STEPHEN BRADLEY and Tim Clancy both bemoaned the late postponement of Shamrock Rovers clash with Cork City – but acknowledged there was no other option.
The Hoops clash with City was postponed just 40 minutes before kick-off after torrential rain hit Tallaght that made the pitch unplayable.
It was in doubt for much of the day as the pitch passed inspections at 11am and 4pm, only for the worst of the weather to arrive just after that.
That led Rovers’ to delay opening the turnstiles, though there were still several thousand in the ground when referee Gavin Colfer was left with no choice.
Bradley said: “We had that monsoon for about a half hour. And both teams and the ref, everyone agreed it wasn’t playable.
“When you look at the surface water on the pitch, I think it was the right call. To be fair to the ref and the groundsmen, they tried to give it every opportunity to go ahead.
“Even at the end, we’re having a chat between us all, both managers, the referee, and the league and the question is if we let it go another hour…
“If it gave a chance of the game going ahead, I think we all wanted it – especially with Cork with the travelling fans.
“It wasn’t going to improve. They gave it every opportunity to get it on, but the groundsmen are telling us where the water goes is full, there is nowhere for it to go.”
Clancy added: “It’s not player safety, it wasn’t playable. It’s not like you could start the game and get it going, the pitch wasn’t playable.
“The amount of work that goes into this pitch is the reason why the women and Under-21 internationals are here. It’s a phenomenal surface.
“They said they could have another hour working on the pitch but the tanks were already full of surface water from the downpour in the last few days.”
“I feel sorry for our fans. They travel up today and 35 minutes before kick off it’s called off. The fans travelling in a wasted journey is the frustrating part.”
But Clancy, whose side drew their league opener with Galway United last week, dismissed the idea that it was a good time to play Rovers given they went to extra time and penalties against Molde last Thursday.
For Rovers’ part, they had a strong side selected for the game with eight of the starters against Molde, plus Aaron Greene, and Dan Cleary and Dylan Watts.
Clancy said: “You could say that, but they went to extra-time in the knockout stage of a European competition.
“So I think it would be a bit disrespectful for myself to say, yeah, this would be a great time to play them. Their team is littered with really talented players.
“It would have been a great time for us to play them because we are due a game this weekend.
“It’s a difficult place to go, so I’m just happy we are leaving here still unbeaten!”
Meanwhile, FORAS – the Cork City Supporters Trust – has called on the FAI to review its processes that led to the late postponement.
A statement read: “Hundreds of travelling supporters incurred expense and spent hours travelling to Dublin, having been twice assured the fixture would go ahead.
“FORAS is calling on the League to explain how it issued a notice to supporters at 4pm ‘confirming’ the fixture would go ahead, only to call it off a little over an hour later.
“Met Éireann had forecast heavy downpours and potential thunderstorms for the Dublin region on Sunday.
“As such, earlier inspections at 11am and 4pm should have taken into account the impact this further forecast rain would have had on a playing surface that has hosted two games since Thursday night.”
