Slane boss demands a reaction after early Cup exit at Jubilee Park

Moneyslane boss David Johnstone has demanded and immediate reaction from his side, who were dumped out of the Irish Cup in the first round on Saturday, beaten 4-1 at home by Colin Valley.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Aug 2014, 18:24 BST

Slane take on Glenavon Reserves at Cheney Park on Friday evening (kick-off 8pm) and Johnstone is keen to put Saturday’s second half horror-show behind them.

“We need to pull together, work hard in training and bounce back,” he said.

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“I fully expect a reaction in the next game against Glenavon Reserves.

“I do not think anyone saw that (Saturday’s Cup defeat) coming. We were 1-0 up and looked in control before we threw the game away with schoolboy errors. Every goal we conceded was shocking. I think the turning point was (Darragh) Peden having to go off with injury and in the second half we were leaderless and looked nothing like a team.

“There are no excuses from me and I take responsibility for what was an embarrassing second half. While giving Colin Valley credit, we should never have been beaten by them especially at home.”

The eagerly awaited first Irish Cup tie at Jubilee Park kicked off in bright sunshine. Slane’s Kerr and Bingham were absent with injury while Weir and Fairley were on holiday.

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Moneyslane got off to the best possible start when from the first corner, a great cross by Boyd was headed home by that man Darragh Peden at the back post.

Disaster struck for the home team and the scores were level when Blevins rushed outside the box and punched the ball only for the striker to pick up the loose ball and find the empty net..

Peden was forced off with a tight hamstring with Ervine coming on upfront. Again the home team started well with a number of clear cut chances going begging. Gregg Harrison hit the post with a snapshot, Ervine headed over and Ferguson failed to connect twice when good deliveries came in from the left and, after that, Valley hit their form.

Missing these chances proved costly when the away team took a quick free kick and after about five passes, a striker fired home into the corner from just inside the box.

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The away team took control of the game as they out passed and out fought their hosts. Harrison fired just over before an unecessary backpass from Boyd went straight to an opponent who calmly killed the tie.

The home team were ragged and disjointed and the misery was complete when Blevins fumbled a routine cross to concede a fourth.

MONEYSLANE: Blevins, Quinn, Boyd, Shilliday, Peden, Gibson, Harrison, Whitten, Ferguson, Quilty, Steen.

Subs: Ervine, Fairley, Brown, Downey.