Late Pats strike ruins Cook's day

Last Thursday in Richmond Park represented an excellent opportunity for Sligo Rovers to close the gap on Michael O'Neill's Shamrock Rovers at the top of the Airtricity Premier Division. Given that the Tallaght side were on the receiving end of a 1-0 away defeat to Bray Wanderers, then the 2-1 loss that the Bit O'Red suffered at the hands of St. Patrick's Athletic will have come as something of a disappointment to the travelling contingent from the West.

However, with just three points separating Shamrock Rovers and seventh-placed Bray, it is extremely tight in the top flight at the moment and, as Sligo boss Paul Cook remarked after the game, it would take a brave man to determine how this season will pan out in the end.

“It's tight. I think there are a lot of good sides in the league like we spoke about. There's not many goals in games sometimes. There's the odd goal between teams, but if you compare Sligo to Pat's or Dundalk to Derry, you'd be a brave man sometimes to predict who'll finish above who,” Cook stated.

“I think everyone gives Shamrock Rovers respect, they do appear to have the strongest squad, but the way things are going, everyone has got to think they can win the league, without a shadow of a doubt”.

Focusing on the loss to Pat's, when a 94th minute goal from Danny North gave the home side all three points, Cook revealed that it was likely that he would feel the pain of the defeat the following day, but would be doing so in the knowledge that it is simply the nature of the game, and that they will now look to move on from here.

“It's spoils my day tomorrow! It makes me wake up in a not very good mood. Ah no, but it's football, as you know yourselves. I don't think we deserved to get beaten, that's the truth. I didn't think we played great in any shape or form, we never really got our passing game going, and in fits and starts we did okay. The game had petered out to a draw, I'll shake hands with Pete (Mahon) and move on. When things don't work out like that I'm very disappointed, but good luck to St Pat's”.

However, when asked about the forthcoming game this Monday against Dundalk at The Showgrounds, he did say that he wasn't quite ready to forget about the Pat's game immediately, and that he wasn't entirely certain what, if any, changes he would be making to his side for the visit of The Lilywhites.

“I can't get over tonight yet. I can't look ahead. I'm not the kind who takes positives when you're beaten. The only positive is I'm going for a pint! I don't know (if I'll make changes). It's easy to have gut reactions isn't it. We'll look at DVDs like we always do, and we'll come back better”.

In the lead up to the Inchicore side's winning goal, Sligo defender Gavin Peers did feel slightly aggrieved at having a free given against him in the build-up. Cook did seem to sympathise with Peers in this instance, though the former Coventry and Wolves star isn't one for blaming match officials for losses suffered by his side.

“Yeah, but again the referee makes these decisions, it's not the ref's fault we got beaten tonight. We can all blame referees and fourth officials, but I don't do that. If you get beaten, you get beaten, I'll take it on the chin”, Cook added.