Derry City interim manager Mark Connolly has condemned his team's defensive collapse in a 5-3 defeat at Bohemians. The Candystripes led at half-time but conceded three goals from set-pieces in six minutes after the break and had James Clarke sent off.

Connolly did not hold back in his assessment of the second-half capitulation at Dalymount Park on Friday night. "The first 45 minutes I thought we were brilliant," he said. "And then ten minutes after the whistle went for the second half, it was just sheer madness."

Michael Duffy's first-half strike had given the visitors a deserved lead. The game unravelled completely after the restart, however, with Bohemians scoring three times from dead-ball situations between the 47th and 53rd minutes. Clarke's straight red card for a challenge on Connor Parsons compounded the misery, leaving Derry 3-1 down with ten men.

Defensive issues exposed

Connolly pointed to a recurring problem this season. "I think there's been a lot of defensive errors and I think we have struggled at times keeping the ball out of our net," he admitted. "For 10 minutes in the second half, we didn't do that. Three set-pieces, you're just killing yourself."

Despite the disastrous period, Connolly acknowledged a late response from his reduced side, who scored twice more but also conceded another two goals in the eight-goal thriller. "To be fair to the boys, they kept trying and plugged on, but it was a ten-minute period which ruined the game for us," he added.

The interim boss, who took charge following the departure of manager Tiernan, also addressed external criticism of the club. "People are sitting waiting to see what's going to happen next," Connolly stated. He confirmed a comprehensive review is underway. "We're having a review of everything top to bottom. We've a monster football club that we want to get right."

Discussions about the club's long-term direction are happening daily, but Connolly stressed the importance of a careful appointment. "It's also our job not to rush into something straight away. We want to get it right as quickly as we can."

The defeat leaves Derry City needing to address clear defensive frailties as they prepare for their next league fixture. Fans can check the team's upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page, while the senior squad list is available here. The search for a permanent manager continues behind the scenes this week.