Encouraging signs from Rovers, but it is early days yet

COMMENTING on a football match you’ve followed via the medium of Twitter and WhatsApp isn’t the ideal way to convey your opinion. I’m lucky enough that it does not happen me too often but this unfortunately was the case at the weekend.

Luckily, we live in a time where with a few taps of a phone screen you can check teams, live scores, possession stats, corner and yellow and red card counts amongst others. Fortunately too Rovers have a committed social media match day team literally updating by the minute on every occurrence. My only task last Friday night was to find somewhere with decent wi-fi to keep in check. So following the game in a corner of a smoky Croatian bar somewhere in west Berlin just had to do. Obviously the Rovers Twitter account was always going to butter up half decent phases of play and play down any mistakes that ended up with Derry City having sight at goal, but it seemed like Rovers were determined to make up for the bitter disappointment of day one.

The starting eleven featured one brand new arrival in Patrick McClean and the return of Chelsea loanee Mitchell Beeney for his second appearance in a Rovers shirt following his first half against Cabinteely in a friendly earlier this month. McClean’s signature adds the versatility, bulk and solidity on the left side so sorely missing against Limerick and provides competition to Regan Donelon who hasn’t really had a suitable challenger to that position in the last few years. While Beeney’s inclusion adds the necessary rivalry that Micheál Schlingermann hasn’t had in his two years at the Showgrounds.

I didn’t expect Beeney to play on Friday night given his arrival just a day previous but it wouldn’t surprise me if he now ends up playing more games than Schlingermann during his planned five month loan. His inclusion straight away could be telling in that regard.

Ger Lyttle’s business late on in the transfer window can be translated two ways. He admitted, much to his credit, that he struggled to land his initial targets during the winter. His refusal to panic sign in the lead up to the Limerick game went against him with an imbalanced starting eleven losing out to one of the relegation favourites.

His final three signings came within the last 48 hours of the transfer window. Time will tell whether he waited patiently and got the men to do the job just in time. Or whether they will prove to be rush jobs, signed to fill a hole. Beeney had been a previous target, but were both McClean and Calum Waters hastily sought? Either way, it looks as if both McClean and Beeney will turn out to be good additions while Waters, before last night’s (Monday) Cork game at least, is a complete unknown.

The next problem Ger is going to have to meet is in June when the loan deals for Beeney, Waters and the so far superb Alistair Roy expire. I’m sure there is scope for extending these arrangements further but this is the down side of the insecure nature of short-term deals.

So going by reports, it seems as if there were measured improvements on Friday night. First goals for Roy and Adam Morgan will hopefully set them on their way. While it was enthusing to hear of improved performances from Gary Boylan in a more familiar position and David Cawley who requires commanding displays in that engine room to keep his place. If the Irish couple across the bar from me weren’t aware of their compatriot sat staring at a phone screen, my nationality had to have been given away if not by my reaction to Morgan and Roy’s goals, but certainly to the anxious acknowledgment to Derry’s late goal. There were some expletives, with a unique Irish twist.

Following on from last night’s game with Cork City, Rovers’ next task – weather permitting - is our first adventure away from home on Friday.

The first of six league games in the capital sees the Bit O’Red take on a St Pat’s team who don’t look likely to trouble Cork or Dundalk this season but who have certainly made notable strides in terms of recruitment. Like Rovers, they weren’t guaranteed safety until the final day, but have kept the bulk of an experienced side and have added shrewdly with defenders Simon Madden and Kevin Toner solidifying a defence who along with Bray last season, conceded the most goals of any of the teams who stayed up. Liam Buckley’s men were close to holding on having come-back against Cork two weeks ago and although a 2-1 win over Bray isn’t world news, the Saints will probably mark a home game against Sligo Rovers as a three-pointer.

Last night’s result may dictate otherwise. But for Rovers, to come away from Dublin with a draw wouldn’t be a disaster.