Paul Fennessy reports from Tallaght Stadium

SHAMROCK ROVERS BOSS Stephen Bradley was critical of his side following their 4-4 draw with Cork City on Monday night.

The Hoops remain without a win after four games this season and are already seven points behind table-toppers Derry City.

They were fortunate to avoid defeat in Tallaght having trailed 4-2 with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, needing a 97th-minute Sean Hoare goal to rescue a point.

While praising elements of the reigning champions’ attack play, Bradley was especially unhappy at the manner his side defended — it was the first time they conceded four (or more) goals in the Premier Division in Tallaght since a 2018 encounter with Dundalk.

Yet the manager still felt his men could have come away with three points, as they missed some good chances throughout the match and particularly in the dying stages.

“We created 19 opportunities on goal, but we probably gave up 10 so it’s very unlike us,” he told reporters after the game. “You’re 4-2 down — deservedly so — and it could have been five or six, and then we come back and should win it at the end. I don’t know what you make of that — strange, strange game.

“We know we don’t stop and when you’re 4-2 down in the 82nd minute, you’ll take a point. We should win in the end. But for us to give up four goals and the way we did, the manner of the goals we gave up, was really poor. I cannot remember the last time we did that in the league here, just a really strange game. Our defending, our decisions when defending were awful and we gave up just simple opportunities.

“Friday-Monday [turnaround] is definitely not an excuse. You’ve got the squad. When we go one-up, I think we think we’re okay and instead of [being] ruthless, the decisions all night defensively were awful all over the pitch — whether high up or in our defensive third. It’s something we definitely need to look at as a group.”

Bradley insisted he was not unduly concerned by his side’s slow start, in contrast with Derry City — the team most critics are tipping as the likeliest of the contenders to stop the Hoops from claiming a fourth successive league title.

“I’m not worried because Friday [against Derry] was so good, Drogheda was good, parts of Sligo were good. And our attacking play tonight, some of it was good. But defensively we were really poor, really poor. We freshen it up with Dan [Cleary] and Lee [Grace] and, yeah, it didn’t help us at all.”

The Hoops boss also acknowledged the absence of suspended centre-back Roberto Lopes was keenly felt.

“If he plays tonight we don’t give up the opportunities we gave up. If you watch the goals, really incredible. 

“Pico is obviously a loss, there is no doubt, but the players that are coming in that are playing, players that have won leagues and are top players, and tonight, we gave up four, could have been six, it could have been 6-6, crazy game.”

When asked about whether Bradley was confident his side would get better as the season developed, he replied: “It’s not about getting better. Friday [versus Derry], no one can watch that game and say we weren’t outstanding. Some of our attacking play tonight was very good. It’s about respecting the opposition, respecting what’s in front of you. We didn’t do that tonight. We didn’t respect their attacking threat which we knew they had. 

“We go ahead early, we hit the crossbar early. Their ‘keeper makes a good save. Instead of being ruthless, and putting the game to bed, we didn’t do that. Against any team in this league, if you have that mindset, you’re going to get punished. And we were tonight.”