Manager Brian Barry-Murphy’s post-match reaction to his side’s narrow defeat to Sunderland at the Crown Oil Arena…
“I thought the result was a bit harsh, but the effort of our lads was incredible. They put a lot of work into preparing for the game and the performance bore fruit – it was reward for the way they prepared during the week,” said BBM.
“The result didn’t go our way but we were up against a team who have been relentless in their pursuit of points all season, and I admired the way they went about the game. We scored and had good spells in the first half, but they were never affected and kept doing what they what they wanted to do.
“I thought our lads were amazing for spells of the game and disciplined. There was the exact same courage and hard work they put in during the previous games, but the result just didn’t go our way.”
He continued: “There were parts of the game where we had good spells in possession, and I was happy with the amount of possession that we had. When they had possession, they’ve got very good players who can open you up at any given moment. We had strategies to cope with that and I though the lads played to the game plan very well.
“I wanted to see us implement our style and our want to attack at every opportunity we could, and I thought we did that. I wouldn’t over-analyse the game, as such. The challenge for us to be consistent, which we haven’t been over the last couple of years, but we can be if we produce performances like that.
“I thought it was a performance that everybody at the club could be proud of, & I’ve told the players that. They’re ready to go again & they can’t wait for Tuesday night straight away.”
And Barry-Murphy praised his Captain Ian Henderson, who netted his 19th goal of the season in the match.
“He has been amazing for us. He’s had some sore muscle injuries for the last couple of months and he’s put himself in the firing line every week. The lads rely on him and they look up to him and he inspires them. His effort and commitment is incredible. He’s played through pain for different periods this season, and I don’t want to be too selfish & keep him on for the full game all the time. I want to protect him as much as I can with the games.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.