Derry City's Interim Boss Mark Connolly Defies Critics After Bohemians Loss
Derry City's interim boss Mark Connolly has hit back at critics after the team's 5-3 loss to Bohemians. Connolly believes the club's critics are waiting for a loss and are 'throwing a lot of punches'.
What Happened?
Derry City's second-half horror show at Dalymount Park saw the team concede three quickfire goals from calamitous set-piece defending. James Clarke's sending off for a robust challenge on Conor Parsons compounded matters. Despite Tyler Smith's well-taken strike on 62 minutes and Michael Duffy's stoppage-time penalty, Ross Tierney delivered a crushing knockout brace which ended the contest.
Why It Matters for Derry City
Connolly believes critics are revelling in the current malaise on Foyleside, but he wasn't prepared to give their comments much oxygen as he digested a hurtful defeat in Dublin. "Tiernan [Lynch] has left and we're deciding what way the football club is going," responded Derry's caretaker boss when informed about Cawley's commentary.
What Comes Next?
Derry City has conceded almost as many goals [37] as they've scored this campaign [38] and when asked if this team was soft-centred, Connolly wasn't prepared to question the mentality of his players. The Monaghan man was brought in as Director of Football and will return to that role once a new manager is appointed. It's clear the club won't rush its decision to bring in a permanent successor to Lynch, but perhaps Friday's collapse pressed home the need to speed up the process.
League Standing
Derry City currently sits 6th in the Premier Division with 33 points from 28 games, with a recent form of LWDLW. The team is 21 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers and will face a huge home game against Shamrock Rovers on August 30th.
Goals This Season
Derry City has scored 38 goals and conceded 37 this season, with a goal difference of +1.
Recent Form
Derry City's recent form has been 3W-0D-2L, with the team losing their last two games.
Next Fixture
Derry City's next fixture is against Shamrock Rovers at home on August 30th.
Image Prompt
A photorealistic image of an anonymous Derry City player, wearing a red jersey with white sleeves and a white collar, looking dejected after a set-piece goal is conceded. The image is shot with a 85mm f/1.4 lens, with a shallow depth of field and a floodlight rim light.
