Scully looking to rediscover Rovers form

Shamrock Rovers manager Pat Scully is happy to see the back of April. After starting the season strongly with four wins and a draw from five games, his hard-working and efficient Rovers side have really struggled of late. It's been a frustrating time but he remains confident that results will improve.

The poor run of results started with a home defeat to Bohemians. Bohs were just about the better side that day but the games only goal came from a poor mistake from the Rovers defence. The following week in Cobh, Rovers started strongly and could have easily been three up within the first twenty five minutes - however Cobh improved as the game went on and in many ways beat Rovers at their own game. They fought for every ball, kept their shape and discipline very well, and frequently turned the Rovers defence. A draw with UCD was a fair result but on Sunday last the Hoops suffered another defeat when St Pat's came away from Tolka with three points.

Speaking to extratime.ie, Scully reflected on recent results "Its been one of those months were everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for us. We are getting absolutely no bounce of the ball, to say we didn't score tonight is beyond belief". The former Rovers player continued " Its a bad run of results no matter what way you dress it up".

Scully openly admits that going four games without a win is just not acceptable, however he seems to have a good handle on what is needed to see them through this rough patch and refers to qualities that no one could accuse him of lacking - but he wants to see the same from his players.

"I've said to the players for a while now - you need character and you need mental strength to be successful in football. The most important thing that wins you leagues and wins you cups is mental strength and character and this is a good test for me and a good test for the players".

The only goal of Sunday's game came from two refereeing decisions that Scully was far from happy with. Pat's were initially awarded a free kick for a Pat Flynn tackle on the right hand side. Asked specifically about the tackle, Scully answered quickly - " He won the ball! It's a man's game!".

Scully was also surprised that the referee allowed Damien Lynch's goal to stand " Nine times out of ten, looking at free kicks now, if someone backs into the goalkeeper like that and goes right underneath him, it's usually a free kick. I don't think he (Damien Lynch) raised his arms but usually when you collide with a goalkeeper like that and back into him they give a free kick".

While on the topic of the referees' performance he let it be known that he wasn't happy with Danny O'Connor's first yellow card either - " Its a fifty-fifty tackle. If you are going to start booking people for fifty-fifty tackles you will have no players on the pitch".

The work ethic and drive that was synonymous with Rovers play last season hasn't disappeared and they haven't become a bad side over night. Their style of play may be a little different this season and of course some of the personnel are new but the fundamentals of how the team is set up remain the same. Scully is confident that results will improve - "If the players keep working that hard I firmly believe we can turn it around".