‘I would take no pleasure if Bray won the league’
CHRIS Lyons has had two spells with his home-town club during his decade-long League of Ireland career, but he insists he won’t even be a wee bit happy for Bray Wanderers if they pip Drogheda United to the First Division title.
The Seagulls became favourites to win automatic promotion when they returned to the top of the table the weekend before last, taking full advantage of the Drogs’ shock home defeat by Athlone Town.
And with the Boynesiders inactive last week as a positive test in the Galway United camp led to the postponement of the game at Eamonn Deacy Park, Bray beat Shamrock Rovers II to extend their advantage to five points with a game more played.
Drogheda have the opportunity to cut the deficit back to two when they play Wexford this Friday - Bray are not in action - and Lyons feels it will be all to play for if they can take care of the bottom club.
‘I don’t really think anything went wrong against Athlone,’ he reflected. ‘It was just that nothing was falling for us. There was a bit of pressure, but I don’t think we felt under pressure and we shouldn’t have lost the game.
‘We were not really at it, but we still had enough chances to win it. Jimmy’s chance, my header and Doyler’s shot - they go in and it’s 3-0. Then they got a penalty and then the guy’s scored from 50 yards over the keeper’s head. I don’t think he’d score that again if he hit it with no keeper there!
‘At the moment it looks good for Bray, but there’s plenty of football to be played. If they keep going they’ll win the league because they’re ahead of us, but if we do well and keep winning anything can happen.’
Asked if a small part of him would be pleased for his home-town club if they went up as champions, Lyons was emphatic.
‘God no! I wouldn’t think like that.
I’m from Bray, but Drogheda is my team and it’s my job to do as well as I can for them.
‘I’ve not been at my best this year. It wasn’t really my hamstring that was bothering me. It was a nerve that was at me and I was trying to play through it, but I wasn’t as sharp because I couldn’t train properly and I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.
‘I have to do my best to get through to the end of the season, but thankfully I’m feeling a lot better now after getting in some good training and I played 90 minutes the week before last.
‘I’ll keep working hard and helping the lads for the next few weeks, however long the season lasts.’
In terms of goals, last season’s top scorer with 15 insists his current barren spell - he hasn’t netted from open play in his last 10 outings - isn’t a concern and his priority is for the club to realise their own ambitions and snatch the title from under Bray’s noses.
‘I’m in my 10th year in the league and I know I’ll get chances and score,’ he replied.
‘It’s not been my year, but I could not care less if I had the worst season ever if we win that league.
‘It’s all about the team and I love the club and I’d love to do it for everyone in the club who has worked so hard for this.’
In the meantime Drogheda have had plenty of time to reflect on that potentially disastrous result against Athlone Town, and Lyons admitted it wasn’t ideal to have had the match against Galway United called off.
‘It was frustrating because we wanted to get a game in as soon as possible, but what can you do?’ he said.
‘It seems to be happening a lot now around the world [players testing positive] which is a bit scary. It’s a stressful time when they have to get tested, but so far it’s been perfect at Drogheda, nobody has had the virus and hopefully it stays that way.’