Rosler: Take home form on the road

Town moved up to 10th in the League One table after bagging their fourth league win of the campaign at Highbury with a 2-1 victory over Gillingham.

But Town have picked up two wins on their travels at Southend and Chesterfield and Rosler wants more as they head to eighth-placed Bristol Rovers for their rearranged clash.

It is Town’s game in hand; victory could see them leap into a play-off spot.

He said: “We want to work hard to get something out of this now.

“We need to make the next step. At home we are a force and hard to beat now we have to make the next step going away from home and collecting more points.

“We have two wins on the road but we could have had more.

“At Bradford (when they lost 2-1) we could have got more out of that game and at Millwall (another 2-1 loss) we could have got more.

“But at the end of the day the league table does not lie.”

Rosler believes Rovers are a team with impetus after following their promotion from League Two with a solid start. this time around.

He said: “I think they are a football club with momentum.

“They have carried it from League Two into League One.

“They have had a good start; they are quite impressive with their play the question is can they sustain it all season?”

Town bounced back from a 2-1 defeat at Millwall to pick up three points against the Gills.

Ahead of a four-game run of league and cup games away from home, Rosler reiterated the need for mental strength.

He said: “I think that is paramount in this league that you have the ability to bounce back.

“The ability to not fly too high when you have won a few games and that you do not get too disappointed and lose your confidence too quick when some of the results go against you.

“This is a marathon you need mental strength. It is not always about ability in the Football League, it is about ‘have you the mentality to go out every three or four days and perform?’ and I think that is what I am trying to install in the group and the players are responding.

“We are on a learning curve and there will always be ups and downs but I think the players understand that is important to us.

“The ability is there, there is no question of that, we just need to be continuously working on those mental things.

“We are improving but I also knew at some point we would have a blip but we have to pick ourselves back up.”

It is understood full-back Michael Duckworth is Town’s only injury doubt for tonight.

However, Rosler has earmarked the need to help returning striker Chris Long find his top form again.

He said: “David Ball has played a lot of minutes for me.

“He is a goal scorer but he has also contributed a lot to the team off the ball.

“Sometimes I think maybe it is getting a little too much for him. I’m very happy to have him and my other strikers.

“I think Longy coming back from injury, he has got some more minutes and we need to help him find his top form again and that will only come from games and through training sessions.

“In general Ash Hunter is back on track, mentally absolutely focused.

“When he started the two games when he came on there is a reason why he has started scoring again because he is mentally back on track.

“Devante Cole gives us what he gives us, running ability, physicality, energy and I’m happy to have Alex Jakubiak again.

“At the moment going away from the three strikers and playing with the two (in a 4-4-2 formation) for that moment in time will reduce one striker not being on the bench and unfortunately at the moment that is Alex.”