David Healy - reaction to today’s draw
Posted : 25th September 2021
David Healy gives his verdict on the game at Mourneview Park.
“Today was a disappointing performance and a disappointing outcome. We made some tactical changes, giving opportunities to several players but I just thought that as a team overall, we were poor today.
I thought in the first half our performance was so far off the mark from where we’ve been and from where want to get to, as a team. The only positive from the first half was that we came in with the score still 0-0.
We still believed we would do better in the second half and I think we were slightly better. We created more opportunities to possibly go on and score, without creating that really good chance that we needed.
We had another good turn out of supporters in attendance and we just wanted to give them the goal we needed. We just wanted the one chance to drop for us, to get the decisive breakthrough goal but unfortunately, it just wasn’t to be today.
The players are so hardworking and honest but I thought we just lacked that little bit of X factor today. We had two or three half chances where we nearly scored through headers but with the quality of players we had on the pitch today and with the subs we brought on, we should have done better but it was one of those days.
The fresh legs of the subs gave us renewed energy but it’s been a disappointing day. We will dust ourselves down and assess where we are at, ahead of more huge games on Tuesday and Friday.
We won’t be too despondent after today, as it’s a long season and I don’t want the players to be seeing or reading or hearing any negativity about the football club. If we were to be down, there’s plenty of people outside the club who’d want to take the chance to give us a kick. My job is to make sure we aren’t down, giving people the opportunity to kick us.
Losing Christy due to suspension is hugely disappointing for us. I spoke to the referee briefly after the game and Doyle was walking for the challenge in the incident in question. There was probably a certain bit of naivety from Christy in the face of aggression and we had warned him about the attention he’d be receiving in certain games. The red card he received cost us a player who with his pace and energy could have got a chance to score an important goal.
We will now miss him in upcoming games but his enforced absence will give opportunities to others. Tuesday is a huge game at the Oval and it’s one we won’t need any motivation for. It’s a game we will look forward to and embrace the challenge in. I was fortunate to play in various huge and exciting derby games but unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get to play in a Blues / Glens game, so our players have it all to look forward to on Tuesday night. We can’t wait for the game to come around.”