Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Boss Kerr laments persistent mistakes
Ross Perry could be in line to return this weekend at centre-back.
With Perry, Alan Reid, Jason Marr and Daniel Lightbody all facing spells on the sidelines in recent months, former Ayr, Livingston and Clyde man McLaughlin admits he has been stunned by some of their back luck at the back.
“We have had so many players out in defence that we have been makeshift at the back,” he told the Advertiser.
“For me at 34 I’m just happy to be out there and playing the game, but I can’t remember a time this season where we have had the first-choice four at the back.
“You want a settled back four but we just have to make the best of it.
“We’ve got to start getting points in the next two or three games.
“We’ve had an injury crisis and probably the lowest budget in the Raith .......... 3 Albion Rov . 1 Albion Rovers boss Brian Kerr kept his players behind in the dressing room after their defeat to table-topping Raith.
Raith midfielder John Herron struck either side of half-time before skipper division so it had an impact.
“I don’t remember an injury crisis this bad in my 17-18 years of playing, but we don’t want to use the injuries as our excuse.
“We need to start putting a wee run together though.
“We’ve had bad luck and are looking over our shoulder so we need to get the points on the board Jason Thomson secured the win late on.
Mi c hael Ho p k i n s scored his first goal for the Cliftonhill side for 1-1, but it ended up being nothing more than a consolation.
Former Scotland cap Kerr admitted their was some tough talking in the visiting dressing room after the final and pull ourselves up to where we think we should be in the table.”
McLaughlin says that they offered enough during their visit to Fife to show that they can cause an upset – and also noted they won in the title-hopefuls last visit to Cliftonhill.
“I think we grew into the last game,” he continued. whistle as they hover above the relegation spots.
“We lose poor goals that you can put down to individual errors,” he told the Advertiser.
“We have changed round personnel but are making similar mistakes that cost us goals.
“We spent a good 25-30
“I know Barry Smith well and I could see that he was worried on the sidelines at points – especially after Mikey (Hopkins) scored our goal.
“Then we let in a poor second goal, and they dominated the game after that. We have to recreate that 10-15 minute period where we were right in the game.” minutes in the dressing room after the game – we felt there was a few things out in the open.
“We know that it has been nowhere near good enough recently.
“I felt that we went through spells where we were competing well.
“For the 10-15 minutes after we equalised we were really pushing them but didn’t have that cutting edge that we rea l l y needed.
“They are a good team but it’s really, really frustrating to get yourself back in the game, then throw it away.”