Rooney rues misses (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

SWINDON TOWN: Rooney rues misses

6:00am Monday 22nd October 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead

ADAM Rooney has admitted his disappointment with his own finishing of late, after suggesting that he has cost Swindon Town four points in the last two games.

Rooney, a late substitute for James Collins in the 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe, dragged a shot wide with just Scunny goalkeeper Chris Slocombe to beat as Town pushed for a winner in the dying moments of Saturday’s stalemate.

It was a golden chance for the Birmingham loanee, and came almost seven days to the minute after he failed to nod home from close range in the 2-2 draw with Coventry at the County Ground.

And the Irishman was honest in his assessment of his own performance.

“It was the same again really, we should have won it. I had a good chance at the end and I should have scored but it wasn’t to be. I’m disappointed in myself and that we didn’t get three points,” he said.

“Matty (Ritchie) got up for a header and I gambled on him winning it and it’s come through but I got too much across the ball and dragged it. I should have finished it and I’m really disappointed not to have scored, especially after Coventry when I should have got a header near the end.

“That would have been four extra points that we’d be sitting on so personally I’m very disappointed and also for the team.”

Rooney has struggled to make himself a regular starter since arriving from Championship outfit Birmingham at the end of August, and he accepted that missing gilt-edged opportunities will not help him force his way to the front of manager Paolo Di Canio’s plans.

“Everyone is trying to get into the starting XI and we’re going to need that,” he said.

“We’ve seen, even in the last two weeks, people get injuries and you get chances so the important thing is that everyone is working hard in training and pushing because they want to get in the starting XI.

“That will help us for the rest of the season but a couple of goals in the last two games would have helped my case.

“You just have to do as much as you can in training to get in the starting XI and if you don’t then whatever time you get, whether it’s a minute, 20 minutes or an hour, you just have to give all you can and do the best you can for the team.

“Hopefully that’s enough to get you in the starting XI.

“It’s going to be a tough couple of weeks for the lads but everyone’s in the same position in this league. You get a lot of games and everyone’s going to be pushing.

“We’re going to need the squad over the next few weeks because the lads are going to be tired but we just have to make sure we get back to winning ways on Tuesday.

“We wanted to get back to winning ways at home today after drawing against Coventry when we should have won again at the end.

“When you go down to 10 men it’s obviously more difficult for us because they have the spare man and you have to work hard.

“I thought we did better today; we kept good shape and we countered well, even when we were down to 10 men. I thought we created the better chances in the game and obviously we’re disappointed not to get three points.”