Waterford back on track for Europe after half-time hairdryer blast
Waterford staged a stunning comeback to beat Bohemians 3-2 on Friday and remain in the hunt for Europe
Keith Long has told his battling Waterford side to leave nothing behind in their pursuit of European football.
The Blues staged a stunning fighting on Friday to come from 2-0 down at half-time and beat Bohemians 3-2 at Dalymount Park.
It stopped the rot after three straight defeats and, with nine league games to go, it has refocused minds for a European push next summer.
READ MORE: Second-half Waterford comeback stuns Bohemians as league woes continue
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Long said: “:What are we on now, 40 points is it? If you had told me we'd be on that after 27 games I'd have snapped your hand off for it.
“The season was never going to be plane sailing, there are always bumps in the road and highs and lows.
“We lost three league games there, but it's a sign of the progression of the club that there was disappointment a week ago in us losing 2-1 at home to Shamrock Rovers.
“They have won the league for the last four years in-a-row. But it's a sign of the progress we've made considering we came up from the First Division through the playoffs.”
Against Rovers, Waterford only got going in the second-half and it was the same again on Friday against Bohs.
The fightback was stunning but Long revealed he let rip at his squad in the dressing room during the break.
“Ultimately football is about desire, about heart,” he said.
“You can have your tactical plans, a way of playing, your principles, but you have to win your duels and have a big heart and desire to play the game and show personality.
“2-0 down at half-time, we spoke to the players strongly and they came out and answered it.
“They needed a reminder of what we stand for and the basics of the game. Simple as that. A reminder of what it takes to be a professional footballer and have standards.”
Long added: “It wasn't good enough in the first-half so we queried it in the dressing room and the boys responded in the ideal way.
“But it shouldn't take a half-time dressing down for the response.”
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