Showgrounds need to be a for tress once again

THERE were reasons to be cheerful for Sligo Rovers supporters facing into the arduous spin home on Friday night last. The Bit O’Red picking up a deserved point and in doing so, became the first team this season not to be beaten by Waterford at the RSC.

There were doubts about this one pre-kick-off given Rovers were without our most consistent performer this term, in the suspended David Cawley. While top scorer Adam Morgan didn’t make the trip due to injury. The home side being able to name a full-strength eleven didn’t add much optimism for those who travelled and things didn’t get much better early on when Kyle Callan-McFadden turned the ball past his own goalkeeper.

With not even ten minutes on the board and Rovers a goal down, it was easy to expect the worst. But credit to Ger Lyttle’s charges who despite the setback against a team who won’t be far off Cork and Dundalk come October, were relatively solid for the remaining 80 minutes. Even if they had to see out 20 or so minutes without their captain.

Callan-McFadden’s second yellow, as his first was avoidable. Two moments of rashness on the Donegal man’s behalf saw him receive his fifth and sixth yellows of 2018 and his first dismissal. Kyle is now top of the table when it comes to the total number of cards shown this season. In Sligo we’re all for our leaders to show determination, passion and at steel. But there are better and much more productive ways for the club captain to lead.

Rovers have had big problems with discipline over the years, finishing last season as the league’s worst offenders. Nothing has changed this year with players picking up a total of 37 yellows and three red cards in 13 league games. While four Rovers players make up the list of the top ten most booked this year with Cawley (three yellows, one red), Morgan (five yellows) and Eduardo Pinceli (four yellows) joining Callan-McFadden on that list.

Going to the RSC, Turner’s Cross and Oriel Park is tough enough with your full arsenal available. It doesn’t make it any easier to survive in this league with your better players missing due to suspension often brought on from petulant and pointless yellow cards. This is something that Ger Lyttle must address.

It was interesting to see the inclusion of the aforementioned Callan-McFadden in Waterford. The back five of Mitchell Beeney, Gary Boylan, John Mahon, Paddy McClean and Calum Waters were the first this season to keep an opposing team scoreless against St Pat’s the previous Saturday.

Replacing the versatility of Cawley was always going to be very difficult but it was still surprising to see Ger include Callan-McFadden at right back and choosing Boylan as Cawley’s stand-in in the middle.

That arrangement didn’t stand for long however as the latter was withdrawn shortly before the break due to injury. You could argue Waterford’s attack is a touch more dangerous than Pat’s, so to include Callan-McFadden was to add experience. But with a red card and own-goal to boot, last Friday won’t go down as Kyle’s most cherished memory.

It was great to witness another well rounded performance from John Mahon who was arguably Sligo’s best player again on Friday. He has terrific presence despite his tender age and was well able to spar with the strength of Ismahil Akinade throughout. His goal-line clearance mid-way through the second period despite the disadvantageous starting position was a testament to his determination.

Another youngster from the locality who impressed for the second night running was the goal-scorer, the evergreen Raff Cretaro. On his 466th appearance in a Rovers shirt, Cretaro is now the national league’s 18th most capped player in his 17th season of League of Ireland football. Astonishing really.

Our suspension woes continued last night against Bray in what was our seventh and final game of what’s been a packed April. Serious questions will be asked this morning should Bray have registered just their second win of the season. Even if they managed a draw, the knives will be out. There’s no guarantees or pre-assertions in this league and I fully expect Bray to be multiple times better in the coming round of games than they were under previous management. But that one was a must win for a Rovers whose home form must improve.

Before last night, only one third of Rovers’ 12 league points have been gathered at home, the lowest proportion of any team’s points total at their own ground in the division. While our overall away form is the third best outside of Dundalk and Cork! The Showgrounds has been a fortress for us over the past number of years but any fear it may hold for opposing teams has disappeared. It’s not impossible but we really do not want to be relying on our away form to prop us up this season