Last keen to focus after difficult week
STEPHEN Last acknowledges it has been a tough week.
But he also knows Southern United needs to put that behind it tomorrow in Hamilton, when it plays the Hamilton Wanderers.
The defender said the side had been emotional at the departure of coach Paul O’Reilly.
For Last, it had particular significance.
The 28yearold defender was one of five Irishmen to arrive at the club with O’Reilly in 2016.
He has remained right throughout O’Reilly’s tenure, alongside Conor O’Keeffe and Danny Ledwith.
‘‘To get it to where it’s at after what has been happening the previous five, six, seven years, to get it to where it is now at the moment is a fantastic job,’’ he said.
‘‘We just feel that he’s gone now, we’ve not just lost a great coach, personally and a few others, we’ve lost a great friend as well.
‘‘And a great manager. He’s our football development manager at Football South. He’s always there to give great advice — great knowledge of the game.’’
While the news remained raw, he said the side had trained well with new head coach Terry Boylan this week.
It was now focused on finishing the season well with six games to go.
That begins tomorrow against Hamilton, which has shown good form since losing to Southern 40 earlier in the season.
It is on 15 points — three ahead of Southern — and remains very much in the fight
for a playoff spot.
In Derek Tieku and Tommy Semmy, it has two of the league’s most potent attacking weapons.
Shutting that duo down will be key for Southern.
It was something Last said would be a focus for the defence and the side was expecting a tough game.
‘‘They’ve picked up a lot of good results lately.
‘‘They have a new manager who has done really well.
‘‘So we know it’s going to be tricky. It’s not going to be easy.
‘‘But if we play to our potential, there’s no reason we can’t pick up a result.’’
Last was unsure what the future held.
O’Reilly was a massive loss, but that did not necessarily mean Last would be following him in departing.
‘‘That’s the big question.
‘‘I’m definitely going to stay around for a while. I like it here.
‘‘Paul is a humongous loss, there’s no hiding that.
‘‘But it really is down to what the board want to do at this stage with the club . . . my future will rely on the ambitions of people around the club and we’ll have to call it from there.
‘‘If they want to step on and bring the club to the next level again and keep pushing towards the playoffs, I’d love to be part of it.
‘‘If it’s a different direction, I don’t know — that’s being totally honest.’’