Gilmartin: 'I won't fall by the wayside'

Irish goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin has spoken to the The Watford Observer for the first time since his howler cost the Goldenboys a shot at a place in F.A Cup Round Five.

Signed from Walsall in the summer for a nominal fee, Gilmartin said:

"Those balls fly and that is what happened, if it was a straight ball at me then it is a comfortable save,

"He [Ashley Barnes] has hit it well, the ball has moved and I have not reacted as quickly as I would have liked to and it has come off me and gone in."

The 25 year-old continued:

"Every goalkeeper makes mistakes but you have to look at it that you are going to polish your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

"The weaknesses I showed in that game, we will work on it in training.

"I am not going to sulk about it now, it has been and gone. This happens to goalkeepers.

"The ones with the character and the strong mentality kick on from it, the other ones just fall by the wayside and I am definitely not going to be one of them."

The F.A Cup clash against Brighton was only Gilmartin's fourth appearance of the campaign having previously started against Hartlepool in the same cup as well as Aldershot and Notts County in the League Cup earlier this season.

One has to feel for the Eire 'keeper who has failed to play regular football in his short career to date. Given regular football Gilmartin will be better placed to perform to the level he believes he can.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.