The Cork City supporters’ sardonic version of Pete St John’s ballad of lament would have been apt at the club’s training ground after their humbling 4-2 SSE Airtricity Premier Division defeat to Bohemians last weekend.

Hours after a late-night trip home from Dublin, the players regrouped on Saturday for their morning recovery session, and Steven Beattie recalls a low atmosphere.

“There were a lot of disappointed bodies,” says Beattie.

There wasn’t much talk about the game. We’ve all been around long enough. Some things are just not meant to be said.

“People deal with it themselves. Some go home, some go for a walk with the girlfriend — it’s just how you deal with it individually. You have to come back with a fresh attitude Monday. We let ourselves down Friday but we’ve another chance to put it right this Friday.”

Make no mistake, the nature of the first-half capitulation at Dalymount hurt the champions. “Everything that shouldn’t have went wrong went wrong.” says Beattie. “I just don’t think we were up for the game.

“I know myself and everyone else out there were embarrassed by their performance. Embarrassed for their club. Embarrassed for the management. Embarrassment for ourselves.

“Every mistake we made seemed to get punished... I’ve never come off a pitch at half-time, full-time, and been embarrassed with my own performance and my team-mates. Everyone had that feeling... I’m 30 and I’ve never experienced it in my life in football.

“Players feel it twice as bad as anyone else. I know fans pay their money to watch but as a player I apologise but it hurts us so, so bad.”

Six points behind Dundalk in the race for the league title and with games running out, Beattie and his team-mates know the importance of tomorrow night’s meeting of the top two at Turner’s Cross as City look to keep their season alive.

A win tomorrow would keep the title race alive — just — while the FAI Cup semi-final away to Bohemians comes hot on its heels next weekend.

First things first though.

The players John Caulfield has, we’re fighters,” says Beattie. “Dundalk are a very good side but so are we, people are quick to forget that.

“We’re on a bad run but the motivation is Dundalk — you always want to get one over them. If you can’t get yourself up for Dundalk, you’re at the wrong place. We’re still a good unit. There’s no divide.

“We’ve always had a strong dressing room and nothing has changed. That’ll stay the same until the end of the season.”