A "fuming" Owen Heary has slammed his players after Sligo Rovers 3-1 defeat to Bray Wanderers and warned his defenders that he may replace them with youngsters who are “champing at the bit” to play.
Sligo were disappointing in their defeat at the Showgrounds, where David Cassidy scored three goals, two of which were from the penalty spot, as Bray secured their first points of the season.
Speaking to Sligo’s in-house communications team after the game, Heary made no attempt to hide his displeasure at his side’s concession of two penalties and three goals.
"I'm fuming," Heary told the club's official website after the game as he voiced his displeasure at his side’s concession of two penalties and three goals.
“The manner in which we lost, giving away two penalties.
"Six minutes into the game, we’ve conceded a penalty, conceded a goal.
"It’s mindless. You can’t accept that. We as a club can’t accept it." - Owen Heary on Keith Ward's dismissal
“Get back into the game, as we do, and then, again give away another stupid penalty.”
He also criticised Keith Ward for the circumstances leading up to his 52nd-minute dismissal at a time in the game in which Sligo trailed 2-1, but were playing with an extra man after Adam Mitchell had been sent off for Bray.
“Even at 2-1, we go out, second half, we have a game plan. It’s working well, we’re getting balls into the box, we’re getting bodies into the box and then Keith Ward goes and does an absolutely ridiculous thing of heading the ball out of the keeper’s hands when he has one hand on the ball. It’s mindless. You can’t accept that. We as a club can’t accept it.”
When asked if Sligo's problem was a defensive one, Heary was unequivocal.
“It is," Heary added. "Defensively as a team and as defenders because we've conceded three goals tonight, we conceded three goals last week, we conceded two goals during the week.
"Defensively, we’re not working as a unit, and we’re not working as a back five.”
He said his defenders needed to work hard warning that it might be might be time to replace some of his current players with youngsters “who are champing at the bit” because, he said, “it’ll mean something to them to defend”.
