Rovers manager Darren Ferguson talks about the FA Cup first round exit to League One Oldham at Boundary Park.
Darren Ferguson rued his side’s missed chance to pull off a minor upset against League One Oldham Athletic on Saturday.
Despite a late rally, Rovers couldn’t force a first round replay against the higher ranked Latics and the wait to have another stab at the FA Cup could be a long one for the Scot.
He said: “We’re out of the Cup. As I just said to the players, we have to wait twelve months now which is a long time.
“Wait until you see the second round draw, wait until you see who gets Manchester United and Arsenal and Liverpool in the third round and we’re not in it and it was a game I really wanted to win and I felt with the team I picked should have won if we’d done the right things but we can’t keep conceding goals the way we are, it’s not good enough.
“We do more work than most in terms of both sides of the pitch, we’re just conceding really sloppy goals. To concede 8 in three games is not good enough.”
Rovers scored for the 19th successive game courtesy of the impressive Liam Mandeville but that is not where their deficiencies lie according to Ferguson.
He said: “I’m a manager that does want to entertain and score goals but I’m a manager that doesn’t want to concede them. I’m not one for winning 6-4 – if we have to then yes – but winning the game is the main thing. We need more clean sheets, we’re making really poor decisions on the pitch and getting punished and that area of our game isn’t good enough at the moment.
“I thought there was some positives; Mandeville and (Alfie) Beestin were very good and I was pleased with those two.
“Really pleased for Liam because he had a bit to answer and he knew that. He was more aggressive and got more involved, got the penalty himself and took it. I thought Beestin was very good and we’re going to need them.”