Scully praises Limerick players' work ethic

Speaking after his side’s 1-0 victory over Athlone, Pat Scully has praised the work ethic of his players as well as praising the never-say-die attitude shown throughout the entire season.

After battling for eighty five minutes, the winner arrived courtesy of Sean Brosnan. It’s often those goals that win you titles and Pat Scully spoke of his admiration for his side.

“I thought we played really well. We showed some fantastic composure as well as patience. We had plenty of chances last night, but at this time of the season, the pressure is there and you can’t escape that. When Dominic hit the post and Denis missed two chances, you always ask yourself if it’s going to be one of those nights, but our composure prevailed. The build up to the goal was fantastic as was the finish. The three points were the most important thing, but we definitely played well and we must have had at least seventy per cent possession.”

The introductions of Sean Brosnan and Dominic Foley arrived in a spell where Limerick had eased off slightly and the game had gone flat to an extent, but Scully refuses to take any credit.

“Sean did great. He’s quick, he’s lively and he’s a centre forward. That’s where he’d like to play, but it’s difficult given the options we have, but it was a fantastic finish and he deserves all the credit.”

The key to Limerick’s success this year has been their mentality. Attacking from the off, the Blues never settle for a point and always try to push on.

“I have to pay tribute to our mentality, of course. We always set up to win a game, and yes, it has cost us a few games this season, but on the other hand, we’ve won nineteen games out of twenty-six and that’s absolutely fantastic.”

This scenario isn’t completely foreign to Pat Scully. Having won promotion from the First Division in 2006 with Shamrock Rovers, the Limerick boss knows this run-in all too well.

“Run-ins are always different, but yeah, there is always pressure. If you want to be successful, you have to deal with that. It’s about being professional. Next week, we play Longford. If we win that game, we’ll be champions. Last night was hugely important; it has put it firmly in our hands now. We won’t be doing anything different. We’ll prepare the exact same way.”

Many people wouldn’t have begrudged Athlone had they taken a point from Jackman Park. They defended remarkably well and even had a fantastic chance towards the end courtesy of Mark Sherlock. On another night, Limerick would have lost the game, but when your luck is in, it’s in. Scully appreciates oppositions’ tactics when they come to Limerick.

 “Athlone played well last night. It’s the same with most teams – they come here to sit back and catch you on the break. They had some excellent chances last night to be fair to them, but if you look at the course of the match, if we had been most clinical in the final third, we would have been far more comfortable.”

Limerick’s attendance last night was close enough to eight hundred. Shannonside also hosted thirteen hundred earlier in the season; an attendance that would match and surpass a lot of Premier Division average gates. The deafening cheer when Brosnan struck home five minutes from the end exemplifies the strong support fans have given the Blues all season. Pat Scully pays tribute to that.

“The supporters have been fantastic to us. We have really good fans and especially this year, they have given support through some edgy times. It must be so frustrating to be a fan because they can’t play. They’d love to put on a jersey and play for their club, but they kept getting behind the players last night and never turned on them. They’ve done that all season and it was a great night for everyone.”

If Waterford were to drop points to Finn Harps on Saturday night, Limerick would be all but confirmed as champions because of their vastly superior goal difference, but ex-Arsenal centre half Scully refuses to go to Longford in search of a point.

“We won’t be going there looking for a draw. That has been our mentality all season, to look for a win, and that won’t change. Taking you back to Waterford earlier in the year; it was one-all in the last ten minutes. We still pushed forward because we wanted the three points and we would not settle for just one. We have only drawn twice, and won nineteen times. That’s an outstanding ratio. It leaves you a little bit open, but you have to go for it.”

With a large travelling support rumoured to be heading to Longford next week, Pat Scully wants to assure the fans that his side won’t be sitting back.

“We just have to be ourselves. Our fans will provide great support for us and once we set ourselves out the way we always do, we’ll be fine. I’d advise our supporters and everyone else to do the exact same thing as they’ve been doing all year.”