McEntee admits his team orchestrated its own downfall

Sligo manager Tony McEntee was far from pleased as poor discipline and a lack of penetration with the ball cost his side dearly in their defeat to Clare in Ennis on Sunday last.

A man down following Luke Towey’s straight red, Sligo still led by a point after Sean Carrabine’s free put them in front with eight minutes of normal time remaining. But Paul Kilcoyne’s subsequent sending off ultimately proved fatal as two late points by the Banner County saw Sligo open up their Allianz Football League Division 3 account with defeat.

“I'm more than disappointed, I'm mad to be honest with you,” admitted McEntee. “I'm mad because we could have, should have won that game. But unfortunately for large parts of the game, we no more deserved to win it and didn't at the end.

“Scoring two points in the opening half despite the wind, that's not enough to win many games, is it? The first-half was very difficult and the conditions didn't suit any sort of football out the field. Clare were fairly defensive in there, they kept a good shape and we made it easy by running into tackles and losing ball, dispossession and some of our discipline thereafter wasn't great.

“We also lacked a lot of punch in that first-half as well and I think that while we held the ball well and we recycled it, we were going nowhere with it. In fairness, that's a testament to Clare more than an issue for us.” 

McEntee added: “I saw (Luke’s red), it was a strike, I think it's a clear red card. From my end I think it's a fair call by the linesman, I'd say they caught it that side. So I'd have no issue with the red card.

“My issue is around discipline generally rather than the two red cards because we got maybe six or seven balls taken up 20 to 30 yards by Conor (Lane, the referee) over ill-discipline for whatever reason and we also made it easy for Conor to give frees so I have no issue with the referee. All my issues are around ourselves and our inability to deal with that.

“We've been excellent actually (with discipline). I don't know if we got a red card in the whole of last year. Maybe it's the pressure of Division 3, maybe it's the pressure of tight and tougher opposition, I don't know, but it certainly was a feature that I don't like.” 

One positive McEntee was keen to the note was the effect former Mayo footballer Kevin McLoughlin has had since joining the backroom team. The two also worked together when McEntee was part of Stephen Rochford’s coaching team during his tenure as Mayo manager as the Armagh native has been impressed by Kevin’s contributions so far.

“Kevin's very solid, he's a teacher as a background. He communicates very well with the players. He walks with them in relation to their runs, their attacking play, communication on the field. He's doing really well.

“When he retired it was an opportunity to see if it was something that he wanted to get involved in and he expressed that it was.

“Kevin’s a very knowledgeable player, he played as a very smart player, he was a small frame of a man who actually played at a competitive level against any type of player. So he was somebody we felt could add value to the team, and he has.” 

Up next for Sligo is Wicklow at home this Sunday, who are managed by McEntee’s former Crossmaglen and Armagh teammate Oisin McConville. The Garden County lost their opening game to Down so both men know how important this game can be for their respective Division 3 ambitions. For McEntee, he hopes his players are up for the fight.

“We have four home games, we have three away games. Our target this year is to be promoted, hopefully as champions. We've a long way to go after today to get that. Last year we lost the first game, we went nine games unbeaten.

“This year, after that performance, it's hard to see that happen this year, but I would say that there's a good fight in these fellas and we'll see if it's in them now at this stage.

“Wicklow are strong and fit. It's a game we need to win, let’s be fair about it. It's a challenge we're looking forward to next week.”