Alan Reynolds says Bohemians need to get over their Monday blues quickly if they are to get back to winning ways away to Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
Having taken the lead through Ross Tierney and having been on top for long spells in the Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers three days ago, Bohs were hit with a suckerpunch to lose the game right at the death in injury-time.
It was a tough one to take for players and supporters alike but the quick turnaround in fixtures means Reynolds’ squad haven’t got time to feel sorry for themselves.
Reynolds said: “It was a real sickener and an awful way to lose a game. On the night, there’s a lot of emotion after the game because it’s a Dublin derby, us having bossed the game and then ending up with nothing.
“My job as manager is to take a step back and look at what we did right and what went wrong, and address that.
“I think anyone watching the game or who even watched the highlights will accept that we did a lot right. We were very, very good for the vast majority of the game. We created 20-odd efforts on goal and we showed we have the players and the way of playing that is capable of cutting a really good side open.
“Where did we go wrong? Well for all those chances we created and for all the great passages of play that we had, we weren’t clinical enough in the final third and we didn’t test their goalkeeper nearly as much as we should have.
“We spoke before the game about how clinical Rovers can be, they are champions for a reason and they punished us at the worst time possible. Having played so well for the majority of the game, we let ourselves down by not defending balls into the box properly.”
While Bohs fans might have spent the last three days wondering what might have been – a win would have put them level on points at the top of the table – for Reynolds and his players, the focus is getting back to winning ways.
Unbeaten in five prior to Monday and having won their previous three games in a row, that is the kind of the form they want to return to once more.
Reynolds said: “That’s sometimes where a quick turnaround between games is a good thing. After losing the way we did, you just want to get back out on to the pitch and put things right.
“Obviously everyone at the club was hurting on Monday night but as soon as we get back into training as a group, you have to take what’s gone before on the chin, move on from it and get back to work.
“We know what went right for us, we know what went wrong for us and it’s up to us to learn from that and move forward as a group.”
Standing in their way is a Sligo Rovers side who Bohs beat 4-1 when the sides met in the Showgrounds in February only for the Bit O’Red win 2-1 when they faced off in Dalymount in April.
Reynolds: “It’s another tough game. Sligo have seen the best of us and the worst of this season. We had our most convincing win of the season down there in February but then fell to our first defeat of the season against them in Dalymount.
“Everyone knows how good Sligo can be – they went to Tallaght last week and beat Shamrock Rovers in injury-time so we are under no illusions about how good they can be.
“But again we have to focus on ourselves. We’re doing a lot of things right – we were in a good run of form going into Monday’s game and we did a lot of things right in that game too.
“The challenge now is to get better in the areas where we need to sharpen up, while eradicating mistakes at the back when we come under pressure as well.”
One man who will be unavailable for the trip out west is winger Markuss Strods, who has really made his mark in the first team this season.
Reynolds revealed that the 19-year-old was due to be named in the Latvia senior international squad today ahead of next week’s Baltic Cup semi-final against Lithuania with a game against either Estonia or the Faroe Islands to come three days later.
Unfortunately, a quad injury has put paid to Strods’ involvement this time around, with Reynolds hoping he can return to fitness after the international break.
Reynolds added: “It’s really unfortunate for Markuss. Obviously he’s missed our last two games with the injury but he has made an incredible impact for us this season.
“Getting a senior international call-up was just reward for all of that hard work getting into the team in the first place and the form he’s had since breaking into the team.
“He’s grabbed his opportunity with both hands and has made a seamless transition from U20s football to men’s football. I’ve said it before he’s big and strong, chipping in with goals, chipping in with assists and he’s been such a consistent performer that I think some people forget he’s still only 19.
“He played in all three of the Latvia U21s’ at the end of March and he obviously impressed for them as well, so this was the next step up for him.
“Just like Dawson getting called up for the Ireland squad, Markuss getting called up for his country was a massive honour for him and for his family.
“Again, we’d like to be sitting here today with his name up in lights congratulating him so we are gutted for him that he won’t be able to travel. But this is only the start for him – he has brilliant potential and I am confident that his chance will come again.”
Team news
Bohemians are without Markuss Strods (quad) and Senan Mullen (hamstring).
Captain Dawson is available for selection before linking up with the Ireland squad on Saturday ahead of their friendly next week away to Canada.
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