Shattered Shels must shift focus

THE knowledge that they will now enter the first round draw for the UEFA Cup on Friday in Monaco was no consolation to a Shelbourne team shattered by their defeat by Deportivo La Coruna in the Riazor Stadium.

Shelbourne’s dressing-room was populated by a group of bitterly disappointed players, frustrated by their heavy defeat after a performance that was as courageous and as committed as they could have hoped to produce.

Their regrets focused on the knowledge that Deportivo’s crucial opening goal stemmed from a Shelbourne mistake. The goal gave the Spaniards the incentive to strike two other flamboyant goals to add to a scoreboard that did scant justice to the Irish champions’ supreme effort.

Captain Owen Heary, who was outstanding throughout, said: “If you commit a schoolboy error as we did at this level then who must expect to be punished as we were for their first goal.

“We had played quite well to that point and there was nothing more we could have done to prevent their second and third goals. They were top-class.”

Manager Pat Fenlon, sent from the sidelines when he protested a refereeing decision in the 75th minute, said: “I thought the referee was very poor. What I was sent off for was ludicrous. I just made the point that Valeron dived when Stuart Byrne was nowhere near him. But we were not beaten by the ref - we were beaten by a better side.”

Centre-forward Jason Byrne, who failed to take advantage of one of the best scoring chances in the game when he lobbed the ball wide of an empty goal when the score was 0-2 in the 80th minute said: “I had three chances and the lob that bounced just wide was the best of the three.

“The earlier chances were not as clear-cut but I enjoyed playing up front again after a spell on the wing.

“We’re all very disappointed with the result but it’s important that we play well in the National League to ensure we get back into the Champions’ League next season.”

“Their second goal was a magnificent shot and their third was a well-taken free and there was nothing we could do about them,” said Owen Heary.

“The lads are simply gutted to lose by three goals because we all believe we were not three goals a lesser team.

“But we have got to try and be optimistic now and believe we can do well in the UEFA Cup. We have also got to focus on Saturday’s FAI Cup replay with Derry and retain our League title so we are back in the Champions’ League next season.”