Devlin's delight at Sligo point
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Bray Wanderers boss Pat Devlin is a happy man, having backed up his side’s victory over St. Patrick’s Athletic with a hard fought home draw against Sligo Rovers. Keeping the Bit O’ Red scoreless was all part of the plan, as he spoke exclusively with ExtraTime.
“We set out our stall to get a point. We probably should have gambled a little bit more in the end. We could have thrown on Conor (Murphy) and Shane (O’Neill), but I thought a point here is better than none. Come the end of the season the point could be invaluable to us.
“We had three very tough games to begin with, playing Bohemians, St. Pat’s and Sligo Rovers. It’s disappointing not to win at home; it’s disappointing to not be a bit more adventurous at home. I gave them a lot of respect today.
“They are the best team in the league, alongside Shamrock Rovers. We made them work hard for it. Come Monday morning, I will be happy with the point,” Devlin said after the game.
“The clean sheet was a bonus. There were a couple of chances here or there. It wasn’t a very open game. It was a tactical game. They got their tactics spot on and so did we. We are happy. They will be unhappy. I’m sure we will be the happier.
Devlin waited 88 minutes before introducing his first substitute, and although tempting as it was to bring on Murphy, the brace hero from last week, the boss trusted his experience in making the decisions.
“I wanted to bring Conor on, but I was conscious he is heading away next week with the Republic of Ireland U19 squad. That’s important for him. Conor is a great lad, and hopefully he will have a great future here and further than Bray Wanderers.
“We are nursing him along. He came on last week and scored two. He was very unlucky not to start. We set out our stall with a 4-1-4-1 and it worked very well for us. We got a point. I would have brought him earlier, but all my experience was telling me I didn’t want to lose the point.
“Overall, there is a good spirit, with four points. Roll on UCD and see what happens after that. They are a great bunch of lads. They showed that last year and we have added a couple this year. There is competition in the squad this year.
“We wouldn’t have the quality a Sligo or Shamrock Rovers would have; we have a little bit of quality in our own way and the longer that lasts the better for everybody.”
“We set out our stall to get a point. We probably should have gambled a little bit more in the end. We could have thrown on Conor (Murphy) and Shane (O’Neill), but I thought a point here is better than none. Come the end of the season the point could be invaluable to us.
“We had three very tough games to begin with, playing Bohemians, St. Pat’s and Sligo Rovers. It’s disappointing not to win at home; it’s disappointing to not be a bit more adventurous at home. I gave them a lot of respect today.
“They are the best team in the league, alongside Shamrock Rovers. We made them work hard for it. Come Monday morning, I will be happy with the point,” Devlin said after the game.
“The clean sheet was a bonus. There were a couple of chances here or there. It wasn’t a very open game. It was a tactical game. They got their tactics spot on and so did we. We are happy. They will be unhappy. I’m sure we will be the happier.
Devlin waited 88 minutes before introducing his first substitute, and although tempting as it was to bring on Murphy, the brace hero from last week, the boss trusted his experience in making the decisions.
“I wanted to bring Conor on, but I was conscious he is heading away next week with the Republic of Ireland U19 squad. That’s important for him. Conor is a great lad, and hopefully he will have a great future here and further than Bray Wanderers.
“We are nursing him along. He came on last week and scored two. He was very unlucky not to start. We set out our stall with a 4-1-4-1 and it worked very well for us. We got a point. I would have brought him earlier, but all my experience was telling me I didn’t want to lose the point.
“Overall, there is a good spirit, with four points. Roll on UCD and see what happens after that. They are a great bunch of lads. They showed that last year and we have added a couple this year. There is competition in the squad this year.
“We wouldn’t have the quality a Sligo or Shamrock Rovers would have; we have a little bit of quality in our own way and the longer that lasts the better for everybody.”
About Aidan Farrelly
Aidan Farrelly joined the extratime team in mid 2010. A Kildare native, Aidan reports on St. Patrick's Athletic as well as other Dublin Clubs. Aidan can be contacted at: farrelly.aidan@gmail.com View Full Profile