While last week’s loss in Waterford was bearable as Dundalk had the consoling fact that they had totally outclassed one of their title rivals on their own patch, the Lilywhites’ latest reversal to Limerick was a soul destroying exercise. And, it was one which had absolutely no positives, according to one of the few Dundalk players to come out of the game with any credit, striker Trevor Vaughan.
 
“There’s nothing,” Vaughan admitted to dundalkfc.com. “There’s not one this week, that’s being honest. There’s not one that any of us can take out of that. It was just sloppy all over the park, from the first minute up to the ninetieth. I think we panicked a little bit after we conceded a goal, and tried to get the ball forward as quickly as possible. We didn’t pass it around, and we didn’t do what we normally do. That’s down to the players, and we have to fix it.
 
“I’m disappointed, but it wasn’t good enough. There was a few words said in the dressing-room there. We all know, but there’s nothing any of us can do about it now. The lads who played there tonight, we all know that it’s not good enough. After last week, I don’t know if it was a bit of complacency or what it was. I don’t really know - I can’t put my finger on it.
 
“I don’t think the lads are like that, I don’t think it was cockiness or anything. I don’t know. It was just a bad performance all-round. We just never got going, we were second to the ball, and it was just sloppy all over. We huffed and puffed throughout. We had plenty of possession, but we never really got it down and never passed it. It’s not good enough, and I’m not happy - none of us are.”
 
Vaughan was part of the squad which saw its season collapse following the June break twelve months ago. However, despite two straight losses since the resumption of the league last weekend, the veteran hitman is hopeful that a similar fate is not awaiting the Lilywhites this time around. “Hopefully not,” Trevor said. “I didn’t think we would, but you just never know in this league. It’s going to be up and down, but we can’t afford many more slip-ups. Last week, you can sort of take that, where you play them off the park and concede in the 95th minute. But tonight, you can’t.
 
“All the games are massive now. And, obviously, there’s a bit more pressure now after getting beaten tonight and after last week. But, we can’t worry about anyone else, we just have to try and get back up now and focus on next week.”