After playing out a scoreless draw with Dundalk on Monday evening, St. Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Ryan Brennan expressed happiness with having taken point. Saints set up defensively in the first half and did well to keep their visitors largely at
After playing out a scoreless draw with Dundalk on Monday evening, St. Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Ryan Brennan expressed happiness with having taken point.
Saints set up defensively in the first half and did well to keep their visitors largely at arm’s length, despite a couple of chances created from set pieces for Daniel Cleary, but Liam Buckley’s side came out after the break looking for the win.
“We’re happy enough to get a point,” Brennan told SSE Airtricity League reporter Conor Clancy. “We dug deep in the first half and we knew we’d have to come out and play a bit more in the second and I think it opened up a little bit more.
“I probably should have scored the chance that I got, but overall I think it’s a good point.”
Buckley’s side are typically good in possession and more often than not look to impose their own game on their opponents, particularly at home, and those were the half-time instructions.
“We had to drop in and try and get on the ball and get it moving and try to get it up the pitch more,” he added.
“The two centre halves looked to get wide with a midfielder dropping in and we wanted to look to get forward, which we didn’t do in the first half. Obviously we still had to battle, but we wanted to play more than in the first half.”
Brennan himself has been playing a much deeper midfield role this season than he did during his time at Bray Wanderers prior to the current campaign, where he regularly played in a front three or four on the right wing or just behind the striker.
“I’m happy enough because I’m playing so I can’t complain about where I’m playing. If he [Buckley] wants to play me at right back or left back I’ll gladly do that as well.
“I’ve only ever played in this position when I was younger, at Under-19s or U-20 level so it’s showing me different things that I have and haven’t got in my game.
“It’s a different type of game and I have to be more defensively aware.”
The result leaves Saints fifth in these still early stages ahead of their trip to Tallaght to face Shamrock Rovers on Friday.
