SLIGO ROVERS MANAGER Gerard Lyttle reckons his side were the architects of their own downfall in last night’s SSE Airtricity League Premier Division meeting with Cork City.
Having gone into the game on a high following last Friday’s 2-1 victory over Derry City, Rovers were brought crashing back to earth with a 4-1 defeat to the champions at the Showgrounds.
“I don’t think Cork beat us, we beat ourselves,” Lyttle said afterwards. “We started off actually in the first couple of minutes on the front foot, and then after that it was mistakes that cost us the game.”
Returning from a one-game ban as a result of the red card he received in the opening game of the season against St Patrick’s Athletic, Graham Cummins was the hero for City in Sligo as he netted a hat-trick. Former Sligo Rovers winger Kieran Sadlier scored from the penalty spot for the Leesiders. Adam Morgan converted a penalty for the hosts.
John Caulfield’s side were 2-0 in front after 11 minutes thanks to a header from Cummins and a spot-kick from Sadlier, which was awarded by referee Derek Tomney after Seamus Sharkey was deemed to have fouled Cummins in the box.
Inside the opening minute of the second half, Cummins scored his second after intercepting Kyle Callan-McFadden’s back-pass. On the hour-mark, former Liverpool striker Morgan scored for the second game in a row after Steven Beattie was penalised for fouling Caolan McAleer.
Shortly after Sligo’s Rhys McCabe was dismissed for dissent in the 89th minute, Cummins completed his hat-trick on the stroke of full-time when he tucked away Shane Grifin’s cross.
“Christmas came early for Cork tonight,” said Lyttle. “It was very disappointing from our point of view in terms of the goals we conceded. We tried to have a go at Cork in the second half but it just wasn’t enough. When you’re playing against the league champions and you gift them goals, you have no chance. It’s hard enough playing them without giving them opportunities.
“We’re very disappointed. We spoke before the game about being on it and being focused, and concentration levels have to be high when you’re playing against good players. Tonight obviously our concentration let us down.”
He added: “It might sound stupid but, watching the game from the side, I think in the second half we were the better team. We had a few chances. Our decision-making maybe in the final third wasn’t great.
“To gift them goals is soul-destroying at times when you’ve worked so hard at things. I honestly believed that we would get something from the game. I felt confident that we could get something. When you go 2-0 down inside the first 15 minutes, your back is against the wall and players are on edge and they start doing silly things.”
Last night’s result leaves Sligo with one win and two defeats from their opening three games in the 2018 season, all of which were played at home due to the unavailability of Derry City’s Brandywell Stadium for last weekend’s meeting of the two clubs.
The Bit O’ Red started their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Limerick. They’ll aim to bounce back with Friday’s trip to St Patrick’s Athletic, while Cork City host Bohemians. The defending champions are setting the early pace, with wins over St Pat’s and Waterford preceding last night’s victory at the Showgrounds.
“It’s one step forward, two steps back,” said Lyttle. “After such a good performance and a good three points against Derry, we’ve come here with all the hype but it wasn’t to be. But we’ll move on. Cork got their three points. Did they overly deserve it? Probably slightly because we’ve given it to them, but they haven’t had to work terribly hard for their goals.”
Cork City manager John Caulfield felt his side delivered a “dominant” display, and he was delighted to pick up all three points against a side who he had failed to get the better of in seven of his previous 12 attempts since taking over in 2014.
“Sligo has been a difficult venue for us and will be for many teams this year,” said Caulfield. “I’m sure it’ll be the same when we come back here later in the season. It’s great to get out with another win and to score four goals. We’ve said since the start of the season that we feel there are goals in this team.”
– Additional reporting by Jessica Farry
With the time off and the cushie jobs they practically are paid professionals
#teachershaveithandy
When a hurling county treats gaelic football with the contempt that it deserves by ignoring it, domination follows…
pity tipp wouldn’t follow suit! hurling is gonna suffer in tipp with way football is going in the county :)
I couldn’t agree with you more Shane. Ger Loughnane pointed out a skills deficit in the Tipp minor hurlers on the Sunday Game. Worrying to see young Tipp hurlers taking the dual player route.
They are still it that good at senior! Maybe they get over u21 and think better stick to the hurls!
I coach u 10s in my club and we never ever do football yet we played one the best teams around here in a football challenge as they asked and bet them . same wouldn’t happen in hurling
Kilkenny won the double this year I’ll have you know.
They won the English Junior championship. That is the level they are at. Contempt I would not call it. If it was they would not play it at all. Just like the Connacht Hurling Championship.
Connacht even struggle in football while mayo, roscommon leitrim plus sligo line out hurling teams in the christy ring,nicky rackard, and lory meagher tournaments so there’s no comparsion there man plus they’re not playing against foreign junior teams. Kilkenny has a bigger population than the latter three I mentioned so like for like comparsion are pretty weak.
Warwickshire and Lancashire both play the Lory Meagher cup both of these teams play in the British Junior Championship so yes Sligo, Letrim and the like play “foreign teams”
There is no equivalent to the Lory Meagher, Nicky Rackard or Christy ring in football, therefore KK have to play a lower league football somewhere.
Plus who gives a crap (obviously counties who play both and win nothing) if Kilkenny focus just on 1 has sport. Kilkenny also only have 1 rugby team in the county. It just means we can be better at that 1 sport.
They is a mad committed group. Da kilkenny crew be a well oiled machine.
@jason *iarla Tannion broke TJ’s knee.
British junior championship
I stand corrected it was Tannion.
That’s right it was the British Junior. They played Scotland in the Semi Final!!
Having grown up in Kilkenny, I can testify that hurling is everything there. Almost every child plays it from a young age (even if not all of them like it) and the ones who are really good usually go to St. Kieran’s where they are moulded into the kind of hurlers that win All-Irelands. It’s like a hurling academy with excellent facilities. Almost the entire panel from last Sunday went to school there (including Brian Cody) with only a few notable exceptions. They’ve won 20 all Ireland colleges titles and over 50 Leinster Championships.
If you want a parallel in rugby, it’s like the Christchurch Boys School that has produced the likes of Dan Carter, Graham Henry, Andrew Merthens, Brodie Retallick and Steve Hansen and has been one of the drivers of the success of the All Blacks.
I agree with all you said above except you would be very surprised that 7-8 of that starting team were not in St Kieran’s.
Between Scoil Aergail in Ballyhale and a few went to new Ross and some of the younger panelists went to CBS.
But I firmly believe the basis of any good minor team is off a lot of work done in St Kierans.
brilliant post! hurling is the sport in kk! I’d say as soon as kids can walk they’re handed a hurley
Yep Jason, I went to Scoil Aireagail. :-) Was a year ahead of Michael Fennelly all through school. Not a pure hurling school as we were fairly successful in other sports like soccer and cross-country running but still produced many top hurlers over the years. None of the Fennellys went to Kieran’s but they come from a family dynasty of successful players and managers so they didn’t need to! They also benefit from playing for the most successful hurling club in the country in the Ballyhale Shamrocks. They’ve been playing with the likes of Shefflin and the Reids since they were young lads. I’d be willing to bet that many hurlers who didn’t make it on the Kilkenny senior panel who would get into almost any other county’s starting 15. Some probably had the talent but not the discipline to play under Cody. The well of talent is very big for such a small county.
Like a religion
Special Good Wishes… Am I missing something here??