Alan Reynolds says there is no shortage of belief or drive in his team but they need to improve their concentration levels.
Bohemians have six games remaining this season and the first of those sees Reynolds’ former club Waterford come to Dalymount Park on Friday evening.
Bohs have had a disappointing return against the Blues in recent seasons, in fact the men from the DĂ©ise have won eight of their last ten games at Dalymount – a record that has belied both sides’ respective league positions.
Reynolds said: “Waterford have made it very difficult for us this season and last, and they have punished us.
“We enjoyed a great 3-0 win down in the RSC in the first series of games but there is no doubt that we were left kicking ourselves in the two games we have played against them since.
“We have to learn from those games. There is no shortage of belief or drive in this team but our concentration levels have to be at their very, very best.
“We are at home again, we have a big crowd behind us again and there is pressure on us again to deliver. We have to relish that pressure but have to stay calm, stay focused on what we are doing and ultimately our concentration levels need to be better.”
Those concentration lapses cost Bohs dear when Derry City left Dalymount Park with a 4-3 victory last Friday, a win that saw the Candystripes leapfrog Reynolds’ men and move them into second place in the table.
Reynolds said: “As I said after the game, when you score three goals, you have to be winning games.
“There was no question of our desire or our creativity last week. I think our fans recognise that. We bombarded Derry’s box at times and if it wasn’t for the heroics of their keeper we would have scored more than three, particularly at the end when our attacking players created chance after chance.
“But we were left empty-handed and that was purely down to lapses of concentration. We took the lead early in the game and we didn’t build on that. We found ourselves 2-1 down in the second half, got back level 2-2 before conceding a minute or two later. Then we got it back to 3-3 and, again, we let Derry march straight back up the pitch and score again a minute or two later.
“It was a crazy spell in the game – five goals in 12 minutes. We needed to dig deeper defensively than we did in terms of managing the game and keeping our cool in periods like that.
“To throw away an equaliser once was a kick in the teeth but to do it a second time was deeply frustrating. It was a costly lesson but it has to be a lesson – we really have to learn from that and not repeat those kinds of mistakes again.
“We have quality players and we have experienced players, and we need them to stay calm and keep possession, and not give the opposition an inch.
“Despite the frustration at the result, there were pleasing aspects too. We did nearly everything right at one end of the pitch – to score three goals against a team as good as Derry is no mean feat and, but for Brian Maher, it could have been four or five.
“But ultimately they went home with the points and we went home with nothing because we didn’t do our jobs at the other end of the pitch.
“We have six games left, the stakes are high, and we need to start strong as we mean to go on, keep our heads when we are under pressure, and we need our supporters right behind again too.
“There’s great belief in this group but we need everyone giving it socks, on the pitch and in the stands.”
Dawson Devoy (suspension) and John Mountney (groin) return but Ross Tierney (leg) and Alex Lacey (hamstring) are doubts.
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Steven Newman has been attending matches since age of 10 with his dad and life-long member, Noel Newman.
Steven recently celebrated his 66th birthday – his family bought the match ball sponsorship as a gift for him.