Plaudits for Roddan as Lyttle promises Rovers will not get carried away
SLIGO Rovers manager Gerard Lyttle has urged his players to stay focused on the task at hand in the aftermath of their huge win over league leaders Cork City at Turners Cross on Friday night.
Rovers were deserving 1- 0 winners over John Caulfield’s side, but Lyttle says it’s just one win, when they still need a few more in order to beat the drop.
Rovers could only muster a 0- 0 draw with Bray Wanderers at The Showgrounds on Tuesday evening, increasing fears over relegation.
And while the Bit O’Red may not have got the rub of the green from the referee, the former Cliftonville boss was thrilled with his side’s performance against the Leesiders.
“It’s been a long time coming, it’s a wee bit of luck we needed. I think we should have had a penalty and you’re thinking ‘ oh here we go again’. It was a stonewall and RTE have said it as well. Others around us have said it’s a stonewall penalty. It’s frustrating, it could have cost us the game but it didn’t,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“Craig’s sending off is a poor decision. We’ll not dwell on it. We got the win, it’s a great win, a win that nobody expected us to get. I thought tonight the boys were unbelievable, well organised, defensively sound. They had a real desire not to lose the game and obviously we’ve got the three points which is even better.”
Cork City were reduced to lumping long balls into the Rovers area in the second- half when they could not beat the Rovers rearguard, but the visitors never really looked like conceding.
“We had the better chances in the first half. Second- half, it’s going to happen, you get a wee bit deeper and their crowd is urging them on, they’re throwing more balls into the box and nerves start kicking in. That’s where mistakes start being made. I thought the boys were solid, I never really thought we were going to lose that game tonight when we got the lead.
“Massive credit to them, they’ve been working extremely hard, with hard work you get the results and it’s great to see a happy dressing room. We’re not going to get carried away, it’s important that we stay humble and focused. We’ll have a couple of days off, well earned. We’ll start again and prepare for the next game which is Falkirk.”
The fight shown by Rovers on Friday night was more like what fans have come to expect.
Lyttle says, though, that it’s just one win, when Rovers need more in order to avoid relegation.
“It’s important we have that fight. If we don’t have fight then there’s no point being here. The boys showed tremendous fight tonight, and to be fair to them I think in the league they have, they’ve showed real heart and desire and passion for the jersey. The good thing is there’s competition now for places on the pitch which keeps the boys on their toes. We’ve got to stay focused, we can’t get carried away. It’s one win, we need a few more and hopefully that will give us a bit of belief going forward.”
Midfielder Craig Roddan was voted man of the match by RTE after being man of the match against Bray Wanderers on Tuesday last.
And although Lyttle admits that him and the Liverpudlian did not get off to the best of starts, he has been hugely impressed with the 24- year- old in recent weeks.
“He’s showed tremendous leadership, determination, battling, fighting for everything. In the changing room he’s been very vocal, he’s been egging us on, and getting us going. I’ve got to applaud that because him and I probably didn’t get off to a great start when I first came in. To be fair to him he’s been very professional, he’s stuck by it, he’s showed a great determination to get back into the team and he’s in there now and we’re playing well with him in it.”
Lyttle still looks back to the cup defeat against Longford as being the reality check that was needed for his players.
“It was ( the reality check they needed). You take positives out of everything and that’s the positive from that. It’s given us a kick up the backside that we probably needed.
“As you know, there was a few harsh words said in the changing room afterwards, we were locked in for an hour. It’s done us the world of good, it’s given us a wake up call. We’re not getting carried away, we’re happy with the performance, we’re happy with the result but it’s only one game, they need to do that more now. The biggest thing tonight was the challenge of getting our first away win, it’s a monkey off our back now. To come here on their own ground, and do it, I’m thrilled.”
When Rovers beat Shamrock Rovers in July, Lyttle himself had hoped that it would be statement of intent from his side.
They went on to suffer a 4- 0 defeat at the hands of Derry City the next week. This time, he says, it has to be different.
“It has to be ( a statement of intent). That was the most disappointing and frustrating thing after the Shamrock Rovers game ( when we were) wanting to kick on. Now, there’s a gap in games. It’s important that we stay focused. The next game we have is Finn Harps away, coming here and putting that performance on means nothing if we go there and don’t get results. I did target four points in these two games, albeit it was the other way round, and that’s the way it’s been. It’s been a goal away, or a wonder goal that’s done us. We deserved it,” he said.
Rovers have no game this weekend due to their exit from the FAI Cup.
They play host to Falkirk the following week in the Scottish Challenge Cup.
It’s understood the club are trying to move the October game against Bohemian FC forward to an earlier date,