O'Reilly - The hard work is paying off
Credit:
Longford Town strikers Austin Skelly and in particular Don Cowan may have been earning the plaudits in recent weeks but their team-mates at the back deserve to be credited as well for their team’s fine start to the season.
After Saturday night’s 2-0 win over bottom side Salthill Devon in Flancare Park the Town moved up to joint second in the table and are now just one point behind leaders Shelbourne. It was the midlanders fourth clean sheet of the season, something that pleased full-back Niall O’Reilly. “The lads up front are getting the credit and rightly so but we are not doing too bad at the back,” he told ExtraTime.ie. “We have only conceded five goals. If you are keeping clean sheets, it is an old cliché, but you are not going to lose games. That’s all the hard work being done in training. We are working hard and everyone is doing their job.”
Town were made work hard for the win on Saturday night as the visitors proved very hard to break down. They created chances but it wasn’t until the 68th minute that the deadlock was eventually broken by Cowan. Town never panicked and were patient while their opponents were stubborn. O’Reilly was happy that their persistence paid off. “You just keep plugging away and do the right things. The hard work paid off in the end. You just have to take your chances. Don’s was a great goal and Des (Hope) scored with a good header from a set-piece. We created a few chances but we knew we weren’t up to scratch in the first half. We got better in the second half and that’s another clean sheet.”
The win was the Town’s third in a row and put them level on points with Cork City in second spot. City will provide the opposition on Friday night for the Town. O’Reilly admitted they will go down to Turner’s Cross with confidence. He said, “We are up to joint second now. We should be going to Cork now with confidence. We have to concentrate on our own game, go there defend properly and attack properly. If we are good enough we can get a result.”
After nine games the Town have lost three and won six. It’s their best start since they were relegated to the First Division back in 2007. O’Reilly, who joined the club last year, is delighted with the way things are going so far this season. “We have shown we have matched the stronger teams. Last year we always played well against the stronger teams and poor against the weaker teams. This year we lost three games but we haven’t been battered in any game or outplayed. It’s a credit to all the work that is being done at the club; Tony (Cousins), Philip (Coffey), Joe (Donohoe) and Gaz (Cronin) with the training. The hard work is paying off,” the defender said.
After Saturday night’s 2-0 win over bottom side Salthill Devon in Flancare Park the Town moved up to joint second in the table and are now just one point behind leaders Shelbourne. It was the midlanders fourth clean sheet of the season, something that pleased full-back Niall O’Reilly. “The lads up front are getting the credit and rightly so but we are not doing too bad at the back,” he told ExtraTime.ie. “We have only conceded five goals. If you are keeping clean sheets, it is an old cliché, but you are not going to lose games. That’s all the hard work being done in training. We are working hard and everyone is doing their job.”
Town were made work hard for the win on Saturday night as the visitors proved very hard to break down. They created chances but it wasn’t until the 68th minute that the deadlock was eventually broken by Cowan. Town never panicked and were patient while their opponents were stubborn. O’Reilly was happy that their persistence paid off. “You just keep plugging away and do the right things. The hard work paid off in the end. You just have to take your chances. Don’s was a great goal and Des (Hope) scored with a good header from a set-piece. We created a few chances but we knew we weren’t up to scratch in the first half. We got better in the second half and that’s another clean sheet.”
The win was the Town’s third in a row and put them level on points with Cork City in second spot. City will provide the opposition on Friday night for the Town. O’Reilly admitted they will go down to Turner’s Cross with confidence. He said, “We are up to joint second now. We should be going to Cork now with confidence. We have to concentrate on our own game, go there defend properly and attack properly. If we are good enough we can get a result.”
After nine games the Town have lost three and won six. It’s their best start since they were relegated to the First Division back in 2007. O’Reilly, who joined the club last year, is delighted with the way things are going so far this season. “We have shown we have matched the stronger teams. Last year we always played well against the stronger teams and poor against the weaker teams. This year we lost three games but we haven’t been battered in any game or outplayed. It’s a credit to all the work that is being done at the club; Tony (Cousins), Philip (Coffey), Joe (Donohoe) and Gaz (Cronin) with the training. The hard work is paying off,” the defender said.
