Alan Reynolds says Bohemians need to make home advantage count for something today, on the pitch and in the stands.
Bohs ended the first series of league games on Friday having remained unbeaten with a 0-0 draw away to Drogheda United.
But Reynolds felt disappointed that his side didn’t come home with all three points and said they need to push themselves further when they host Waterford at Dalymount Park this evening.
Reynolds said: “Going the first series of games unbeaten is a very good achievement, particularly when you look at the start we had last season and how far we have come since then, but we are not patting ourselves on the back for that.
“We can be better and we want to be better. We need to keep pushing ourselves to improve. We have drawn our last three games and on Friday, I felt we should have gone on and won the game.
“Drogheda were in our faces during spells in the first half and made life difficult for us at times, but we had the better chances and by the end of the game, we were the ones pushing to win it.
“We were solid and switched-on at the back despite Drogheda being at us, and to keep another clean sheet at a difficult venue against a team that have frustrated us in the past is a positive.
“But we needed to be more clinical in and around their box and needed to test their goalkeeper more than we did.”
This evening at 5pm, Bohs host Reynolds’ former club Waterford, another team that have come to Dalymount in the past and frustrated the home side.
Reynolds, who will serve the second match of his three-game suspension this evening, added: “Games are coming thick and fast. With two at home this week, the clock is ticking on our time in Dalymount before the redevelopment.
“We need to make the most of that. We need players and fans to embrace every last moment we have here. Everyone has a part to play tonight: Let’s give everything on the pitch, and let’s raise the roof off it.
“Fans and players who were here over the past number of seasons will know how difficult Waterford have made it for us here before. We’ve been bitten before in the past so we need everyone right up for this game.
“Waterford are coming here with their tails up after a great point against Shamrock Rovers on Friday so we need everyone from everything. We need noise in the stands and we need our players to be aggressive, and on the front foot.
“They made life difficult for us down in the RSC when we played them earlier in the season so we need to assert ourselves and be switched on in all areas of the pitch.
“We want to build on the good start we have had and to do that we need to make home advantage count, and get back winning.”
Team news
Bohemians are without Dayle Rooney (knee) and Douglas James-Taylor (knee).
This evening’s matchball sponsor is The Rock Bakery. Based in Skerries, North Dublin, The Rock Bakery is an artisan bakery dedicated to producing high-quality breads and pastries, freshly made each day. Their products can also be found in 3FE in Phibsborough.