
John Russell admits Sligo Rovers ‘architects of our own downfall' but vows to ‘use it as fuel' after Drogheda Utd draw
JOHN RUSSELL will accept any criticism that comes Sligo Rovers' way due to their 'criminal' defensive record.
Not for the first time this season, the
1
Sligo Rovers manager John Russell during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Drogheda United
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
But Rovers rallied and forced a way back into the game courtesy of two goals in five minutes, the first a close-range Owen Elding
strike
and the second a calamitous James Bolger own goal.
The 2-2 home draw means
Sligo
have won just two of their first 13 games this season, despite being the Premier Division's joint-top scorers.
But they have by far the leakiest defence and the Showgrounds supremo claims they are conceding too many 'stupid' goals.
Raging Russell fumed: 'Players, staff, the team — we're not in a position we want to be in and we're the architects of our own downfall.
Read More on League of Ireland
'But we have to use it as fuel when people want to take pops, we will prove them wrong. The big players are the leaders who step up when the chips are down.
'We showed character to come back into it against Drogs, but the killer is conceding two goals again.
'It's criminal because we have such ability in this group.
'We can score goals and could have had another two on Friday night, but it's such a challenge to score goals when you go two down. The players know how good we are and what we can do.
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'We're dealing with a lot of setbacks but we have to deal with these stupid goals we're giving away every week.'
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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
'Bleak' - Alan Cawley runs the rule over Sligo Rovers' season so far
At the halfway stage of the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division, things are looking rather "bleak" for Sligo Rovers, according to RTÉ soccer analyst Alan Cawley. The table says as much with the Bit o' Red bottom of the table and facing a tough task to scrape survival once the campaign resumes after the mid-season break. The one saving grace for John Russell's outfit is that Cork City are only a point above them in the relegation play-off spot. But Cork, who played well on Friday on the way to taking a point against Shelbourne at Turners Cross, will be hoping that new manager Gerard Nash and his incoming assistant, former Republic of Ireland midfielder David Meyler, can give them a bounce. As for Sligo, while goalscoring hasn't been an issue, other positives have been thin on the ground and the type of summer surge that helped them finish mid-table last season isn't showing much sign of being on the horizon. And former Shelbourne league winner Cawley is not seeing too much ground for optimism as he told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast. "I think it's fairly bleak when you look at it in terms of the stats and the points, everything is pointing towards relegation sadly for them," said the Sligo native who also spoke earlier in the episode about the experience of attending Saturday's Champions League final in Munich. "They've been poor, very poor. I've seen them in a lot of games recently and they have been poor. "Now, in fairness to John Russell, he lost the goalkeeper (Ed) McGinty, he lost Ellis Chapman who went to Shelbourne, he lost (Niall) Morahan, the spine of the team really, and when you're losing players as good as that and then you're not replacing them, I think it's been very, very difficult for John in that regard." The one "shining light" according to Cawley is young striker Owen Elding who he and former Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers midfielder Richie Towell both picked as their Young Player of the Season so far. "He's been outstanding, seven goals. But if you're relying on a young fella to basically grab you by the scruff of the neck and get you back into games and win you points, I don't think that speaks well of some of the other lads maybe in the squad as well. So it's been really tough for John, it's been really poor overall," he said. At the halfway point of the season, Sligo are the only team to not pick up a win after falling behind, picking up just two points in that scenario and Cawley feels they often leave themselves with too much to do in games. "I think that's been one of the biggest problems in all the games, they don't give themselves a chance in games because they're falling behind through sloppy needless goals and there have been games where they've been two down in a lot of cases after only 15-20 minutes and then they show great heart and desire to chase the game and get themselves back but it all comes a little bit too late," he said. "They've conceded 34 goals as well. Defensively they've been very poor. They've won only one game at home all season and that's really, really poor because whatever about going on the road and trying to pick up points, you need to be trying to make your home place a bit of a fortress and tough to beat and a difficult place for people to go but if you've only won one game all season as well, I don't think that's great. "So it's pretty bleak at the moment it really is. There are allowances in terms of budgets maybe and what (Russell) has lost from last year and not being able to replace that, but still that's probably no consolation to John Russell. He'll still feel they should be higher up in the table. "But the only hope I see is that Cork are in touching distance, only a point ahead of them."


Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
High-flying Duleek ‘Clear' winners in local derby tie
KENTSTOWN ROVERS 0 Premier Division A GOAL inside 15 seconds set Duleek on their way to a comfortable victory at home to local rivals Kentstown on Thursday night. The win sees Duleek retain their position of second in the top flight, just three points behind league leaders Bellurgan. Right from the kick-off Duleek broke forward, Cormac McGroggan slipped Dylan O'Boyle through and he finished with aplomb to give the hosts the perfect start. After that Duleek continued in the ascendancy, no doubt buoyed by their early strike, and they went close on several occasions before eventually doubling their advantage on 25 minutes. Another good piece of build-up play saw Jayden Clarke break down the wing before delivering a pass to Jamie McCarthy who duly scored his first goal of the season. Kentstown, though, have been a dogged team this season and they started to get into the game. Jonathan Clear made some fine stops in the Duleek goal as the visitors enjoyed a purple patch. However Duleek got to the half-time break with their two-goal lead still intact. The game became somewhat of a war of attrition early in the second period, but Duleek boss Bryan Murphy rang the changes mid-way through the half and those switches soon paid dividends. Matthew Noone and Josh O'Reilly, who had both come into the game, combined for Duleek's third goal. With Rovers pushing forward more, Duleek countered quickly and Noone supplied the pass for O'Reilly to score his fifth goal of the season. O'Reilly went close to another goal soon after, his effort going narrowly wide on this occasion. Duleek, though, still saw it out in good style as Clear secured his first Premier Division clean sheet. While they have a bye this weekend, Duleek will certainly be happy with their position on their return to the top flight. The season is almost at the mid-way point and they have won four of their seven games which has included almost all their trips to Dundalk. Meanwhile Albion Rovers had no fixture this week and their wait for a first league win of the season will continue as they are in Challenge Cup action this Thursday at home to Kingscourt Harps. They sides have already met this season, with the teams playing out a 3-3 draw in the Kilmessan Shield group stages. Duleek: Jonathan Clear, Sean Kennedy, James Traynor, Ben Boyce (Robbie Daly 83), Morgan Browne, Jamie McCarthy, Bobby Brady (Karl Dyas 83), Tom Reilly, Dylan O'Boyle (Josh O'Reilly 52), Cormac McGroggan (Matthew Noone 77), Jayden Clarke (Sean O'Halloran 77). ENFIELD CELTIC 3 DULEEK 2NDS 1 Division 2 Duleek 2nds suffered a defeat away to Enfield Celtic on Friday night as the hosts recorded their eighth win of the season. It was always going to be tough for Duleek against the runaway leaders and they were forced into an early change as Eoin Tierney got injured inside 15 minutes and was replaced by Heuston Stanley. Enfield went on to hit the front on the half-hour and probably just about deserved it at that stage, although Duleek had their chances. As the game went on it looked like Duleek may sneak a leveller, but on the hour mark Enfield capitalised on a defensive mistake to score a second goal. The visitors pushed forward and pulled one back on 77 minutes as a sublime solo effort from Breno Araujo set up a grandstand finish. Duleek hit the post inside the final 10 minutes, but they were caught on the counter-attack deep into stoppage time as Enfield put the result beyond doubt. Duleek: Daire Moore, Aaron Seery, Craig Brodigan (Craig Clarke 86), Kyle Boland, Leon O'Leary, Eoin Tierney (Heuston Stanley 14), Kyle Byrne, Robbie Duff, Leon Smith, Dylan Brodigan (Alan O'Brien 67), Adam Courtney (Breno Araujo 60).


Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
'I think we'll be fine' says Cork City's Seani Maguire before jetting off for mid-season break
The League of Ireland's mid-season break is upon us, and Shelbourne manager Damien Duff has again made clear how he feels about it. 'There's an air of the jolly boys out, they are meeting at the terminal tomorrow, they are meeting at the pub in the terminal. "It's a week on the gargle. That's not the football education I had in England,' stated Duff, who recently described this mid-season break as "amateurish." But it's fair to say some of the footballers feel a little differently about it. 'I'm going to Portugal with the family Sunday, for a couple of days, so it'll be a nice little break, just myself, my wife, the baby, and the grandparents,' admitted Seani Maguire, speaking minutes after Duff in the aftermath of Cork City's 1-1 draw with Shelbourne on Friday night. 'I've a couple of buddies over there as well. Yeah, look, I think the mid-season break, you can look at it two different ways, where you can go and just have a break totally away from football. 'But I think the message was clear from the manager in there, that we'll be back in the Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and throughout the week leading up to the Bohs game, because this is a big 18 games for us.' That result proved to be enough to edge City a point clear of bottom club Sligo Rovers at the halfway point in the Premier Division campaign, but it was the performance under newly appointed manager Gerard Nash that provides the club with reasons to be hopeful. 'I think we'll be fine. A couple of lads coming back fit, hopefully a couple more bodies through the door, and we'll see us win a lot more games than we lose' added Maguire, who was also keen to praise Cathal O'Sullivan following rumours linking him with a move to FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. Read More Colin Healy sees Kerry take care of Longford 'I think young Cathal will make his own decision. I think he can be whatever he wants. I think he's one of the best young fellas I've played with, and that includes England. 'Not just because of his talent, it's just his attitude towards everything, I think that's what teams in England will look for first, because you can just see it clear as day how good he is on the ball, he's a joy to play with. 'When he eventually goes to England, I'll be gutted not to play with him again, because of how good he is. 'But I'll be keeping tabs on his career, because I think he'll definitely play for Ireland, he's that good, and he'll definitely go and play at the highest level in football in England. 'His first touch is unbelievable, and it's not just his taking players on 1v1, just the basics of football, he does really well. 'He plays like a fella that's probably 10 years older than his age. He's brilliant, and as I said, his attitude is A1. 'He's so strong. Even in training there could be two or three lads hanging off him, and he just stands up. 'You see him in games there, he's getting kicked, he's getting lashes in the back, and he just keeps going and going and going. 'He'll go on to have an unbelievable career, I've no doubts about that.' Maguire also spoke highly of Djenairo Daniels, who he has struck up a promising partnership with in the absence of the injured Ruairí Keating. Cork City's Djenairo Daniels celebrates scoring a penalty with Sean Maguire. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane Daniels signed for City at the end of April with the club announcing at the time that it was a short-term deal until July. But it is understood the 23-year-old Dutch striker's deal will actually expire at the end of the season, although he could still sign for another club this summer with City entitled to a fee. 'DD, since he's come in, he's done really well,' continued Maguire. 'Obviously he didn't play in quite a while, and to come in and play so many games in a short space of time is a credit to him. 'He's a fit lad, he's a strong boy, he's quick, he has everything to be a top striker. He's scored goals there that are poacher's goals. 'You can see tonight the little, short and long passes, and the combination plays that we were doing, and I enjoyed playing with him tonight. 'I've only just come back in the team, and started to play with him, and I don't want to have that partnership with him, and to see him go. 'Hopefully the club get it sorted, and he'll be here for however long he wants to be.'