Newry City v Knockbreda Stuart King post-match

We spoke to Newry City manager Stuart King after his side picked up a 3-0 win over Knockbreda in his competitive home debut.

Transcript

00:00Stuart, a 3-0 win, your home debut. I'm sure you've got to be pleased with that.

00:03Yeah, I thought we were really good. I thought the first half we were very good.

00:08Controlled the game, really big and strong, scored goals at the right time and excellent performance.

00:13Of course, you're a new manager, 16 new players, a lot of debutantes.

00:17What do you feel in terms of cohesion and things like that, that they're starting to click together really well, starting to gel?

00:21It's getting better. It's getting better. It's not perfect.

00:25Yeah, we've gradually got better from the start of PC&D now, so generally we've seen the improvement,

00:30we've seen what we're doing on the training pitch and it seems to be working.

00:33Listen, we are off this weekend. We were friendly on Friday night,

00:37but we know we have a really hard game away in my own in the first league game,

00:40so listen, if we prepare and play the way we played first half tonight, I think we'll do okay this year.

00:45Yeah, look, obviously three goals is good, but I was impressed with the defence, not greeted.

00:49I can't really remember them having too many clear-cut chances tonight.

00:52You laid the foundations really for the win, didn't it?

00:54Yeah, well that's two clean sheets in two games, so listen, we have to be.

00:59We were big and strong, we have to be horrible.

01:01At times, you know what I mean, I don't mind, as long as we keep clean sheets,

01:05and listening is such a platform for you going to win games of football.

01:08And were you pleased with the work rate? I heard you and your management team,

01:11they were really focusing and emphasising on work rate rates of the full-time whistle.

01:15We have to, that's the basics. I won't say Cain up top, absolutely not.

01:20There's panning tonight, he was outstanding, his work rate is right to the final minute,

01:25he gave the club absolutely everything, and that's what everybody needs to be doing,

01:27to get where we want to get to. So listen, it's been a good start, but we're not going to get carried away.

01:32Yeah, you mentioned his name there, delighted for him, because he deserved that goal, didn't he,

01:36with the performance he put in Cain Rossiter?

01:37Listen, he's been, his enthusiasm is so good, his work rate's been outstanding.

01:43He's, I told him I'd give him an opportunity, and at the minute he's taken it.

01:47So listen, I praise him and I changed him in front of his fellow pros tonight.

01:50So he deserves all the praise he gets, he's come from the local league, and he really wants to do well,

01:55and you can see that in the way he works.

01:57Yeah, and you've mentioned it already, Mayola Park next now in 11 days,

02:00but you just probably want to keep momentum going if nothing else from tonight.

02:02Yeah, we've got a friendly here against Dundalk on Friday.

02:05We'll get boys minutes and make sure everybody's at the right levels again,

02:08and then we regroup and hopefully have another strong performance next week.