Dundalk will take their European exit on the chin and learn valuable lessons from it, insists manager Vinny Perth.
Following the Europa League defeat to Slovan Bratislava, Perth immediately turned his focus to the domestic front by demanding a Champions League return next year.
Perth said: “We’re disappointed at the moment but the concession of early goals made it difficult for us.
“Our job as a club now is to get back to this stage and to do that we have to focus on winning the league. We have to take this on the chin and we will.
“We can’t dwell on this for too long and the harsh reality of football is that we have to focus on Finn Harps this Friday night.
“It has got harder in Europe with the introduction of an extra round but I want us to chase it next year.
“And to be fair to the owners, they have backed us in chasing that whether that target is the playoff round or the group stages.”
But Perth admitted that Slovan were the better side over the two legs and felt Dundalk’s lack of an away goal in Bratislava last week cost them dear.
“We created a fair few chances tonight but we were beaten by the better side over the two legs.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t score away from home but we played against a proper team over the two legs.
“I wasn’t too worried about the first goal, but the second goal took the wind out of our sails and it’s a disappointing night.
“At this level away goals are massive and we didn’t have one.
“We were done at his level against good opposition and we have to refocus and pick the players up and aim to be back at this stage again next year.”
Slovan boss Martin Sevela said: “The penalty save was a key moment for us because if Dundalk scored it would have created big problems for us.”
