Tom Lockyer was disappointed after Bristol Rovers fell to a 1-0 defeat to Cheltenham Town in Sky Bet League Two.
The Pirates were looking to get back to winning ways after losing their previous six fixtures in the fourth tier and were the better side for most of the contest. Ellis Harrison and Fabrizio Cavegn went close before the Robins broke the deadlock in the second half.
Jonathon Tomkinson netted the decisive goal, racing towards the back post to get on the end of a deep corner to score from close range. Rovers pushed for a leveller but could not find one, with the Gas suffering another defeat despite creating more opportunities than their opponents.
Speaking after the fixture, Lockyer reflected on the defeat and his role as the captain against the Robins.
Another tough one today, what’s your assessment of that?
"That’s just the way things are going for us at the minute. It feels like we started the game well, we were well in the game, we were having chances, we were hitting the post and then just a sucker punch set piece again. In those moments, it's just not going for us. Trying to put your finger on it is really hard at the minute because it's not just one thing, it seems like a collective of things.
"It's massively disappointing. We felt we more than deserved something out of the game, but these are the things. It’s another game. I looked at Stephan Negru and Clinton Mola next to me after the game and said 'How did you feel?' None of us felt threatened throughout the game, but somehow, we’ve come away with nothing."
As the captain of this team, although recently arrived and with a responsibility as one of the leaders, how hard is it to come in and try to turn the situation around?
"It is difficult. Look, there are people on low confidence with the run we’ve been on, and we need it to go in off someone’s backside and for it to go in, and I feel like that could just be the catalyst that we need.
"But at the minute it’s just not happening for whatever reasons, and it's definitely not a lack of effort. We’ve got GPS vests that tell us that because that's the first thing I look for when we go on this run. The effort was still there, probably the only thing, and this is probably because of the run we’ve been on; it didn’t feel like once we went down that there was that real belief we would get back in it, and that’s probably the run we’ve been on and lack of confidence.
"The boys were still trying, don’t get me wrong, but there wasn’t that real belief. The Darrell Clarke sides we’ve had in the past, they never knew when they were beaten, and that’s where we want to get to but it's so hard to put your finger on it and ask, 'how do we get there?' because everything at the minute seems to be going against us.
"Look, this is not me being a victim, by the way; it just feels like we need men to stand up and do whatever it takes to protect that clean sheet. For the majority of the game, that was the case, but in those moments, it’s just going against us again."
As the captain, the players look up to you. Do you go around and help with those confidence levels?
"Of course, you have to demand the standards every day because, as I always say, it's not a light switch. You can't just turn it on and off. You’ve got to be at it every day, and that’s been good.
"I can't fault that, but like I said, confidence is low, and it's not just going to be me saying 'you’re a good player' that’s going to change that, it’s going to be a performance. I think we had the performance today, we just didn’t have the result to go with it. We just couldn’t get that ball in the back of the net. I think we hit the post twice, and if that drops the other side post, I genuinely think we go on to win that game.
"The same the other day at Accrington, even Gillingham, when he hits a worldie when we get a goal before that, it just feels at the minute when we do go behind that there’s that we just don’t really believe that we're going to get back in it."
And how are you feeling now, another 90 minutes, how are your levels and getting into the rhythm of playing regular football again?
It's nice, but it has been tough. Obviously, I wanted to get back to playing as soon as possible, but you know it’s different from training. You need to build these things up to get 90 now. I know that didn’t feel great by any means. I don’t expect to till at least another few games if I’m being honest, but as soon as I’ve got that base fitness, then I feel like I can kick on.
"I think probably the thing I’ve found most is when I am blowing and I’m finding it tough, it's just that communication, but you’re gasping for air instead. That’s probably the biggest thing, but look, that will come. We just want it to be with a few more wins as well."
You’ll know the gas heads are hurting a lot of them here today. What can you say to them tonight on a night like this?
"In the huddle I said to the boys before, look behind you, who wants to score in front of that, because I do.' They were bang with us, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them. I think they sensed it as well because when we went behind, they started singing not nice things, which obviously is not nice to hear as a player when you’re trying to give your all for the badge.
"We said after that, they are entitled to their own opinion, and it's got to hurt. You can’t be happy with what they’re saying and singing, and it's got to hurt, but there but you've got to use that as fuel now to put this right together because as quick as they get on our back, they’ll be quick to be with us again.
"I’ve been relegated with this club, and it hurt like hell, and it was a lot of that week in week out, and you have to turn it around, otherwise it can be a real tough place to be.
