Bristol Rovers v Harrogate Town: ‘Switch-off moments’ proving costly – Paul Thirlwell

The Sulphurites make the long trip down to the South West to tackle an in-form Gas outfit having won just one of their previous seven matches and coming off the back of a disappointing home defeat to Hartlepool United.

Not for the first time in recent weeks, Town conspired to drop points in a game which they had got themselves in a position to go on and win.

Thus, Harrogate’s assistant manager says that his players need to remain switched on for the duration of matches in order that they start coming away with more to show for their efforts.

“We can keep saying that we’ve been unlucky in games, but if people don’t do their jobs properly then you get punished,” former Sunderland midfielder Thirlwell said.

“We seem to have to work very hard for our goals or to get in front in games.

“You can never say that this group of players aren’t hard workers, but we need to be working just as hard at the other end of the pitch to deny the opposition chances to score.

“It’s these switch-off moments in games that have been costing us and as a management team, we continue to drill it into the players that they cannot afford to lose concentration and focus.

“What we can’t replicate in training is the atmosphere of a game, the noise of the crowd or what’s going through someone’s mind if they’ve just misplaced a pass a few moments earlier.

“But we cannot just keep saying we’re new to the level and playing in front of Football League crowds. People have to stand up and do their jobs for the full 90 minutes.”