Gas Gossip: Two-week gap is not an excuse for Southend loss (From Gazette Series)

Bristol Rovers fans’ panel by Jeff Bolitho

12:00pm Thursday 22nd October 2009 in Gloucestershire Sport

IT WAS a case of too little too late at Roots Hall on Saturday as Rovers succumbed to their second straight defeat.

It wasn’t until we were 2-0 down that the players seemed to wake up and then produce the sort of performance that was expected from the start.

If Chris Dickson had shown the finishing skills he displayed at Brentford, we could have been celebrating a famous comeback and three points.

But it wasn’t to be on this occasion and we were left to rue such a sluggish start. Having had a two-week gap between games is not an acceptable excuse as Trollope said the players had been training hard and were fully prepared for the game.

Starting slowly has been an unfortunate trait shown by Rovers in recent years and it’s something that has to be eradicated quickly if we are to maintain our promising start to the season.

Fortunately other results went our way and our fifth place in the league was not put under threat.

But if we continue to show the sort of complacency we did during the opening period in the 2-1 defeat at Southend we will soon slip down the division and our early season form will be regarded as nothing more than a flash in the pan.

It’s important to bounce back as we now embark on a run of two games back at the Memorial Stadium.

Saturday’s visit of Yeovil has to yield three points as it is followed by the arrival of table-topping Leeds United next Tuesday.

Trollope has stuck by the same players this season, but others who have been pushing hard for a place will surely feel their time has come.

None more so than Andy Williams, who on current form looks a better option to play on the right than Mark Wright.

Fans have also seen little of Blizzard this season and it may be time to give him his chance.

Whoever is selected, we can only hope they realise the game lasts for 90 minutes and they haven’t put their clocks back too early.

Do you agree with Jeff’s views? Have your say below.