Coleman: 'We were playing against a very determined team'

Last updated : 05 May 2006 By
Kevin Ball


"From a selfish point of view, it's nice to get that win you want.

"But what's most important is our supporters and players and everybody connected with the club.

"I said to the players before the game, 'Let's send everybody home tonight with smiles on their faces', and I'm pleased to be able to report they have done that.

"The supporters were absolutely magnificent tonight. They got behind us when we needed them to, they kept on and on and on. It was absolutely brilliant."

"When you are 2-0 up in a game at times it's quite a difficult lead to keep.

"If they do get a goal back - and to be fair to Radzinski, it was a hell of a goal he scored - it does cause the twitches.

"But the boys held firm, which is important, and we were hitting them on the counter-attack."


Chris Coleman

"For 65 minutes we didn't play very well at all.

"In the last 20 minutes when we were 2-0 down, we ended up creating some chances, but it was too little, too late.

"I'm disappointed at the fashion in which we lost the game but I can't be too hard on the guys. We have just won the last three games.

"We were playing against a very determined team. It was their last chance to get that home win which they so desperately wanted and you could see that.

"They were ready for it and better than us, it's as simple as that.

"They were first to the ball and for 70 minutes, they wanted it more than us but I'm not going to criticise my players too heavily. We know we are better than that.

"To be fair to them, we have won four out of six, so that's a great run for us. If we had maintained that form this season, we would not have had a problem. We would have been in the top 10, possibly top eight."

We were playing against a very determined team."

Stadium of Light