Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Dire defending is haunting Rovers
Same old story as Kerr’s men self destruct
There are no excuses and we know losing four goals at home is not good enough Brian Kerr It’s something we need to fix as a group Brian Kerr
Brian Kerr insists Albion Rovers must get their act together defensively after Saturday’s 4- 3 defeat to Forfar Athletic.
The Coatbridge men should have been home and dry long before the end of their League One encounter with the Loons at Cliftonhill.
However, dire defending for the umpteenth time this season proved so costly and earned Jim Weir his first win since replacing Gary Bollan as Forfar boss.
When the dust settled on a dramatic afternoon which saw Rovers drop to seventh place in the table, Kerr admitted his side only had themselves to blame.
“We should have had the game wrapped up,” he said. “There is no doubt about it.
“It’s frustrating and a tough one to take as for 70 to 75 minutes, I thought the boys played very well, but we have been punished again for poor defending.
“There are no excuses and we know losing four goals at home is not good enough. We’re giving points away.
“I wouldn’t use injuries and suspensions as an excuse. We have boys there who can come in and cover. We have to be able to use the squad that we’ve got.
“It’s not as if we’re being cut open. We’re just not defending well; nobody is scoring great goals against us.”
Rovers took the lead in the fourth minute when top scorer Alan Trouten stroked home from the penalty spot.
But the Loons levelled when Alan Reid directed a David Cox shot into his own net.
A deflected effort from Connor Shields restored the home side’s lead early in the second half but Cox replied four minutes later when he nodded a Dylan Easton corner in off the underside of the bar.
Forfar edged in front in the 77th minute when Cox tapped in after Rovers failed to clear their lines.
And it was 4- 2 with a minute remaining as sub Josh Peters took advantage of more slackness at the back by Rovers.
Sean Higgins headed home a Ross Davidson free kick in injury time for Rovers who are without a victory in four ahead of Saturday’s visit of Alloa Athletic, currently on a three-game winning streak.
“We’ve had opportunities to be further up the table,” Kerr added. “We’ve been in positions to win games.
“It’s something we need to fix as a group. We need to get back to winning ways as we are on a run which is a little bit disappointing.”