Limerick FC boss Tommy Barrett was full of praise for his team despite their 1-0 defeat to Derry City at the Markets Field. Ronan Hale’s first half strike proved to be the only goal of the contest but Barrett was pleased with how his young side foug
Limerick FC boss Tommy Barrett was full of praise for his team despite their 1-0 defeat to Derry City at the Markets Field.
Ronan Hale’s first half strike proved to be the only goal of the contest but Barrett was pleased with how his young side fought to get back into the game after Derry dominated the opening 45 minutes.
“In the second half, in particular, we were very good. For the goal, Darren (Murphy) jumps in around the middle of the park and it opens up. It was a really good finish as well.
“They have got really good players and that’s the league we are in. We probably don’t have a cutting edge. It’s difficult but I still think that we are doing ok.
“We have 15 or 16 players under the age of 22 and 23. We lost a lot of players in June, all our senior pro’s. Then we have another couple of senior pro’s out injured long term. It’s difficult.”
Limerick are facing a play-off to stay in the Premier Division next season against Finn Harps, Shelbourne or Drogheda but first have to travel to Cork in their next game this coming Friday.
The game against Derry was in a sense a dead rubber with neither team having much to play for and Barrett admits that it is not a loss that will be keeping him up at night.
“I don’t really lose sleep anyway but obviously you are disappointed when you are losing. I thought we played very well in the second half. We owned the ball.
“It’s a bit easier when you are 1-0 down but we only started playing when we went behind. The boys were a bit nervous and edgy but you got to be right from the start.
“Again, in the final third we are lacking and we have been lacking all year but we haven’t got the finances the likes of Derry have.
"They can bring in players from England and further afield. That’s where we are at. I feel we are doing as well as we possibly can do.”
