We must be men united
ROVERS STAR RYAN SAYS HOOPS HAVE TO SHOW STEEL
RYAN CONNOLLY wants Shamrock Rovers to man up and cut out the set-piece calamity they endured on Leeside.
Fresh from their 4-1 defeat to leaders Cork City, Rovers have the chance to move to within two points of third place if they win at home tonight against the team occupying that position.
But Rovers conceded as many goals when they made the trip to the Carlisle Grounds in April and Hoops boss Stephen Bradley wants to see an immediate improvement in his side’s defending.
“It’s down to us as individuals on the pitch to not let your man get across you and win headers – for us to concede three set-plays down in Cork is crazy,” declared Bradley.
“You can’t do that in any game, especially against a team that’s good in the air.
“You know what you’re coming up against, it’s no surprise that they do it and that’s what they are good at.
“We knew that and we knew we would have to stand up to it. We didn’t. It’s not acceptable. Bray are the same, they are dangerous from set-plays. We are going to have to be fully switched on for 90 minutes.”
Connolly wants to see a return to basics against the Seasiders – a more physical approach at dealing with free kicks and corners after Friday’s meltdown.
“People will look at that but that’s when we’ve got to stand up and be men, work on it on the training ground,” said the busy midfielder.
“At the end of the day a set piece is one v one, it’s me versus you and maybe we need more desire, maybe we need more balls, maybe something just to make sure that if you’re my man that you’re not scoring.
“We have to cut out stupid goals that we’re conceding.”
Rovers defender Dave Webster yesterday described the set-piece surrender at Turner’s Cross as “embarrassing”.
And, for Bradley, it wasn’t the performance he wanted from his side after he had stated in midweek that John Caulfield’s side were not as good as Dundalk’s three-in-arow team. Rovers star man Brandon Miele also raised the heckles in Cork during the buildup by claiming the Hoops were the better side when they clashed earlier in the season.
Caulfield replied with both barrels after the game, as did City striker Karl Sheppard.
But Connolly said: “I don’t think we were disrespectful.
“We were telling it the way we saw it when we played them in Tallaght.
“We were the better team, maybe they took that a bit to heart and now they’re going around saying whatever. But that’s football, isn’t it?
“We still don’t think there’s much between us. They’re obviously miles ahead in the league and on points but on paper, 11 v 11 and as squads, we don’t feel we’re too much off them.”
Regular Hoops keeper Tomer Chencinski is in line to return after arriving in Cork at 7pm on Friday following the birth of his child.