ROVERS’ two pre-season games hardly promise a season of glory or even a climb up the Priaulx League table that they yet again propped up last season. But new coach Martyn Dorey refuses to be downhearted and you have to say that, in the short time he was in charge last campaign, he revived the team to the extent that had they played like that all season, the blues would not have finished 16 points adrift. Indeed, they may not have finished bottom at all.

But the late-summer signs are not encouraging.

The first team travelled to Jersey and were trounced 6-0 by St Paul’s.

On Saturday, they played Vale Rec and suffered a similar result.

Dorey’s men have one more warm-up game, against Grouville in Jersey this weekend, before opening their competitive season with a first-round Stranger Cup tie against North the following Thursday.

North, who have benefited from picking up Rovers’ best player and main goal threat over the summer, big Simon Tostevin, will not be quaking in their boots, especially when they learn that Rovers will have four first-teamers suspended and two others on holiday.

The coach, who has two new assistants in former Weymouth professional Dean Willis and former North, Bels and island midfielder Gary Stevenson, has been encouraged by the turnouts and attitude to pre-season.

‘I feel that the players are already showing the signs of playing some good football.

‘We’re trying to change the style of play.’

Sadly, the plea for new talent has largely fallen on deaf ears.

‘We’ve signed [goalkeeper] Ryan Prigent, who has played a few games in the North Priaulx, but that’s about it,’ said Dorey.

‘I’m disappointed we haven’t attracted any new signings but we’ve got a couple through from last year’s Youth One team.’

He is more than happy with his back-room team.

‘The coaching side of things is absolutely excellent. They [Willis and Stevenson] are both very experienced.’

As usual, there will be no shortage of effort from the Port Soif outfit and they can rightly point to a stack of talent in the youth sides, but it’s hard to be anything other than fearful for their first-team prospects.

More than anything, they need stability in selection, which has been a big problem for many years, and consistently big performances from their most talented.

That means captain Keith Quertier in defence and Jamie Ferbrache in attack.