Aaron Barry said Derry City’s 3-2 defeat to Bray Wanderers last Friday will be the toughest of the Candystripes season. It was Derry’s first game since they lost their club captain Ryan McBride only two weeks ago and it was an emotional night at Mag
Aaron Barry said Derry City’s 3-2 defeat to Bray Wanderers last Friday will be the toughest of the Candystripes season.
It was Derry’s first game since they lost their club captain Ryan McBride only two weeks ago and it was an emotional night at Maginn Park, which saw a minute’s applause held for the former Derry City captain.
It was always going to be mentally tough for Kenny Shiels young side and Aaron Barry admitted the team was completely exhausted during the game.
“It was very tough,” Barry said. “I think that was just written in the stars tonight.
“You know we had enough chances to win four games as you seen, but there were three goals that were entirely preventable, we know that, but even at that we still got to win the game,” Barry continued.
“To be honest, I think everybody, like I have said already, everybody is just exhausted,” Barry admitted. ”That was the toughest game of our season by a country mile,” He said.
“At the end of the game I was bitterly disappointed and I was just really tired. I looked behind the goal and I saw the big picture of the big man and I just thought that was a heart-breaking perspective, you know.” Barry explained.
If anyone in the Derry side knew Ryan McBride it was his defensive partner for the past three seasons and the Arklow man admitted it will take some time to get past his former captain’s sudden passing.
“Mentally, your emotions are all over the place,” Barry said. “I look over to my right tonight and the big man isn’t there, heading balls, and just commanding things, and it’s going to take a little while to get used too, but that game will be one of the hardest we will face in any competition this season.”
It was an untimely defeat for the Candystripes, who gave it their all for 90 minutes, but they couldn’t stop a defeat at the hands of Bray Wanderers after coming back from a two-goal deficit after half-time, only to concede a third with seconds to go.
However, Barry was adamant after the game that it was time for the players to step up and get their season back on track against Cork City this weekend.
“I think it time for us to stand up and be men,” Barry explained. “Ryan was an absolute man, he was a warrior, and that’s what everybody keeps saying about him but now I think it needs to rub off on us a bit.
“It’s time for men now, and there are no more young men. No more we are young team, and we are good young players, and all that, it’s full of men now, you grow up.
“Ryan’s loss is indescribable and people might look at that game and say if Ryan was there it would have been a different game and it probably would have been because all the emotion wouldn’t have been there as well, but I’m just so glad that game is out of the way,” Barry admitted.
Derry City nearly went five wins in a row in the league for the first time since 1991, but with everything that has happened in the City of the Candystripes the past number of weeks, it will be a real test of team spirit when they meet John Caulfield’s unbeaten Cork City side this Friday.
The Candystripes have only won once in 14 years at Turner Cross, a stat Aaron Barry is determined to change.
“Now, luckily, we have an away trip to Cork, so we have an overnight, and we can come together as a team and we can try and put it right next week and stop the hype train of Cork.”
