Rocks boss: We have to cut out '˜lazy' starts to matches

Joint manager Jamie Howell said the slow starts the Rocks were still making to games – despite repeated warnings – were partly down to players being lazy and unprofessional.

It might just be one negative aspect to a hugely-positive first third of the season, but Howell said it was something the better teams in Ryman one south, whose clashes with the Rocks are looming fast, would undoubtedly punish.

Basement boys Horsham YMCA were the latest team to stun the Rocks with an early goal on Saturday before the hosts recovered to win 
4-1 and go fourth in the league with games in hand on most of their rivals.

It was the 11th time this season the Rocks had gone 1-0 down in the first half of a game – and many of those goals conceded have come in the first ten minutes. Yet five of those 11 deficits have been turned into victories and another two into draws.

Against YMCA the Rocks were able to recover and go on to win comfortably, but Howell said that wouldn’t be so straightforward if they gave better teams a goal start.

“We started slowly again on Saturday and it’s frustrating because it’s something we’ve stressed the importance of to the players.

“If we could get a goal or two ahead in these games it would relax everyone and make it a more pleasurable experience.

“It’s psychological. They are not being professional. They’re being lazy, and that’s not a word I use lightly.

“How we start games is a million miles away from how we finish.

“Against Horsham YMCA players made two or three bad decisions in the lead-up to their goal. We have to learn 100 per cent concentration from the first minute.

“We know we are good at defending but we must aim for clean sheets every week. Defending comes first.”

Despite those lingering worries, Howell was full of praise for the way the side recovered and ended up comfortable winners against YMCA and then demolished county league side Seaford 
6-0 in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

The two victories took the Rocks’ goal tally for the
season so far to an impressive 61 and saw strikers Luke Nightingale, Jason Prior and Dean Maynard net another six between them, with midfielder Matt Wood staking his claim for a regular starting spot with three goals in the two games.

Howell and Darin Killpartrick were happy with the ‘professional’ job done on Seaford.

Killpartrick said: “We played some good stuff and it was a chance for youngsters like Charlie Marshall and Toby Pointing to get some game time.

“It’s nice to see lots of goals going in. Moves from the training ground are starting to be seen more.

“But we do need to address the issue of letting in early goals.”

The Rocks will visit Conference South side Lewes in the last 16 of the county cup but for now can concentrate on closing the gap on the top three in the league – weather permitting.

Saturday’s journey to Faversham must be in serious doubt with some of the worst of the country’s winter weather hitting Kent, but the Rocks will be hopeful the thaw comes in time for Tuesday’s home clash with Ramsgate, if not for Saturday.

The forecast for the Faversham area is for more snow today, dry tomorrow and sleet on Saturday, with temperatures below zero until Friday night but possibly rising to 2C on Saturday.