Liam Buckley: If that could be our standard until the end of the season we'll be OK

Liam Buckley has challenged his side to replicate Friday night's performance away to Shamrock Rovers for the rest of the season as they look to pull away from the relegation fight.

 

The St Patrick's Athletic boss watched his team show impressive resilience to come back from a goal down to wrest a draw at Tallaght Stadium thanks to Christy Fagan's second-half strike.

 

And it could easily have been all three points for the Saints after Graham Burke was dismissed for a kick on Pat Cregg late in the second half, but it was the performance more than the result that pleased Buckley.

 

“For 20 minutes they hadn't got a shot on target or anything near it until they got the goal. It rocked us a little bit for a few minutes.

 

I didn't think one or the other team had the upper hand. They had a bit of possession across the back – they knocked it back and back and back and back at times.

 



“In fairness to the lads, they've regrouped at half time and we played really well in the second half so we deserved at least a point, if not three.

 

“We certainly outplayed them in the second half. We've had all the play and all the chances and unfortunately we didn't get anything out of it.”

 

Buckley reiterated his pre-match assessment that, despite being separated by seven places in a 12-team league, there was very little between his side and the more expensively-assembled Hoops.

 



Pats beat Rovers 2-1 in the previous meeting between the sides this season, goals from Kurtis Byrne and Josh O'Hanlon overturning a half-time deficit at Richmond Park.

 

“There's not an awful lot between Rovers and ourselves, that's for sure. Outside of Cork, who've ran amok this year, and Dundalk, there's very little between everybody else.

 

“We've played Derry, a really top footballing side who get it down and play and pass the ball really well, but there's very little between the rest of us.”

 

Buckley brushed off reports during the week suggesting Pats are one of the favourites to land former under-21 international Owen Garvan, who is set to return to these shores after 14 years in England.

 

He insists the club haven't had contact with any potential recruits so far and will monitor the situation over the break, while others may leave the club in search of gametime elsewhere.

 

“We'll have a look and see what's available. We'll see what we can do. One or two from our group may want to go to get games and all that sort of stuff.

 

“It's a funny old time of the season, the break, but we'll have a look and see if there's anything we can do.”

 

The draw lifts Pats off the foot of the table, one point clear of Galway United, and Buckley hopes to use last night's performance as a benchmark for the rest of the season.

 

“League tables don't lie – we are there because of our form or whatever. We do need to improve, and that was an improved performance.

 

“We played reasonably well today, certainly in the second half. If that could be our standard from now until the end of the season, we'll be OK.”