Hats off for Faz’s first hat-trick
Credit:
Dundalk Assistant Manager and left back Wayne Hatswell was gracious
enough to interrupt his well earned rest on Saturday afternoon to
speak exclusively to Extratime about their 3-0 victory over Galway the
previous evening.
“We’re on a little mini run at the moment, it’s nice to get back to winning ways we are starting to look a bit more confident now and we’re taking each game as it comes. We’ve got Fingal and Sligo to chase now and we’ve got to play those two teams as well so anything could happen between now and the end of the season.”
Dundalk managed to earn their first clean sheet since the 21st of May and Wayne was obviously delighted with this “Long overdue, that was nice, getting the three points is good but it’s better with a clean sheet too. It was Pete’s (Peter Cherrie) birthday yesterday and I hope it’s not his next birthday before we keep another one. Hopefully we can build on that and be a bit more resolute, we lost Burnsy (Liam Burns) which was a bit of a blow and meant that we had to reshuffle the pack again but we’re getting a bit of competition for places now and the boys who are coming on are doing well as well. It’s looking a lot better than it was a month ago prior to the Drogheda game.”
Popular right back Sean Kelly has recently lost his starting place after being asked to play out of position at left back and losing a little bit of form but Hatswell had words of praise for him “Sean did well when he came on, he’s a good player, he comes in and no matter where you ask him to play he comes in and doesn’t let you down and that’s what we need really. We need people who can step in and do a job no matter where you get asked to play and Sean obviously of late he’s had to fill in a bit of everywhere. We’ve lost Burnsy but hopefully that’s more of a precautionary withdrawal and hopefully he’ll be fit for Sligo.”
Kelly went down under a challenge from the rear when making inroads along the Galway touchline and seemed to have earned a guaranteed penalty, we asked Wayne if he could see why the ref had declined the call “I do not know, ask the referee, perhaps they see things different to us, maybe he thinks that he’s enticing the foul and has gone down a bit too easy or something, some refs give them others don’t. I’m glad it wasn’t a pivotal point in the game like it was still 0-0.”
Faz Kudozovic picked up a second half hat trick with two of the goals being poachers efforts, the Lilywhites second in command was delighted for his hard working striker “It was nice to see Faz get his hat-trick probably not the most memorable of hat tricks, one went off his shin, one just got poked in and I think that the third took a bit of a deflection. The main thing is that he was happy he’s walking off with the match ball I think that’s 14 goals he’s got so that’s a good return so far. It was his first senior hat trick and hopefully it’s the first of many that’s what I said to him anyway.”
Wayne was his usual threat from set pieces and unluckily thundered a header against the Galway bar from a Kearns free kick “It’s not happening for me at the moment, it’s probably the lowest return of goals in my career I think. Normally I’d have 4 or 5 at least by now but maybe it’s not going to be. I should have scored to be honest with you, I should have tried to keep the header down, I knew if I did that it was in. We’ve got good delivery with Danny (Kearns) and with Ross (Gaynor) so it’s more a matter of trying to get free from your marker now. We do look a threat and hopefully that will continue it wasn’t needed last night so hopefully I’ll get one when it is.”
Daniel Kearns has been a revelation since he came into the squad and Wayne was quick to praise the youngster “He offers us that balance that we’ve been looking a while now for to compliment Ross. With Tippy (Matthew Tipton) as well and with Faz in the hole, we’ve got the two holding midfielders which we’ve liked and the two wide men are starting to cause teams problems which is what we’ve wanted all along to feed Tippy and he’s got his goals from their supply. They all found it hard when they first came (from the English pre season), physically and fitness wise as well along with bedding in to a new team and getting to know the lads. They’re settling in and they’re getting to know the lads a lot better.”
Asked if Dundalk can climb the league in the remaining weeks Wayne answered “Hopefully we haven’t left it too late, if we can get a result at the weekend who knows where that can take us? We can be right back in with the pack and looking at the teams above us rather than over our shoulders. We want to catch the teams above us now and keep the form going.”
