Cork City manager John Caulfield has apologised to the club’s supporters following what he described as their “worst performance of the season” in last Friday night’s 1-0 defeat to Sligo Rovers. A Rhys McCabe strike early in the second half was enou
Cork City manager John Caulfield has apologised to the club’s supporters following what he described as their “worst performance of the season” in last Friday night’s 1-0 defeat to Sligo Rovers.
A Rhys McCabe strike early in the second half was enough to see Rovers earn their first away win of the season and lift them out of the relegation zone in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
For the Leesiders, the loss leaves them still needing eight points from their remaining eight games to claim their first league title in 12 years.
And speaking to reporters shortly after full time at Turner's Cross, Caulfield also called on his side to bounce back when they travel to relegation threatened Finn Harps on Monday night.
“To the supporters that were here tonight I must apologise to them, it was our worst performance of the season,” declared the City boss.
“First half we were really, really poor so we are disappointed with that but to be fair to Sligo they came with a game plan, they sat in and hit us on the counter and it proved to be a difficult night for us.
“We didn’t create enough and overall a lot of the team played well below themselves and that’s disappointing.
“It’s unfortunate we picked tonight to have our worst performance but we must move on to Monday.
“We’ll move on, I keep saying this will go down to the wire. I’ve said it all year no matter what the rubbish talk is going on around the place, every game is going to be a dog fight now and that’s just the way it is.
“In the history of this club everything we’ve won, we’ve won on the last day of the season. It’s a dog fight and the rubbish talk going on, I’ve said all along in my own head that I know it’s a dog fight all the way until the end of the season and we just have to dig in there.
“After last week we were saying we were happy with the week to prepare so maybe the quick turnaround might suit and be good for the boys to get it out of their system.
“But again you’re going into a war on Monday. Dog fight. Finn Harps. Very tough opponents fighting for their lives and it will be an absolute scrap of a match and a war of a game.
“If we play like we did tonight (against Sligo) and we go out and under perform we’ll get done so we have to be ready for Monday.”
