Sligo Rovers midfielder David Cawley says he would gladly swap his recent player of the month award for points on the league board. The Mayo man has been one of the shining lights in what has been a gloomy season so far for the Bit O'Red who sit seco
Sligo Rovers midfielder David Cawley says he would gladly swap his recent player of the month award for points on the league board. The Mayo man has been one of the shining lights in what has been a gloomy season so far for the Bit O'Red who sit second from bottom with just two wins from nine games.
Cawley finished just eight votes ahead of top scorer Adam Morgan in the club's March awards having made a solid start to his second stint at the Showgrounds. He is the only Rovers player this season to feature in every minute of their ten competitive games this term.
But personal gongs don't seem to interest the 26-year-old who remains focused on turning Sligo's season around. Their latest defeat came on Saturday night when goals in each half from Rory Patterson and Ronan Hale gave Derry a handy two goal win over a less than pedestrian Rovers outfit.
"Whatever you win personally, I'd give it all up for any amount of wins", Cawley states. "Tonight, we didn't start well enough and in the first half we were poor, we didn't get out of the traps. They out-battled us which is the big disappointment for me. I expect us to out-battle anyone here. Then the goal comes and you've a mountain to climb. It was the poor start that got us."
Regrouping at half-time a goal down, Sligo adjusted their plan but nothing came from it.
"You have to keep believing you can change things because you're only one down", Cawley continues. "We had to change how we approached things for the second half and everyone had to be at it.
"We got a little bit better but then we get sloppy again and we concede a second and that's a kick in the teeth."
With long journeys to Limerick, Cork and Waterford to come over the next three weeks for a struggling Rovers, David says the players must stick together if they are to climb the table.
"The atmosphere in the dressing room after the (Derry) game wasn't great. You don't want to be losing games never mind losing at home. We had a word after and we know we're in a rut and we're going to have to get together again and get going the right way.
"It doesn't get any easier and there's no easy games. We have to focus now on Limerick and three points down there."
Signed in 2012, Cawley was a member of the teams who represented Rovers in what is referred to locally as the 'golden years', picking up every domestic trophy possible bar the EA Sports Cup during his time in the north west. A trophy he would go on to win during his time at St Patrick's Athletic.
After a difficult 2015 under Owen Heary, Cawley moved on to spend a season each at both Inchicore and Galway before Ger Lyttle instigated his return to Sligo at the end of last year. So what's the difference between the David Cawley of then and now?
Cawley outlines: "I grew up a bit. The whole Pat's move, if I could go back I would change certain things. That woke me up a little bit in terms of where I needed to be as a player. When I went back to Galway I was a bit more focused and settled. Everything fell in place there and I started to enjoy myself again.
"When Ger brought me back, I couldn't wait to get started. I had a difficult 2015 here but it didn't bother me. People might think I've a point to prove but I'm just enjoying my football, I love it here.
"There's so much work done in the community and off the pitch and it's brilliant. There are people at this club who couldn't do enough for the players. There's a great feel about the club that was there in my first few years here."
The Ballina native is hurting from Rovers' slow start to 2018 and is driven to bring the good nights back to what's been a frustrated Showgrounds this year.
"Once you get going here there is no better place because the fans really get behind you and I've told the younger lads that", Cawley concludes.
"I've seen the stands empty out here before but I know how to handle that but it's about helping the newer and younger lads deal with that. You have to blank it out because once things turn and you get a few results here, there's no better place to play.
