Ger Nash praises young stars after 'special night' in FAI Cup win

It embodied everything Ger Nash and his Cork City side have been getting right in recent weeks. The Rebel Army are beginning to find form, with three wins in their last five outings – two of them in the FAI Cup, including Friday night’s home triumph over Waterford FC.

That victory booked their place in the last eight, and Nash was particularly pleased with the performances of youngsters Matthew Murray and Kaedyn Kamara, who grabbed the goals.

“just so delighted for the players, to be honest,” he began, in his post-match press conference. "They worked so hard, they've been working so hard for me, David [Meyler] and [Mark] Nults for so long now.

“It just feels like they're getting their rewards so really pleased for them. Matt Murray's 17, you know, it's a great story. He's a kid, he's a baby, [in a] huge pressure game and it's fantastic, his goal.

“We have a bit of work to show him on the goal we conceded as well,” he laughed. “But he got his goal, he was fantastic.

DESPERATE TO TRAIN

“It's a special night for both of them. They're desperate to get off school and come in and train. I won’t hold that against them,” Nash laughed. “They work hard every day, both of them have not been in the team and they got their opportunity tonight and boy did they take it.” 

City’s start could hardly have been better, Murray striking inside 120 seconds, though the early breakthrough made for a tricky opening spell.

“I thought it was a really good start, stating the obvious, to score so early,” Nash said. “I think in some respects it actually made it more difficult for us, I thought for the next sort of 20 minutes or so we were actually on the back foot too much.

“But that said, they had some of the ball, mostly in the back three. Did they hurt us? I didn't feel they did.

“I think the goal for us, was an avoidable one, but there were a couple of moments tonight where we defended in a way that I didn't quite like, in terms of what we haven't been doing for the last couple of games.

“Freddie Anderson tried to let one out of play, and that ruthless edge that we've probably had for a couple of games wasn't quite there. 

But that was his only mistake. 

"He was fantastic apart from that, I just can't credit the back five enough, and all the players in front of them for how they saw the game out because I thought we were very comfortable, even under all that pressure. The fans were great and look, we’re in the next round of the cup and that's all that matters.” 

Murray’s contribution went far beyond his goal. Alongside Josh Fitzpatrick, he posed a constant threat down the flanks and gave Waterford problems throughout.

“He [Murray] is a confident lad and that's really important. We have attacking players. I always think the worst thing you can do is overcoach them and take that out of their game,” he said. “He's confident lad, he's a winger, Liam Kearney was a winger, I'm sure he's probably looked after him in that regard.

“He wants to get at people, he wants to attack people. He can go on his right foot, he can go on the left foot. 

He deserves the acclaim tonight, definitely, and as does Kaedyn, who has had to be patient since he came to the club, but he's come on in the last three games and had a big impact.

The start was rocky, there’s no denying it. And City’s position is still anything but secure. Relegation is highly likely, but Nash is pleased that the work they’ve put in is finally starting to bear fruit.

“Like we're a new team, we're really forming under real pressure. We know where we are in the league, We know how many games we have left, but we are forming a new identity.

“We know we need to form quick, but we know what we have. What we have is a group who care, and I think they're showing that every week at the moment.”