Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
ROVERS REGRETS
Scotland Futsal coach Chaplain looks back
Albion Rovers boss Brian Kerr believes it’s now or never for his side as they fell deeper into a relegation battle with defeat to East Fife.
Rovers started the game brightly, as Ross Davidson’s whipped free-kick caused chaos in the Bayview backline before eventually falling to Alan Trouten. However, Rovers top scorer steered his shot narrowly wide of the post.
Trouten had another great opportunity after beating the offside trap and attempted to round opposition keeper Ben McKenzie, however the shotstopper made a smart save.
In the end it was another tough day at the office for Kerr and his players as Aaron Dunsmore gave East Fife the lead inside 12 minutes.
A Chris Duggan volley doubled the advantage 10 minutes later and Rovers couldn’t find a way back into the game.
Despite another huge disappointment, Kerr felt they could reach the 30-point mark in the next couple of weeks and steer themselves away from the bottom of the table.
“I had said to the players before the East Fife game that I wanted to break the 30-point mark with these five games in two weeks,”he told the Advertiser.
“It’s disappointing to get off to a start on this wee run of games that we have, but for the first 10 or 15 minutes we looked like we would be taking something from the game.
“It’s fine margins; we had a couple of great chances and didn’t take them.
“As soon as we conceded the first goal the heads went down and we end up letting in another.
“I don’t know if there is a bit of a lack of belief, but these things don’t seem to go for you when you are at the bottom of the table.”
He continued:“Against Raith we fought and we got a point in the end.
“That confidence seemed to carry though into the first 10 minutes, but after they score that doubt begins to creep in to our game.”
Kerr was adamant that he could turn their season around – pinpointing the clash with Queen’s Park as a season-defining fixture, with Ayr also arriving at Cliftonhill next Tuesday.
“We have belief that we can climb up the league again,”said the former Scotland cap.“We need the players to buy into that as well.
“We know we can’t just keep saying that though and have to show it on the park.
“Time is running out and the games are running out.”
He added: “We know these are big games and that it is a big round of fixtures on Saturday; but I think it’s important that it doesn’t feel like any other week. I’m positive about chances and I don’t want the players to be focusing on the negative.
“We really need to kick-on now, we can’t keep saying we will get results tomorrow.”
Albion Rovers legend Scott Chaplain admits he still has some regrets about leaving Cliftonhill – but feels it was the right move after being named Scotland Futsal coach.
The playmaker left Rovers after they won the League Two title back in 2015 to take up a role as player and coach development manager within the SFA.
To add to his work in the West Region of Scottish football’s governing body, the 34-year-old was last week revealed as head coach of the national Futsal team.
Chaplain, who enjoyed three spells at Cliftonhill during a career that spanned 15 years, has been capped by his country in the hardcourt sport.
The former Rovers fans’ favourite admits it can sometimes be tough to look back at the end to his final spell in Coatbridge – having left the club after the title success with a contract offer on the table.
However, he has always been an aspiring coach and now feels it was the right thing to do as he makes his move into the dugout.
“I always had an interest in coaching, even when I was in my 20s,” he told the Advertiser.
“I had been doing some community coaching and had went to study sport. I really had an appetite for it then and had things in my head from a theoretical point of view that I wanted to try.
“I had seen a chance come up within the SFA and put myself forward for the job in football development.
“The chance came up at the end of the season. It had been a long and tough season, but a successful one because we had won the league title.
“So I basically had a decision to make then, whether I wanted to keep playing or explore different avenues.
“It was difficult because I had really enjoyed my time at Albion Rovers – especially that final season.
“Now, looking back, I can see it has given me a lot of different opportunities.
“In some ways it proved to be the right decision, but I haven’t had as big an opportunity to coach and deliver it with my own ideas.
“Doing the Futsal coaching will give me a chance to put some of the things I have in my head in place and gives me a step into management.”
As he prepares to take charge of his first match in the Home Nations Tournament in Northern Ireland at the end of the year, Chaplain is relishing the chance to put his own ideas on training and playing styles into practice.
“Through my playing days and time with the SFA I picked up a few things,” he continued.
“I wouldn’t say I want to model myself on anyone – don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked under some good managers and coaches and you pick up some things.
“The coaching job will be a bit of self-discovery for myself and I can see if my ideas work.
“I’m not necessarily saying everything will work – but I’ll implement some things that hopefully work!”