POST-MATCH VIEW: Loughgall derby blues off ‘not learning' and 'bad mistakes’ as quickfire goals turn tables
Loughgall lost the Lakeview Park lead across a thrilling second-half derby loss to Annagh United by 3-2 despite Darragh Stewart’s home goal double.
Stewart opened the scoring but Annagh made it 2-1 off Adetobi Jinadu and James Convie before the host forward wrapped up his brace for 2-2.
However, Jinadu grabbed the winning goal by completing his own double.
Here’s the verdict of Loughgall boss Darren Murphy:
SECOND-HALF DRAMA…
“When you concede three goals in a 12-minute period you don't really deserve anything from the game.
“When you concede two identical goals as well, that means you're not learning from the first one.
“It's hugely disappointing.
"The first half we probably should have come in more than 1-0, we didn't.
“I always knew that Ciaran (McGurgan, Annagh manager) was going to get a reaction from his team because they've been outstanding all season...and they have been for a number of seasons.”
PRAISE FOR OPPOSITION...
"After Annagh’s defeat to Limavady, they've come here and it's a brilliant way to bounce back.
"They've been the best team in the Championship so far this season and they've been able to keep it going.
"So they've set the benchmark for everybody else to try and match.
"It's disappointing for us but I'm certainly not going to take anything away from Annagh today.
“I thought they were excellent in the second half...did we help them at times? Of course...but I'm certainly not going to say that we underperformed because we didn't.
"We made bad mistakes and it doesn't matter what level you play at if you make the mistakes that we make...there's good players in all three (Irish League) divisions and Annagh showed that today in their goals, especially their first one.
"It was a fantastic finish from Adetobi Jinadu, who has scored a lot of good goals, then (James) Convie as well, who has been a threat all year.
"So credit to Ciaran and his staff and, more importantly, credit to their players.
DEFENSIVE FRUSTRATION…
“People say we probably deserved something from the game...when you defend the way we defended – for as clinical as they were - then you don't deserve anything from the game.
"So credit to them, credit to their finishing, credit to their togetherness and their second-half performance.
"It's a brilliant result for them…obviously it's a disappointing day for us.
“Most managers come out after they lose a game 3-2 and they talk about how bad they were...I don't think we were bad, I think we made mistakes and we got punished for it from a better team than us in the second half.
"No team has scored three goals at Lakeview Park this year...no team has certainly scored three in 12 minutes."