Peamount United boss James O'Callaghan was satisfied with the application of his own players but it was the half-time scoreline that left a bitter pill as they bowed out of the UEFA Women's Champions League at the hands of Spartak Subotica on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite an impressive brace from Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, the reigning Women's National League champions lost 5-2 in the Dutch city of Enschede and exit Europe, notwithstanding a third-place playoff still to come against either Netherlands' Twente or Georgia's Tbilisi Nike.
Speaking after the game, O'Callaghan rued how, in his view, the scoreline at the break did not fully reflect the balance of play between themselves and their Serbian opponents.
"I'm really disappointed with the scoreline. I thought we gave a good account of ourselves," he said, adding that he felt his side "really went toe to toe" with their opponents in the first half.
"Before you know it at half-time, we were 3-0 down which I'm very disappointed with that.
"But second half it was 2-2. Eleanor got two great goals which was good to see. The girls really put a shift in there today and they kept going and kept going against a really good opposition. I think (Spartak Subotica) can go far."
Spartak's Tijana Filipovic who scored a first-half hat-trick for the winning side proved to be the clear difference-maker, O'Callaghan added.
"At times there wasn't really much in that game. I think they were clinical and their number 10 was an exceptional player. She was the big difference," he said.
But he was also impressed by Ryan-Doyle's double for his side.
"Her free-kick was brilliant to see and the second goal was a great finish," he said.