So onward to next Saturday afternoon at 2pm where they will face an in form Sligo Rovers if they could manage a positive result fourth place could still be within the reach of the Lilywhites.
“We’re on a little mini run at the moment, it’s nice to get back to winning ways we are starting to look a bit more confident now and we’re taking each game as it comes. We’ve got Fingal and Sligo to chase now and we’ve got to play those two teams as well so anything could happen between now and the end of the season.”
Dundalk managed to earn their first clean sheet since the 21st of May and Wayne was obviously delighted with this “Long overdue, that was nice, getting the three points is good but it’s better with a clean sheet too. It was Pete’s (Peter Cherrie) birthday yesterday and I hope it’s not his next birthday before we keep another one. Hopefully we can build on that and be a bit more resolute, we lost Burnsy (Liam Burns) which was a bit of a blow and meant that we had to reshuffle the pack again but we’re getting a bit of competition for places now and the boys who are coming on are doing well as well. It’s looking a lot better than it was a month ago prior to the Drogheda game.”
Popular right back Sean Kelly has recently lost his starting place after being asked to play out of position at left back and losing a little bit of form but Hatswell had words of praise for him “Sean did well when he came on, he’s a good player, he comes in and no matter where you ask him to play he comes in and doesn’t let you down and that’s what we need really. We need people who can step in and do a job no matter where you get asked to play and Sean obviously of late he’s had to fill in a bit of everywhere. We’ve lost Burnsy but hopefully that’s more of a precautionary withdrawal and hopefully he’ll be fit for Sligo.”
Kelly went down under a challenge from the rear when making inroads along the Galway touchline and seemed to have earned a guaranteed penalty, we asked Wayne if he could see why the ref had declined the call “I do not know, ask the referee, perhaps they see things different to us, maybe he thinks that he’s enticing the foul and has gone down a bit too easy or something, some refs give them others don’t. I’m glad it wasn’t a pivotal point in the game like it was still 0-0.”
Faz Kudozovic picked up a second half hat trick with two of the goals being poachers efforts, the Lilywhites second in command was delighted for his hard working striker “It was nice to see Faz get his hat-trick probably not the most memorable of hat tricks, one went off his shin, one just got poked in and I think that the third took a bit of a deflection. The main thing is that he was happy he’s walking off with the match ball I think that’s 14 goals he’s got so that’s a good return so far. It was his first senior hat trick and hopefully it’s the first of many that’s what I said to him anyway.”
Wayne was his usual threat from set pieces and unluckily thundered a header against the Galway bar from a Kearns free kick “It’s not happening for me at the moment, it’s probably the lowest return of goals in my career I think. Normally I’d have 4 or 5 at least by now but maybe it’s not going to be. I should have scored to be honest with you, I should have tried to keep the header down, I knew if I did that it was in. We’ve got good delivery with Danny (Kearns) and with Ross (Gaynor) so it’s more a matter of trying to get free from your marker now. We do look a threat and hopefully that will continue it wasn’t needed last night so hopefully I’ll get one when it is.”
Daniel Kearns has been a revelation since he came into the squad and Wayne was quick to praise the youngster “He offers us that balance that we’ve been looking a while now for to compliment Ross. With Tippy (Matthew Tipton) as well and with Faz in the hole, we’ve got the two holding midfielders which we’ve liked and the two wide men are starting to cause teams problems which is what we’ve wanted all along to feed Tippy and he’s got his goals from their supply. They all found it hard when they first came (from the English pre season), physically and fitness wise as well along with bedding in to a new team and getting to know the lads. They’re settling in and they’re getting to know the lads a lot better.”
Asked if Dundalk can climb the league in the remaining weeks Wayne answered “Hopefully we haven’t left it too late, if we can get a result at the weekend who knows where that can take us? We can be right back in with the pack and looking at the teams above us rather than over our shoulders. We want to catch the teams above us now and keep the form going.”
So onward to next Saturday afternoon at 2pm where they will face an in form Sligo Rovers if they could manage a positive result fourth place could still be within the reach of the Lilywhites.
