Defenders have suddenly become quivering wrecks

ROVERS looked enterprising at times going forward, but we missed our chances in the first half and you just cannot win games if you concede three goals as easily as we did.

I don’t know what Ben Garner is trying to achieve with our defence, but it certainly isn’t working at the moment.

They have gone from a pretty solid unit before Christmas to a set of quivering wrecks. All the goals came from individual errors, which must be frustrating for the manager, but he has to shoulder the blame nevertheless, although one difference is he is without Anssi Jaakkola and Jamal Blackman is having a tough time replacing him at the moment.

Virtually every time the ball was floated into our box in the first half we were struggling to win it in the air and the manner of the first goal was very disappointing and just about summed it all up.

Adebayo Akinfenwa was inevitably the target of abuse from the Rovers fans for his immense size. He was causing trouble in the air without having to jump, although we weren’t expecting his goal to come from a side-footed tap in. The ball seemed to be running harmless across our penalty area but Alfie Kilgour allowed the big man far too much time and space. It all seemed like slow-motion, embarrassing and far too easy.

Ollie Clarke then blasted one high and wide during Rovers’ best period of the game, while Jonson ClarkeHarris also failed to find the target on a couple of occasions as Rovers hit back. However they got on level terms through a great goal by young Jayden Mitchell-Lawson. The enterprising teenager was causing trouble with his pace down the left and thoroughly deserved his goal.

But just like last week against Coventry we conceded two goals to suddenly find ourselves 3-1 at the break, a scoreline which flattered Wycombe a bit.

In the second half, Abu Ogogo and Clarke worked hard in midfield to get things going, but chances were few and far between.

One decent run by Alex Rodman led to a dangerous cross to the far post where Mitchell-Lawson almost scored and JCH also went close.

Tomorrow at Tranmere is now a very big game for Garner. I don’t see it as a relegation decider but the manager is badly in need of a win so it would be very bad for morale to lose this one.