‘It was a shite game’ - Bohemians boss reflects on ‘mixed’ start to season

League of Ireland side Bohemians suffered three straight defeats after their opening day win over Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers.

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

After the euphoria of a Dublin derby win over Shamrock Rovers in front of more than 33,000 fans at the Aviva Stadium came the crash.

A defeat to Derry City, followed by further reversals against Cork City and Drogheda United.

Suddenly, that glorious day in Dublin 4 was a speck in the rearview mirror.

Happily for Alan Reynolds and his Bohemians players, last weekend’s 3-0 win away to Waterford, with winter signing Colm Whelan bagging a hat-trick, signalled a return to winning ways.

But for a few weeks, it was tough going for the Dalymount Park men.

“I have found since I’ve been here that any time we’ve played Rovers the one after has been difficult,” Reynolds said.

“And that says a lot about us as a group, that we can get ourselves up and firing against Rovers and then the following week… which is no good. I would have had that at other clubs as well.

“It was a big high and then back down to earth. It was a tough away fixture in Derry obviously and there wasn’t much in it.

“It was a shite game to be fair but it’s just to turn those ones (into wins).

“For a half hour, 35 minutes down in Cork, we were excellent. We should have been 2-0 up and then with the attacking quality they have, they got back in it.”

So the Waterford win was a welcome one.

“It is yeah because we work extremely hard and sometimes when you watch us play you’d wonder do we. But the staff and the players, we work really hard,” he said.

“We’re in most days so when you don’t get the rewards at the end of it it can be frustrating for the players and the staff.

“All we say is if we keep working as hard as we are it will turn in our favour.”

Summing up the campaign so far, with Bohs sixth in a very congested Premier Division table, Reynolds remarked: “I suppose you could say it (the feeling) is disappointment.

“But to go and play in the Aviva, in the first one, everyone’s on a high and it wouldn’t be long until we were taken down a peg or two.

“Obviously we were disappointed to lose three, narrow defeats. It’s something we have spoken about and I think going to Waterford we were better set, better set up and we’re trying to build on that, but it’s been mixed, hasn’t it?”

Next up is another Dublin derby against St Patrick’s Athletic. Reynolds knows all about their manager Stephen Kenny, having worked as his assistant at Derry City.

“They have really good attacking players,” he said of Friday’s opponents. “I think they have had a few injuries too.

“Their game against Sligo, the 4-3, I think that’s them, they just want to have a go and will go all out to score goals.

“We watched the (Shamrock) Rovers game and they were unlucky but they have serious talent in the top end of the pitch, (Aidan) Keena, (Mason) Melia and the two lads on the wings (Jake Mulraney and Zach Elbouzedi).“I know that’s the way he (Kenny) wants to play. You could see with Ireland, he didn’t really change the way he played.

“We played St Pat’s near the end of the season but in the first half we were really good and then had Ross sent off after 50 minutes and the game was a non-event then.

“But I know where we can cause them problems.”

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

Miatamil

Listed here the latest Trending News