Cronin pleased with clean sheet
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Missing several first-team regulars, a game on Monday evening was not what Longford Town’s depleted squad needed but they will have to travel to Ballybofey for a FAI Cup 3rd round replay with Finn Harps after the first game on Friday night ended 0-0.
Speaking to extratime.ie after the game Town defender Gary Cronin admitted that it’s a game they could do without. “It’s another game we could do without after playing last Monday as well. But looking at the game it is a clean sheet for us. We needed to get back to keeping clean sheets and it was disappointing we didn’t win the game, especially when they went down to 10 men. Having to travel up there for the replay is going to be tough. Hopefully we’ll go up there and get the win and be in the next round of the cup.”
After a drab and dour encounter in Flancare Park, Harps will be the happier with the result; they had to play the majority of the second half with 10 men. Cronin knows it will be tough on Monday night. “They did very well. We defended really well and we’re going to expect more of that on Monday night. I think they did better when they went down to 10 men and sometimes that happens. They deserved their clean sheet. We are going to go up there and try and keep a clean sheet and perform the way we can perform. We need to take our chances. That has been the story of our last few games.”
With Town struggling with injuries at the moment manager Tony Cousins will not know what squad he has to choose from until the day of the game. It’s been a tough few weeks for Cousins and the club physio and doctor. Cronin said, “We were dropping like flies. These things happen in football. We were down to the bones but we still had a decent team out there to try and win the game. Obviously when we have our full squad it’s to our advantage. The quicker the better we get those lads back."
Although it’s a trip he doesn’t want to make Cronin is delighted to have the opportunity to play another game for the club. When he re-signed at the start of the season he had consoled himself to the fact he would be a bit-part player but when full-back Michael Lee got injured Cronin grabbed his chance. He’s also helping Cousins with coaching but he’s concentrating on his playing career for the moment. “I work with Tony a bit on the coaching side but I re-signed as a player. I want to play as many games as I can. I got my chance and I’ve taken it. Mick (Lee) has been unfortunate to be out injured but I’m glad I was there and took the opportunity to play a few games,” said the defender.
Speaking to extratime.ie after the game Town defender Gary Cronin admitted that it’s a game they could do without. “It’s another game we could do without after playing last Monday as well. But looking at the game it is a clean sheet for us. We needed to get back to keeping clean sheets and it was disappointing we didn’t win the game, especially when they went down to 10 men. Having to travel up there for the replay is going to be tough. Hopefully we’ll go up there and get the win and be in the next round of the cup.”
After a drab and dour encounter in Flancare Park, Harps will be the happier with the result; they had to play the majority of the second half with 10 men. Cronin knows it will be tough on Monday night. “They did very well. We defended really well and we’re going to expect more of that on Monday night. I think they did better when they went down to 10 men and sometimes that happens. They deserved their clean sheet. We are going to go up there and try and keep a clean sheet and perform the way we can perform. We need to take our chances. That has been the story of our last few games.”
With Town struggling with injuries at the moment manager Tony Cousins will not know what squad he has to choose from until the day of the game. It’s been a tough few weeks for Cousins and the club physio and doctor. Cronin said, “We were dropping like flies. These things happen in football. We were down to the bones but we still had a decent team out there to try and win the game. Obviously when we have our full squad it’s to our advantage. The quicker the better we get those lads back."
Although it’s a trip he doesn’t want to make Cronin is delighted to have the opportunity to play another game for the club. When he re-signed at the start of the season he had consoled himself to the fact he would be a bit-part player but when full-back Michael Lee got injured Cronin grabbed his chance. He’s also helping Cousins with coaching but he’s concentrating on his playing career for the moment. “I work with Tony a bit on the coaching side but I re-signed as a player. I want to play as many games as I can. I got my chance and I’ve taken it. Mick (Lee) has been unfortunate to be out injured but I’m glad I was there and took the opportunity to play a few games,” said the defender.
