Exciting League of Ireland title race is going right down to the wire

The League of Ireland title race has been one of the most exciting title races in recent memory and I still believe there are another couple of twists and turns before the destination of the title is decided. Shelbourne are in pole position going into the last two games on top of the table after they beat us 3-1 in Tolka Park last Friday night. 

It was a very tough and physical game for both sides on a difficult pitch, but Shelbourne’s experience won the game in the end for them along with our naivety which is down to our inexperience. We took the lead with a penalty less than ten minutes before half time, and it was potentially a huge moment in the title race. I took the penalty and scored as I learned from my mistake against Galway two weeks ago when I changed my mind at the last moment and missed the penalty. I was speaking to my parents after the game, and they were asking me was I nervous after missing the last penalty and with the whole ground booing me as I was about to take it. The truth is I genuinely never heard the boos once, because I was so focused on the task ahead and making amends for my miss two weeks ago. I’ve since watched it back and there are a lot of boos so I’m not exactly sure how I was able to zone out from them. I didn’t use a specific technique or anything like that. I was probably more worried about the fact I told my son Eóghan that I would score and knowing he would be watching the game on TV that I would celebrate for him, but I had to draw the line somewhere when he asked me would I do the Ronaldo 'Siuuuu' celebration.

The goal we conceded just after taking the lead was so poor from our point of view. It was such a preventable goal, and it gave Shels that huge lift going into the half time break, and you could feel the momentum shift around the ground. If we go into half time 1-0 up Damien Duff’s team talk is very different and the atmosphere in Tolka Park is quieter and there would have been a nervous energy around, especially as their title rivals were winning at the time.

In the second half we had done okay and had a chance at 1-1 to go ahead but I couldn’t keep my shot under the crossbar. The killer moments came in the final ten minutes when we conceded two goals in quick succession and that killed the game on us. It was a disappointing outcome for us in the game and we know that we could have done so much better with all three of the goals that we conceded and that is something that we will need to address if we are to have a better season next year.

We are down to our final two league games now and this Friday night is our last home game of the season in Waterford. We play Bohemians who have just confirmed their safety from relegation with a victory over Sligo Rovers away in the Showgrounds last Saturday night. While on paper it might look like a game where no team has anything to play it is very far from that for us anyway. We have players who are playing for contracts but equally as important we want to end our home campaign on a high to thank the brilliant supporters who have backed us all season at the RSC. Those loyal supporters are paying their hard-earned money to come and watch us and even though we have fallen off a little I am sure if you offered them Premier Division survival at the beginning of the season they would have took it. Of course, ambitions can change throughout the course of the season when things are going well but it is important that we don’t lose sight of the building that the club is doing with the squad and the club itself. From speaking to some people who have been around Waterford FC for a lot of years, they have said the clubs is night and day compared to where it was not long ago, on and off the pitch so we have to continue to strive to improve all aspects of it.

Hopefully on Friday night we can finfish the home campaign on a positive note and give the home fans a good send off. The supporters can then look forward to a trip to Tallaght on the last day of the season as we look to put a spanner in the works of Shamrock Rovers ambitions of making it five in a row league titles for them.