‘ If we keep making these mistakes we’re going to get relegated’ says Lyttle

SLIGO Rovers manager Gerard Lyttle has challenged his players to ‘ start being men’ and to ‘ stop feeling sorry’ for themselves following their 2- 0 defeat at the hands of Keith Long’s Bohemian FC at Dalymount Park on Friday evening.

Rovers went behind in the firsthalf when Micheál Schlingermann let a Keith Ward free- kick through his palms, before Dinny Corcoran made it 2- 0 on the 81st minute.

Rovers did look good in spells, although it counted for nothing in the end.

Having gone ahead against Galway United the previous week, a goalkeeping error allowed the visitors to pull it back to 1- 1 on the night.

And Lyttle was left frustrated once again this week.

“A horrible night. What can I say. It’s the same thing every week, we’re saying the same thing. Two mistakes, and it cost us the game,” he said on Friday evening.

“A mistake last week cost us the game. Two mistakes this week cost us the game. I thought we were on top for large parts of the game and we’ve been punished with two schoolboy mistakes. Its frustrating and annoying. We played better this week than last week.

“We were attacking a lot better. We had more players in the final third and we’ve come away with nothing. That’s the annoying thing.”

The Bit O’Red were looking lively in the opening minutes, but Keith Ward’s goal was a kick in the teeth, and the manager is refusing to accept those sort of performances.

He knows that should results and performances continue like this, Rovers will be planning for the First Division.

“We’ve asked the boys to start quicker and get the ball in the final third. A lot sharper and I thought we were doing that.

“We’ve given away a free kick, I don’t think it’s too close it’s far out and obviously the keeper has lost the flight of the ball, a wee bit of a lack of concentration and we’ve been punished for it.

“We can’t accept that every week. I won’t accept that as a manager. It’s a mistake, we can’t keep making mistakes. If we keep making mistakes we’re going to be relegated.

“That’s the bottom line. We need to roll our sleeves up and start being men rather than boys and stop feeling sorry for ourselves and learn how to win a game of football,” he added.

There were claims for a penalty in the second- half, during a period when Rovers were well on top and forced Bohs to defend for their lives.

The impressive Shane Supple in the Bohs goal, though, was never going to let Rovers back into the game.

“I think we should have had a penalty, it’s a stonewall penalty. We were on top again, pounding their backs and a penalty could have changed everything. It’s 1- 0, I honestly think if we got a penalty we could have gone on and won the game.

“The suckerpunch happened and we’ve been sleeping and one ball has beaten us and it’s good night basically.”

With an arguably tougher run of games coming up, facing Shamrock Rovers at home, Derry City away and then Drogheda at home, Lyttle says his players have to stop with their self- pity,

“That’s up to me and the coaching staff to do that ( keep their heads up) and themselves. They have a big part to play. We have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves.

“We will win games of football. I have no doubt about it, and that’s me being very positive. I see signs that we’re getting better and fitter and sharper.”

Away form has been dreadful for Rovers this season, although home farm has not been much to write home about either.

“I’m concerned about form away and home. We haven’t won too many at home either.

“Hence the reason we are where we are. It’s now trying to get a run of games together. Bohs have done it, we will continue to target them and teams above us.

“I believe if they can do it then we can as well.”

Both Benny Igiehon and Rhys McCabe will be eligible for the Derry game along with Gary Armstrong who is back from a loan spell with Ballinamallard.

But Lyttle is hoping to add even more new faces to his squad.

“We’ll have a few fresh faces coming in July and it can’t come quick enough because it will boost our squad and give us a bit more quality in the final third.

“If I can I will ( sign a couple more players). We’ll get back to work and start making more phone calls.

Rovers host Shamrock Rovers on Sunday at 6pm in their next time, which is now a must- not- lose game as they look to start finding form from somewhere.

“Every week is the perfect time. I really believed we were coming down to win this game tonight. Obviously it wasn’t to be, we have to dust ourselves down and go again.”