CORK City remain in the bottom-two after damaging 4-0 defeat against St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday night. 

It was a performance and result that City manager Colin Healy labelled as "embarrassing" though he'll be hoping for a response from his players on Bank Holiday Monday night at Turner's Cross, when they host Dundalk at 5pm.

Despite only being a goal behind at half-time in Friday's loss, and looking like they could get back into the match and having two very good opportunities, three second-half goals from the hosts inflicted more misery on City. 

Healy didn’t hold back in his assessment when asked about his thoughts on the game.

“Not good enough," he said. "Embarrassing. In the first half; they got a soft goal. It was bad defending by us. We have to stop the cross. I thought we had the better of the chances in the first half. 

"We had the one with Danny (Daniel Kerzic) at the back post, with the header that he had. Then we had the one with Keats (Ruairi Keating), that has come back off the crossbar. But second-half, it was not good enough.

“I wouldn’t pin it down to one thing. I just thought everything wasn’t good enough. I thought we should have had a free in the buildup to their second goal. I felt we should have had a free when one of their players came through the back of Cian Murphy, but play was let go on. Obviously we need to do better for the goal but it’s a free-kick in the middle of the park. "But even at that, we have to do better and want to win games but I didn’t see that there." 

Healy admitted that a few home truths were told in the dressing room by both him and the players. He expressed his disappointment for the fans who made the journey up to Dublin that they deserve better.

With Dundalk visiting Turner's Cross next, the manager is keen to see his players react to the defeat, knowing that a similar performance to the one against Pat's will present the same outcome against Dundalk.

“The players are going to have to turn it around. When the players go on the pitch, the players need to take responsibility. We can set them up in their formations all week, and tell them what we want them to do, but when they go on the pitch, they are the ones in charge. They know that themselves. In the dressing room afterwards, they know that it needs to be better. It needs to be better from everybody. It's very disappointing.

“I’ve explained that to the players, and the players have said it themselves. They know coming up here getting beat 4-0 is not good enough. Our fans come up in their numbers and support us and that’s not good enough for our fans. 

“It’s the first time a heavy defeat like this has happened, to one of our sides. Players need to put in better performances. 

I always say to the players 'you are in charge of your performance'. As a team tonight, especially the second half, it wasn’t good enough.

“We will be playing against a very good side on Monday. They will come down to Turner's Cross. There will be a big crowd. From what they have seen tonight, they won’t be happy. 

"So the players need to regroup for Dundalk on Monday night because it will be a tough game. Steve (Stephen O’Donnell) has got them playing in a good way so it will be a difficult game. If we are like we were tonight; will we be beaten. The players need to regroup and get themselves ready.”