Barry Roche: We're a soft touch who crumble when going gets tough

Barry Roche admitted Morecambe were a 'soft touch' after their latest humbling League 2 defeat.
Barry Roche.Barry Roche.
Barry Roche.

The Shrimps led early on against Stevenage but folded again as they slipped to a 4-1 reverse at the Globe Arena on Saturday.

The result means Jim Bentley’s side, now 21st in League 2, have shipped 89 goals in a nightmare season.

Long-serving number one Roche said: “It’s heartbreaking.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Unfortunately as a team I don’t think it hurts us enough. Especially as of late we’ve been a real soft touch. We’re too easy to score against.

“We’re a very good side when things are going for us but when things don’t go for us like today, we crumble.

“There’s no other word for it. How many times this season has it happened that we’ve conceded one then shortly after conceded two?

“It’s not good enough.”

Saturday’s defeat, their fourth in five games, was the latest in a long line where The Shrimps have shown little sign of battling back once the going has got tough.

Roche said: “It’s happened time and time again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Against Carlisle we had a bit of bad luck with the penalty but with six minutes to go you roll your sleeves up and try to stop them scoring again.

“But it’s almost like we concede and then think we’ve got to go and score straight away.

“You don’t. If you concede you can shut up shop for a few minutes. But we don’t and we concede another.”

Roche, who along with Jamie Devitt spoke to the press instead of boss Jim Bentley, also apologised to fans.

He said: “I can only apologise.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The performances and results of late have been dreadful. Earlier on in the season we went through a nine-game run where we weren’t winning games but we were playing quite well.

“Nobody likes losing but to a certain degree you could accept some of those defeats because the performances were excellent.

“They certainly haven’t been lately though.”