Lyttle encouraged by performance, but knows there is work to be done
SLIGO Rovers manager Gerard Lyttle feels his side are not getting the slice of luck they require to win games at the minute.
Rovers should have been 2-1 winners against Drogheda United on Saturday evening, but a second-half goal from Daniel Kearns was disallowed, even though the Rovers boss says it should have stood.
He feels that decisions are going against his side too often.
“The boys have worked hard tonight. We dominated the game, they had a couple of chances, a few breakaways which is always going to happen when you’re going for the win,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“Their keeper has been the busier of the two. The disallowed goal, I’ve watched it back and if it’s out then it’s marginal and I mean marginal. How the linesman can give that is beyond me. It’s not fair because you have a team in there who’s worked their socks off and to be denied a goal, is disappointing. It’s happened too often with us, especially here.”
But he knows they cannot sit back and feel sorry for themselves.
“We haven’t got decisions and seem to be the side where the linesman’s got it wrong in terms of balls out. Really frustrated about that but I’ve got to try and be positive for the boys because a lot of things happened tonight, a lot of positive things. Yes we should have come away with three points but we haven’t and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we just have to keep going and working hard,” he added.
Striker Benny Igiehon (pictured) enjoyed an excellent debut for the club, but a goal was the only thing he was missing on the night.
His manager was full of praise for the 23-year-old.
“He’s had near enough the perfect debut - he’s worked his absolute socks off. He’s made an absolute nuisance of himself in terms of using his body and working hard.
“It’s his first 90 minutes, he was probably tiring towards the end. The only thing missing from his game was a goal. We thought he had it and the keeper’s pulled off a great save to be fair to him.
A wonder goal from Sean Russell gave the Boynesiders the lead, before Rhys McCabe later made it 1-1.
Rovers certainly dominated proceedings in the second-half, but failed to find the elusive winner.
“They haven’t worked our keeper. We started off the second half a bit slow and deep. That was disappointing because we asked the players to go a bit higher and keep the ball in their half but we sat off and the boy has scored a wonder goal - I don’t think he’ll score another goal like that in his career. That’s what happens when you’re up against it, these things don’t go your way. I’ve said it before, the harder you’re working, the luckier you’ll get. We just have to keep working hard and believing that we’ll turn the corner and get those wins.”
Lyttle, like many at The Showgrounds on the night, believed that the Bit O’Red were going to go on and win the game after McCabe’s equaliser.
“I honestly believed it. Even at 1-0 down I thought we were going to go on and win it, we just needed the break. It was just trying to get that first goal. If we had scored before Drogheda, I think we would have gone on and won the game comfortably. If we’re creating that many chances and balls in the opposition half as often, then I think we’re going to start winning games.”
The result, and the hammering at the hands of Derry City the week before, means that Rovers are well in the middle of a relegation dogfight that looks likely to go right to the wire.
“It is a dogfight and it probably will be right until the end. As a manager you just want to try and get out of that dogfight but if we can just start winning games and learn how to win games and have that wee bit about us we’ll be alright.”
He is looking to increase the squad further as each week goes on, and says although there hav- en’t been signings since Igiehon and McCabe, he is hopeful of adding a couple of new faces.
Former Hibernian and Inverness Caledonian Thistle player Lewis Horner is understood to be on trial with Rovers at the minute, while rumours were rife in Ballybofey at the weekend that the Bit O’Red are keen on Paddy McCourt.
“As I say over the last two weeks you’re probably waiting and thinking ‘where’s these players?’ but if we get a couple of players in it’s going to help us boost the squad and create a bit of competition with the rest of them playing here every week.”
When it comes to what kind of players he is looking to sign, the former Cliftonville boss knows what he wants.
“More attacking. Maybe one or two wide men, a centre forward or two, maybe a right back and a centre back. We’re looking for quality, if we can get quality in the team to add to what we already have.”
The results might not tell the whole tale entirely, but there have been improvements since the arrival of Gerard Lyttle. The Derry game aside, there have been encouraging signs.
“It has (improved). Last week was really disappointing, it was as low as I’ve felt since coming here. I don’t care how the team play as long as they give you a hard working and honest shift, it’s a given. Tonight we got it. Last week we didn’t. We got hard work, honesty, we got attacking play. We probably lacked a bit of quality in terms of our delivery in the final third. “Maybe our shots or crosses. But we’ll keep working on that in the training ground. Hopefully that will get us a couple of wins.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Bit O’Red, with a visit to Limerick on Saturday evening as their next task.
“It’s going to be a tough game. People were talking about Drogheda saying ‘it’s a banker, it’s three points’. I don’t believe any of that. They’re fighting for their lives, they played a different system to what we thought they were going to play. Every point is crucial. The important thing tonight, is that we didn’t lose.
“Before I think if we went 1-0 down our heads would have dropped. We get back at it which is pleasing.
“If that was Cork or Dundalk them balls slip through the goalkeeper’s hands or they get a deflection or something. We’re just not getting that rub of the green at the minute but I think that will change soon.”