No sign of an end to Rovers’ goalscoring problems

IT feels like an eternity since we were afforded the joy of celebrating three points at the Showgrounds. It feels as if it’s been even longer since we’ve cheered a goal.

330 long minutes have elapsed on Church Hill since Eduardo Pinceli netted Rovers’ last league goal in a 2-1 win over basement side Bray who on that day, were without their three most experienced players.

We were even somewhat fortunate that day to come away with the points given how we allowed Wanderers to come back into the game in the second period.

David Cawley’s goal against Waterford in the EA Sports Cup means the Bit O’Red have scored a total of just three times in our last five home games.

Overall, the picture looks even bleaker for a toothless Rovers attack who seem to suffer the same struggles every week.

From eleven games in front of our own supporters, we’ve managed to find the net just six times. And of those eleven, we failed to score in seven of them!

An embarrassing return for a manager who at the start of the season said he would set his team up to go out and score goals.

It seems there is no appetite for change amongst the Showgrounds hierarchy. Gerard Lyttle is their man for all weather and that is that.

The national news has been saturated with opinion polls over the last few weeks. We’ve had enough of them.

But I am sure if you surveyed every Rovers supporter on the short term future of the club, a more than overwhelming majority would vote for change.

But it seems no matter the opinion, the club will stick by their man.

I would guess that the hope is to ride out the rest of the fixtures until we reach the transfer window. I said it here last week and in previously, but the main problem with the current side seems to lie somewhere between the penalty area and the centre of midfield.

Our front four were once more, too easily pushed off the ball and when we did create anything, it was easy for Limerick’s Brendan Clarke to deal with.

Calum Waters – one of our more impressive performers this term - departed the club after Saturday’s game.

I would expect Ali Roy, who has contributed little since mid-April to depart once his loan deal expires. This leaves Ger with a vacancy in midfield although finances will dictate whether we can afford to sign another wide man.

The window to sign the vast majority of pros coming back from the UK opens in just over a month’s time.

Usually a decent hunting ground for League of Ireland clubs, I would expect we’ll have to wait to see who the likes of Cork, Dundalk and Shams sign first to see what crumbs the teams with the smaller budgets are left with.

Between now and then, Rovers travel to Derry and Pat’s, while both Waterford and Cork make their way to Sligo.

Four games we took a grand total of two points from in the last round of fixtures.

It’s a risky game but going on scraps of information it seems it’s a chance the management committee are willing to take.

Part of this strategy will be relying on both Limerick and Bray to have tough months.

Our goal-scoring problems don’t look like ending without a reshuffle of on-field personnel.

We couldn’t do the job ourselves by beating one of them at the weekend, so it’s likely that we will rely on the two teams below us to continue dropping points.

Limerick have an arguably winnable tie this Friday at home to Bohs.

You would be brave or otherwise to back Bray against either Pat’s, Shams or Waterford, who Wanderers come up against in June.

But you can’t count on anything in what is a league littered with inconsistencies.

It’s unlikely Bray will eat too much in to that nine point gap over the coming games but Rovers can’t rely on others.

Both Limerick and Bray face each other at the end of the month. Meaning it’s now even more a point of urgency that Rovers find some way of finding the net soon, if we’re to be at least on par with Limerick by the end of June.