Pat Scully remains positive despite disappointing result

IN the wake of Limerick FC’s disappointing nil-all draw with Monaghan United at Jackman Park on Saturday afternoon manager Pat Scully was quick to highlight the positives from a performance which saw the Super Blues fail to score for the third game in succession.
“They had a couple of chances and we had a few chances at the end,” Pat Scully told Leader Sport.


“Over the 90 minutes it was probably a slight improvement from last week.
“Defensively we were a bit better and kept a clean sheet, but still we have plenty of work to do and we got another 90 minutes under our belt which was important.
“You can see that at certain stages of the game we’re flagging a little bit, but I was pleased with the players’ attitude. They worked very, very hard and they gave it everything they could.
“I don’t think I could have asked for any more effort.
“We lacked a little bit of quality, but there are still plenty of things we can work on.
“It’s going to take a bit of time, but we all knew that.
“I was pleased enough to be fair,” Pat Scully said.
Pat Scully has installed Dave Campbell as assistant manager and Paul Fagan as goalkeeping coach while he has also retained the services of Paul O’Donnell and Mick Shiel as coaching assistants.
That management team face a tough task next weekend when the Super Blues will face the Wexford Youths in the space of three days.
On Friday night next Limerick FC will travel to Ferrycarrig Park to take on Mick Wallace’s Wexford Youths in the league (kick-off 8pm) while the Super Blues will then host the same opposition at Jackman Park on Easter Monday night (kick-off 7.45pm) when the sides clash in the first round of the League Cup.
Meanwhile, four days later, Limerick FC will return to league action when they welcome Kildare County to Jackman Park.
“Well we need to be careful that we don’t work the players too hard and pick up any more injuries,” admitted Pat Scully on Saturday.
“Paul Cummins got a run out tonight and John Tierney won’t be far away either.
“We have to be careful with the training we do.
“We’ll take the games as they come and hopefully we can improve on this performance.
“We’ll take the cup game seriously and again it’s another game that we can get more fitness out of.
“I’d like to think that in four or five weeks time, when we’ve had a full quota of matches and training, that the lads will be much fitter.
“We’ll keep working hard and hopefully we’ll start getting positive results. If you’re talking about effort and desire you couldn’t ask for anything more from these players.”

Brian McDonnell