Scully elated by Limerick victory
Credit:
Limerick manager Pat Scully was visibly elated after his side came to
Turner’s Cross on Friday night and outplayed Cork City Foras to earn
three points and keep themselves very much in the promotion hunt.
“I thought our fitness levels were magnificent. I thought the spirit and the determination from the whole team was great. We stuck together and they never really looked like scoring to be fair. They knocked an awful lot of long balls up into our box but I thought we defended it really well.”
The mixture of quality football and hard work was a topic that particularly animated the Limerick boss, and it was plain that he had a keen eye on his players’ fitness levels as they took to the field for the first time since the league took its two week, mid-season break.
“I think we have fantastically gifted footballers. Technically we do play some good football, we pass the ball well. But I thought maybe in the second half tonight we dropped a little bit deep. There was spells where we passed the ball well but not the way we would like to. I think the most pleasing thing for me has been the character and the spirit. We’ve improved so much on that from last year. Digging in when you have to dig in and doing the ugly things. And again, the players worked very, very hard.
It’s difficult when you have a break. We gave them all diet sheets and training programmes to do. Then, you know, they all went on holidays but it’s important. And it’s difficult - you’re in Spain sitting on the beach - to get up and go running. And I think, when you look at tonight, the players obviously stuck to those programmes and they’ve come back very, very fit and very, very sharp.
On the subject of fit and sharp players Scully was more than pleased to have an opportunity to talk about two of his younger lads, Daryl Kavanagh and David O’Leary.
“Daryl Kavanagh’s a fantastic footballer, he worked his absolute socks off tonight. Technically, he’s probably the best player I’ve managed so far and he’s only 22 so he’s only going to get better. There are still things in his game that he needs to improve at but ability-wise he’s fantastic and he’s a really great lad to work with as well.”
“We’ve a great bunch of lads, you know, they’re young but they’re fantastic. If you look at David O’Leary, coming on, making his debut at seventeen. I just said to him there, we need to work on his composure. (There was a general peal of laughter at this point as there was nothing uncomposed about O’Leary’s performance) No, he was very calm, very confident on the ball and I think that says an awful lot where the club is coming from, that we want to have good young players, we want to improve them, make them better.”
When asked about the difference between the last league meeting of these sides, when Cork won 3-1, and Friday night’s game Scully spoke excitedly about his club’s dramatic levels of improvement.
“I think we’ve hugely improved and it’s pleasing because I think we can improve more than anybody else. Derry are a good team, they will remain a good team. Cork are a good team and they’ll remain a good team. But I think we’ve improved more than anybody else and I think we will continue to improve. And with the signings that we’ve made we want to finish the season as strongly as we possibly can. It’s a tough competitive league; there are some good teams there. Cork are a good team. To come here and get the three points is a great result and the manner in which we did it was very, very pleasing.”
Coming to Cork and playing at Turner’s Cross is something that a lot of clubs have found difficult down the years. The ground and crowd can be imposing for visiting players but Scully looks at it differently.
“We like coming here because we have players who can pass the ball and the pitch is magnificent. And I have to say, I’ve always liked the stadium, I think it’s great. It’s a real football club, it’s a real football ground. You come here and you have that sense that this is a professional football club. I think it suits us.”
On the evidence of Friday night you would have to say that it suits them very well indeed.
“I thought our fitness levels were magnificent. I thought the spirit and the determination from the whole team was great. We stuck together and they never really looked like scoring to be fair. They knocked an awful lot of long balls up into our box but I thought we defended it really well.”
The mixture of quality football and hard work was a topic that particularly animated the Limerick boss, and it was plain that he had a keen eye on his players’ fitness levels as they took to the field for the first time since the league took its two week, mid-season break.
“I think we have fantastically gifted footballers. Technically we do play some good football, we pass the ball well. But I thought maybe in the second half tonight we dropped a little bit deep. There was spells where we passed the ball well but not the way we would like to. I think the most pleasing thing for me has been the character and the spirit. We’ve improved so much on that from last year. Digging in when you have to dig in and doing the ugly things. And again, the players worked very, very hard.
It’s difficult when you have a break. We gave them all diet sheets and training programmes to do. Then, you know, they all went on holidays but it’s important. And it’s difficult - you’re in Spain sitting on the beach - to get up and go running. And I think, when you look at tonight, the players obviously stuck to those programmes and they’ve come back very, very fit and very, very sharp.
On the subject of fit and sharp players Scully was more than pleased to have an opportunity to talk about two of his younger lads, Daryl Kavanagh and David O’Leary.
“Daryl Kavanagh’s a fantastic footballer, he worked his absolute socks off tonight. Technically, he’s probably the best player I’ve managed so far and he’s only 22 so he’s only going to get better. There are still things in his game that he needs to improve at but ability-wise he’s fantastic and he’s a really great lad to work with as well.”
“We’ve a great bunch of lads, you know, they’re young but they’re fantastic. If you look at David O’Leary, coming on, making his debut at seventeen. I just said to him there, we need to work on his composure. (There was a general peal of laughter at this point as there was nothing uncomposed about O’Leary’s performance) No, he was very calm, very confident on the ball and I think that says an awful lot where the club is coming from, that we want to have good young players, we want to improve them, make them better.”
When asked about the difference between the last league meeting of these sides, when Cork won 3-1, and Friday night’s game Scully spoke excitedly about his club’s dramatic levels of improvement.
“I think we’ve hugely improved and it’s pleasing because I think we can improve more than anybody else. Derry are a good team, they will remain a good team. Cork are a good team and they’ll remain a good team. But I think we’ve improved more than anybody else and I think we will continue to improve. And with the signings that we’ve made we want to finish the season as strongly as we possibly can. It’s a tough competitive league; there are some good teams there. Cork are a good team. To come here and get the three points is a great result and the manner in which we did it was very, very pleasing.”
Coming to Cork and playing at Turner’s Cross is something that a lot of clubs have found difficult down the years. The ground and crowd can be imposing for visiting players but Scully looks at it differently.
“We like coming here because we have players who can pass the ball and the pitch is magnificent. And I have to say, I’ve always liked the stadium, I think it’s great. It’s a real football club, it’s a real football ground. You come here and you have that sense that this is a professional football club. I think it suits us.”
On the evidence of Friday night you would have to say that it suits them very well indeed.
About Simon O'Gorman
Simon O'Gorman began reporting for Extratime in 2010. He remembers Milltown and Flower Lodge and, back in the mists of time, saw Diego Maradona play at Lansdowne Road. He now lives in Co Kildare and … View Full Profile