COLLIE O’NEILL has revealed how boxer Gary Cully has helped Shamrock Rovers deliver some knockout blows.
The highly fancied Hoops failed to win any of their first seven league matches of the season, games in which they scored just five times.
But they have put four past both Bohemians and Sligo Rovers in their last two outings to boost confidence levels ahead of a tougher test against Peamount United in the Avenir All-Island Cup this afternoon.
And Hoops boss O’Neill has revealed how Kildare lightweight Cully — who suffered his first pro defeat in May of last year against Jose Felix Jr of Mexico — had helped his players to see a way out of their problems in front of goal.
O’Neill said: “Our form has always been good so it’s results we’ve found over the past couple of weeks rather than form.
“Our conversion rate from chances created to chances scored was a complete anomaly.
“We were falling short and it’s nice we’re now catching up.”
O’Neill pointed to games against DLR Waves, Shelbourne and Treaty United where the Hoops’ xG on Wyscout was many multiples of their opponents’ but the matches all ended in draws.
And while the issue could not be ignored, the gaffer wanted to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
He said: “There were a few parts to it.
“It means we’re doing something right because we’re creating the chances so we didn’t want to change too much because at least we know that part is working.
“But you have to deal with the frustration part because it is natural for any human when they are not scoring to think they need to do something differently.
“We needed to work on the mental aspect. We did a poll with the players and they reckoned 60 to 70 per cent of the game was on the mental side.
“And if you think about it, you can work on fitness, technique, skills and patterns of play but what are you doing to work on the mental side of the game?
“Because there was no need for us to force things and hurry things to try to get a goal.
“We had to work on that, to not change our game, stick to the plan, the process, and it would work out, and thankfully it did.
“You can look back at some of our games in the early part of the season and we fall one behind and you can see we’re trying to rush things.
“But against Sligo last Saturday, they went 1-0 up against the run of play.
“We didn’t change anything, we stuck to the plan and won 4-1 so it was nice to see them taking it on board.”
That was, in part, thanks to a visit from world title hopeful Cully who trains in the Naas gym co-run by Rovers’ strength and conditioning coach Orlaith White.
O’Neill said: “He came in and spoke to the group about coping with setbacks, how he felt when he lost on the undercard to the Katie Taylor fight, about the gremlins in his mind and how to deal with them.
“It was great to have him in and it seems to have helped.”
With a short season disrupted by regular international breaks, O’Neill will hope that Rovers can keep the momentum going for now at least when they face Peamount.
He added: “Confidence levels are high after a couple of wins.
“But Peamount are a good side, they are league champions for a reason.
“I know it’s going to be a tough game and it will come down to fine margins, with both sides trying not to make too many mistakes.
“It’s not as if one side really dominates the other in a game like this.”
AVENIR ALL-ISLAND CUP QUARTER-FINALS: Linfield v Wexford (Midgley Park, 2pm), Shamrock Rovers v Peamount (Tallaght Stadium, 4pm), Shelbourne v Athlone Town (Tolka Park, 2pm), Galway United v Treaty United (Eamonn Deacy Park, 5pm).