Interview with Robbie Rock following 3-1 lose to Oxford Sunnyside

Q - A 3-1 loss to Oxford United today in the Premier Intermediate League. It was a loss, but one filled with real positives, including a fantastic strike from Ebuka.

Robbie - Yeah, yeah, it's I feel like it's just being typical of our season. I think we start we started the game. Well hit the post in the first 30s. I was I honestly thought when that happened, it was going to end up in the back of the net and we'd got a look at the draw. But unfortunately, as anybody will say when you're down there, you're down there and these things go against you, but yeah, some really good positive play. The pitch obviously was played on yesterday. We, we stuck to our guns. We wanted to play a lot of possession football. It's something I'm very keen on. And I think at times we played some really good stuff out there today. Down to the goal. I mean, it's a fantastic strike from the edge of the box. You know, I've been pushing them to do a little bit more of it in games. And I think his overall performance today actually was probably the best he's put in for us so far.

Q - The substitutions of Sean Atano and Senyo Clarke. Can you give us an update on those?

Robbie - So Sean, Sean's knee, he came to me at half time. He's struggling with his knee at the moment and unfortunately he couldn't come out for the second half. Same with Senyo. He hasn't trained this week. He's struggling with a hip injury. He was doing well. We we actually had a planned sub to make it for ten minutes later than we did ten minutes later than what happened, but unfortunately he's come off the wrong side of that tackle. And, you know, just a precaution with the game coming up next Friday night that we just. We got him off to get him some wrestling.

Q - Just moving into the first half. Of course, you've already mentioned Senyo. Hitting the post. He was very unlucky. We we were moving the ball well and we had real possession in the first half as well. We fought for every minute.

Robbie - Yeah, yeah. Like I said, it's something we try. We're trying to build our build us ourselves on. You know, it's very easy just to come out, blame the pitch and kick the ball long. And then everyone's basically watching the, the game of football instead of being played on the ground being played in the sky by them. I think the lads adjusted to the surface. You know, a couple of passes here and there from both teams, but no, we definitely wanted to come out and show people that we, we want to play football. And I think today, for me personally, even though we've lost three one, it's probably one of the more rounded performances that we've had since I've been here.

Q - Moving into the second half. It felt like the entire half played out through almost the last 15 minutes. Yeah, we had a fantastic goal. We had a sending off from Sean McCall, and we give away a penalty. What are your what are your takeaways from the second half?

Robbie - I think we changed the we changed the shape when we we got back into it. And then all of a sudden unfortunately the ball's being played over. I thought the player that's touched the ball offside, that's just my view of it, but Yeah, they've got a penalty. In fairness, when we put the penalty about very well, and then probably a little bit of I'll say silliness on Sean McCall's half, and, you know, I wouldn't expect it from him. He's He's probably one of the only one that knows him off the pitch. One of the nicest people in the in the club. But I think it's just a any. In fairness to himself, he held his hands up in the dressing room, apologised to all the players, and Yeah, it's just it's just one of them things. Frustrations got the better half of them, unfortunately.

Q - But you were. You were in right in the line of sight. For for Sean McCall there. What do you think of the referee's decision to to book him and then and then rescind that and send him off?

Robbie - Then the if I'm honest with you, it's a red card. Yeah, I seen him. I my first initial thought was I. But then again, the referee has gone given a yellow card. The linesman has then called him over to speak to him. I don't want to dwell too much on the referees from today. I think it I think we do that. It leaves a negative thoughts. I think from the way we were, we just want to build on the positives that we've had there today. So I'll just leave that part there.

Q - It felt like we were competitive for every minute of the game today, ahead of our away trip to Moyola Park next week. Do you have one key takeaway from today's game?

Robbie - I think just keep playing. I think instead of even when times get tough, you know what I mean? Teams will just kick the ball long and all, like we're starting to grow into what we're doing. We're hopefully going to have a couple of signings made over the next week or so. One of them was in attendance here today which I kept quiet because I didn't want people going there. But Yeah. No, it's look, you got to take the positives. If we were to stand here and be negative all the time, it'd be too tough on everybody. Like I said, best performance for me personally that we've had for a full 95 minutes today.

Q - We lost a game today, but we had a few fantastic performances from a number of players, including Jayden Keaveney, Senyo Clark and who was almost unplayable in the last 15.

Robbie - Yeah, like I said, I've really since I've been in, I've really tested. Ebuka. I know what kind of player he is. You ask anybody around the league, he has all this potential, but maybe. Maybe his watery and he'll be the first one to tell you. Needs to be an instance of being driven down. And I must say, it's the best performance I've seen from a ebuka since I've been here. He was excellent today. He was unplayable at times.

Q - Just stepping away from today's game. We saw a Christmas message from you just the other night, what what inspired you to put that message out there and get in touch with our supporters?

Robbie - I think the supporters need to know that, you know, we the support they give us, what what they do for us constantly. It's just a thank you, you know, like they travel everywhere with us. Like I'm amazed we go to like we're up in Strabane. There's ten, 20 people there. We're playing at home. There was a great crowd again here today. Anytime we're at home, like we feed off what they've been giving us. Some of our best performances have been at home this year, but it was just something we wanted to do personally, to personally thank them for the support they've given me. How welcome they are to me. You know, it's just been excellent, and I just I just wanted to do that for them.

Q - Thank you, Robbie, and we will see you on the lads at Miller Park.

Robbie - Cheers. Thanks, mate.