Cousins confounded by Mervue defeat
Credit:
Longford Town manager Tony Cousins has expressed his frustration
after his side’s 4-3 defeat to Mervue Utd on Friday night last.
The defeat was the Longford’s first in five league games but the manner in which they lost is what irked Cousins. “It’s frustrating,” he told Extratime. “No disrespect to Mervue but if we had played the way we have been of late we could’ve got something. But when you don’t defend properly you don’t deserve anything. We could’ve got a draw but would we have deserved it?”
In their previous four league games Town had conceded just two goals and held leaders Derry City scoreless. In one hour of football in Terryland they let in four goals. They created several chances to get back into the game but Mervue held out for the win. It was deserved one according to the Flancare Park boss. “Mervue deserved it. I don’t care how many chances we created when you concede four goals you don’t deserve anything. Chances don’t interest me; it’s what’s happening at the back. We weren’t right at the back. We were poor. It is a bad defeat.” admitted Cousins.
Cousins thought he had eradicated the defensive frailties that had dogged the Town at the start of the season but they came back to haunt them on Friday night. He had harsh words about the performance. He said, “Players that do it, do it week in, week out for the whole season. We are third from bottom. Maybe one or two weresmelling themselves after being unbeaten for five games [including the FAI Cup game]. That’s no good, that’s not what you are looking for. You are looking for players to perform every week so it’s back to the drawing board.”
With a home game against midlands rivals Athlone Town to look forward to next Saturday night the Cousins is hoping the Mervue result was only a blip.”We looked as if we were progressing and that game was a big step-back. We got to make sure that it was only a blip. I’ve to dissect that performance and look at every player. You can’t just blame the back four. It was all over the park; when we hadn’t got the ball and how we defended. We have got to pick the bones out of it and build ourselves up for Saturday,” Cousins said.
The defeat was the Longford’s first in five league games but the manner in which they lost is what irked Cousins. “It’s frustrating,” he told Extratime. “No disrespect to Mervue but if we had played the way we have been of late we could’ve got something. But when you don’t defend properly you don’t deserve anything. We could’ve got a draw but would we have deserved it?”
In their previous four league games Town had conceded just two goals and held leaders Derry City scoreless. In one hour of football in Terryland they let in four goals. They created several chances to get back into the game but Mervue held out for the win. It was deserved one according to the Flancare Park boss. “Mervue deserved it. I don’t care how many chances we created when you concede four goals you don’t deserve anything. Chances don’t interest me; it’s what’s happening at the back. We weren’t right at the back. We were poor. It is a bad defeat.” admitted Cousins.
Cousins thought he had eradicated the defensive frailties that had dogged the Town at the start of the season but they came back to haunt them on Friday night. He had harsh words about the performance. He said, “Players that do it, do it week in, week out for the whole season. We are third from bottom. Maybe one or two weresmelling themselves after being unbeaten for five games [including the FAI Cup game]. That’s no good, that’s not what you are looking for. You are looking for players to perform every week so it’s back to the drawing board.”
With a home game against midlands rivals Athlone Town to look forward to next Saturday night the Cousins is hoping the Mervue result was only a blip.”We looked as if we were progressing and that game was a big step-back. We got to make sure that it was only a blip. I’ve to dissect that performance and look at every player. You can’t just blame the back four. It was all over the park; when we hadn’t got the ball and how we defended. We have got to pick the bones out of it and build ourselves up for Saturday,” Cousins said.
