Has Robin earned a start?
Robin Shroot has been in blistering form during pre-season and that continued on Saturday when his last-gasp goal earned Boro a point, and after the game Gary Smith hinted that he may have earned himself a starting place.
Speaking after the game the Gaffer said “Robin’s been absolutely astounding in pre-season with his goal scoring attributes and can feel very aggrieved that he’s not starting.
“He’s made a serious push for a starting shirt after that, he’s shown a hell of a lot in front of goal for an attacking midfield player.”
He came on as a late substitute in the tie, after summer signing Lucas Akins had already been thrown into the battle. It was the two that combined for the goal and Smith was pleased to see the impact both made on a difficult tie.
“I think Lucas’ inclusion gave us a bit of a sparkle, a little more energy and a bit of a challenge for the full back. I’m pleased for the pair of them that they’re involved in the goal.” However he admitted “Our thrust and opportunity at goal wasn’t quite as positive as I’d have liked it to be but there was lots to work with and work on and I’m looking forward to Tuesday.”
Next up for Boro is a trip to Leyton Orient on Tuesday evening and the game will kick off at 7:45pm. As soon as the Carlisle game was over attentions switched to the next challenge and the manager told us “We’ll look forward to going to almost a local rival in London.
“They will be looking for their first points and it’ll be a tough affair, nothing is easy in this league but it’s an opportunity for us to start putting them building blocks together for a successful year.”