugh, in his second stint at the club, was on target for his first goal since his return, while Shaun McGowan’s introduction from the bench was a fine one, as he netted the second goal in stoppage time.
"We need Kevin at 100 per cent and I’ve been putting pressure on him, but he says he’s there now and you could see how much the goal lifted him," Gallagher continued. "It was a great ball in from Marc Brolly and a super finish from Kevin. We need every point available and Shaun also did very well coming off the bench, so we’re happy with the points."
After an indifferent first 45 minutes, Gallagher’s team played much the better football after the break, but had to be patient as their opponents threw little in the way of caution to the wind. In the end, it took two goals in the final nine minutes to ensure a 2-0 home win.
"I wasn’t pleased with the first half and I let them know that at half-time, but they weren’t pleased themselves," Gallagher said of his team. "As a player you don’t need someone to tell them, but that’s my job. It was disappointing because you want them to do well, especially in their first home game and in front of a decent crowd. In a certain way, maybe that had a wee effect and they might’ve been caught in the lights.
"But we settled in the second half and all that I was really looking for was just to be a wee bit braver. I mean brave in possession. I thought in the first half that there were too many flick-ons and nobody was taking responsibility. So, credit to them, in the second half they did that. When you don’t look like giving anything away at the back and have the likes of Kevin McHugh and Davitt Walsh then you have a chance.
"Patience was the key. Last weekend against Longford we gave away three silly goals, but I thought that Packie Mailey was outstanding tonight. Jonathan Minnock coasted through the game and the two full-backs gave good accounts of themselves in the second half. The key was not to force the issue and keep doing what you’re doing."
Harps’ frustrations failed to boil over and they kept pushing to grab the opening goal.
McHugh, in his second stint at the club, was on target for his first goal since his return, while Shaun McGowan’s introduction from the bench was a fine one, as he netted the second goal in stoppage time.
"We need Kevin at 100 per cent and I’ve been putting pressure on him, but he says he’s there now and you could see how much the goal lifted him," Gallagher continued. "It was a great ball in from Marc Brolly and a super finish from Kevin. We need every point available and Shaun also did very well coming off the bench, so we’re happy with the points."
