Baraclough shocked at cup performance

Following Sligo Rovers shock 3-1 defeat to Monaghan United in the FAI Cup, Extratime.ie spoke to Rovers boss Ian Baraclough and he expressed his disappointment with the performance he had witnessed.

"It's a bitter disappointment really, I'm shocked to be honest because I don't label that sort of performance with a team I haven't seen yet this season. We started very well, we went a goal ahead and it was as if to say that 'that's the game won now', but football is not like that, you have to maintain your standards."

After a very impressive opening 20 minutes, the home side's heads began to drop and were eventually punished, and Baraclough believes complacency was a possible factor.

"Having gone 1-0 ahead, having started well we probably thought this was going to be too easy and all of a sudden the momentum swings and the other team gets the upper hand  and it's very difficult to get on track again. If you carry on passing the ball well with an intensity and closing the ball down, the other team doesn't even get a sniff."

Alan Keane was shown a straight red under unclear circumstances in the second half of the game, and Baraclough admits he is still not sure why his player was given his marching orders.
 

"I haven't had time to speak to the referee, I'm still not sure what it was for. Alan's said that he went to put his hand up to hold off a player, and whether he thought he's elbowed him or whatever, I'm unaware of that at the moment so I'll just have to go and have a look at the DVD."
 

One highlight for Baraclough on the night was the performance of 16-year-old Jake Dykes who put in an impressive performance at left-back. Baraclough feels he has to learn from that game, but so do the older members of the squad."
 

"For Jake to go in and put in a performance like that, he can be very proud of that but to single one player out would be wrong. We were talking in the room collectively as a group, he's got to learn from what's happened tonight as a 16-year-old yet my oldest member of the squad has also got to learn from what's happened tonight and thing's have got to be put right because the last two games certainly haven't been good enough and nowhere near the standards we have set ourselves."
 

With the June break coming up, Baraclough feels it can do him and his squad a world of good and gives him a chance to set up moves for possible signings in early July.
 

"It'd do me a world of good because it gives me the chance to set up players to come in early July and force competition in certain areas and that's what we need."