Galway United were defeated by a Drogheda United purple patch last night when they lost 3-1, the Boynesiders scored all three of their goals in a 10-minute period in the first half. The Tribesmen had the early chances though, and appeared to be on t
Galway United were defeated by a Drogheda United purple patch last night when they lost 3-1, the Boynesiders scored all three of their goals in a 10-minute period in the first half.
The Tribesmen had the early chances though, and appeared to be on top until the 20 minute mark and manager Alan Murphy though as much when he spoke to the media after the game.
“We’ll analyse it properly. I thought we were decent for the first 20 minutes, we played some nice football and started the game well,” he said.
“Then a 10 minute period comes along where a goal goes in from a set piece and we had been given a warning twice previous to it.
"We’re not able to fix it on the pitch even when it was coming. The information went out, we just can’t fix it on the pitch so therefore it happens. That weak side of us kicks in for another 10 minutes and the game is over.”
That 10-minute weak period for the home side saw Luke McNally, Chris Lyons and Stephen Meaney all put the ball in the net for the visitors with Alan Murphy’s men unable to respond before half-time.
“We get in at half time and we look at it, we don’t try and analyse it too much in terms of what happened. A set piece is what really starts the rot.
“We had gone through it all week we know they go to the back stick from Sean Brennan’s corners. We couldn’t have said it or couldn’t have practiced it anymore but it unfortunately doesn’t translate out onto the pitch,” explained Murphy.
The third goal was particularly soft looking with Meaney nodding home with a free header in the box but Murphy was quick to defend the character of his players.
“I don’t think they rolled over but I think their confidence rolled over,” he explained.
“Players make the wrong mistakes when their confidence goes and they sit deeper and are more cautious when the exact opposite is needed, when pressure on the ball is needed and to close space.
“They try to suck up pressure and maybe not make the run. They will only learn by us showing the simple mistakes.
"To some it may look like a roll over but to me there’s no one rolling over in that dressing room. Those bunch in there are a really committed group and are hurting every week because they’re inexperienced and because they’re making mistakes.
“That’s life, you have to hurt sometimes to move forward and that’s what they’re doing.”
