I love Paul Cook. There, I’ve said it.
I love his passion and enthusiasm, his humour and his accent. The Scouser Sligo Rovers boss is one of the most colourful and fascinating figures in the loopy League of Ireland.
Standing alongside the Rovers dugout at The Brandywell on Good Friday, one couldn’t fail to hear Cook’s every exhortation. No wonder his throat is permanently on the injured list.
Even for the half-time update, before he had his players in the dressing room for a dressing down following the concession of an equaliser just a minute after taking the lead, Cook’s voice was shot to pieces.
Watch Derry City v Sligo Rovers here.
However, his uncomplicated view of football, and life, shone through. The second half plan would be simple. Go back out and win the game for a second time.
That Sligo did just that is quite remarkable against a Derry side who were unbeaten in the league before the North West derby.
This is Cook’s third season in charge at the Showgrounds and the achievement of leading the Bit o'Red to a European qualification spot cannot be underestimated, particularly in the light of the financial turmoil experienced by Rovers last year.
Cook’s career took in the likes of Wigan, Norwich, Wolves, Coventry, Tranmere Stockport and Burnley. He learnt about football in the various reaches of the English league but, importantly, he learnt about life as well. Playing non-league football for Accrington Stanley can do that to you, for sure.
Cook is funny and unaffected. He takes his football seriously, of course, but understands the context of the game in people’s lives.
During the second half as Derry piled on the pressure looking for a winner, Cook rung the changes to help stem the tide. Brian Cash went to warm up and I moved closer to the Sligo bench to seek information on a possible change.
'What’s the plan Paul?' I asked as the Sligo brains trust considered their options. 'We’re not sure at the moment, Tony, what do you think we should do?'
Sligo made three changes, with no help from me, to counter the Derry threat and in a dramatic finale the Tubbercurry Tornado, Rafael Cretaro, popped up to score the winner for a shock result that has blown the league wide open. The visit of the champions Bohemians to the Showgrounds next week will hold no fears now for Rovers or their manager.
Afterwards Cook was honest enough to admit that he would have settled for a draw against the league leaders, especially considering Sligo’s injury woes and the fact that it was the first win at The Brandywell for Sligo in ten years.
'But we want to write history,' he croaked while lavishing praise on his charges who showed incredible motivation and workrate. The team spirit at the Showgrounds is in safe hands, it seems.
Derry boss Stephen Kenny was shell-shocked at the finish. Watch out for his post match interview on MNS on Monday on RTÉ Two. He gave Sligo due credit but accepted his own part in the defeat by throwing caution to the wind in chasing the winner.
Derry have a right to feel aggrieved too with four penalty claims, three of which, with the benefit of television replays, look to be legitimate.
Kenny’s outburst was extraordinary. He claimed that Derry was regarded as an outpost by officials, 'like the Eastern Bloc' where normal rules and standards fail to apply. They just don’t seem to get many penalties awarded to the home side at The Brandywell.
Maybe these things will even themselves out over the course of a season for Kenny and Derry, but there was hardly the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement on Foyleside on the night.
Last Tuesday in Cork, we decided to forego the Champions League offerings on the box and head to Turner's Cross for the visit of Drogheda United. Cork City owner Tom Coughlan decided, on Budget Day, to do his bit for community spirit and morale by letting everyone in for free.
As a marketing exercise the club must be commended. Indeed, several friends of mine were going to bring their kids along to join Aoife and I in experiencing the loopy League of Ireland LIVE and in person.
But if it wasn’t bad enough having Manchester United v Porto or Arsenal v Villareal as counter attractions in your living room, the rain that fell incessantly for hours on end in Cork was enough to put most but the hardiest souls off.
Why on earth schedule a full programme of matches on a Champions League night especially when a pointless summer break is planned? As we’re on the subject, each club playing each other four times during the course of the season is simply pointless.
About 3,000 came to the Cross on the night and I’m pleased to say a lot of them were kids. Having said that, Cork took the hit financially, and considering their recent history maybe that’s a hit they simply cannot afford.
TONY O’DONOGHUE IS GROUP FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT FOR RTE.
