Slow star t is worrying ahead of some tough games on the road

With just three points taken from our opening four games of the season, it can be easy to be pessimistic so early on.

Indeed it’s hard not to fear the worst in both the short and long terms as a supporter when those first four outings are all home games.

It took Rovers three attempts to register their first point and five to get their first win in 2017. Notably, that first point came against our next opponents St Patrick’s Athletic while the first win was against Bray Wanderers, who the Bit O’Red took on yesterday evening in what Adam Morgan described after the Waterford defeat as “must win”.

Morgan compared Rovers’ abysmal first half against Waterford as like somebody who “didn’t get out of bed”.

A half-time alarm clock in the form of a Ger Lyttle and Kevin Deery roasting was the kick in the proverbial required to jolt a dozing Rovers out of their first half slumber.

And it was terrible. Waterford set up tentatively. Prepared in such a way as to take the ‘wait and see’ approach. Alan Reynolds wanted Ger Lyttle to blink first, show his cards and take the game from there. But as the home team, Rovers again didn’t set the tempo.

Whatever plan Ger had sent the starting eleven out with, it’s not the first time it’s happened this season where you’re left thinking do some players operate on the same wavelengths as management.

Lyttle did not send those players out to be that incoherent and disjointed.

Morgan too mentioned that Rovers are missing something they can’t quite put their finger on. From the outside looking in on Friday, there were clear signs of both mental and physical weakness. Particularly in midfield where David Cawley seemed to be the only capable of being able to resist being thrown off the ball while in possession.

Adam Wixted really struggled to have any sort of say as he quickly drifted out before being replaced by the more direct Ali Roy early in the second half.

While Caolan McAleer on the opposite flank covered plenty of ground but had little impact when it mattered with wayward finishing and a meagre final ball.

Both Wixted and McAleer are only in the infancy of their Rovers careers but both equally have to up their game when involved if points are to be added on the board.

While Greg Moorhouse, for all his admirable effort must start hitting the target.

It’s not the first or second time this season that his strike partner Morgan has been starved for ball for a lot of the game. It was a strange decision from Ger to substitute his main goal threat shortly after Morgan had scored with the game tied.

Surely in that position and with Rovers on top, you have to keep your most likely goal source involved?

I also noticed calls for him to be dropped after the game. To bench a player who has netted three times in your opening four games, particularly when you’re desperate for points would be crazy.

The second half was a slightly more pleasing affair right up until Courtney Duffus’ goal although our back four’s continuous insistence on bypassing the back four made for a tough watch.

Credit to Rovers, they did show the alertness and drive that was missing from the first half.

But the final ball into the box and composure in front of goal still lacked. Ger spoke pre-season about having our first three games of the season at home and how we needed to use that to our advantage. Well, we didn’t.

Let’s hope that for the early stages of the season at least, we’ve saved our best for the road because if not, it’s going to be tough going over the next few weeks.

Just returned from last night’s trip to Wicklow, we’re on the road east again on Friday with a trip to Dalymount Park. A venue Sligo haven’t won at in their last five attempts while fitting for the weekend that’s in it, a visit to Inchicore is next just two days later. A stadium we’ve only taken three league points from twice since promotion twelve years ago.

A continuation of the second half performance against Waterford plus a lot more will be required if we’re to enjoy our Paddy’s weekend.

It would be amiss not to mention this week, former boss John Coleman who is working miracles in League Two with Accrington Stanley.

Operating on a shoe string budget with the division’s smallest crowds, to have his side two clear at the top is nothing short of astonishing!