IN THE lead up to the trip to Oldham, Tony Mowbray said he was conscious of Rovers’ stop-start opening to the season.

He was referring to their schedule, having played just 10 league games prior to the trip to face the Latics.  But after a fourth defeat of the season, the same point could be made of Rovers' results on the pitch.

Having headed in to the international break after back-to-back wins, it was hoped that this could be the time that Rovers kicked on and started to assert their authority on the league. But just as was the case when they had won four games in a row last month, they stuttered to a disappointing defeat.

Their league record now shows four defeats from 11 and Rovers must show more consistency in both their performances, and results, if they are to start making inroads up the table.

Rovers had previously showed plenty of resilience on the road and while their graft and desire couldn’t be faulted, it was their distinct lack of quality that would prove their undoing. And that was the area that most disappointed Mowbray who saw his side fail to find the back of the net for the second time this season.

Their approach play was both slow and ponderous and the lack of imagination was certainly worrying.  Mowbray reverted to a front two, partnering Marcus Antonsson and Dominic Samuel, but their inability to hold the ball up, and the lack of an extra midfield man, were key to Rovers’ struggles as an attacking force.

Mowbray said his side wouldn’t have scored if they were to have played until next week.  And while a relevant observation, his switch from the 4-2-3-1 that had served them well in wins over Rotherham and Gillingham prior to their break from league action may well have played a part in that, losing the link between defence and attack in the absence of a third central player.

Antonsson looked lost in a more central role, and snatched at a chance early on after pouncing on a loose ball.

Their best chance of the half, and arguably the game, came midway through the opening 45 minutes when Elliott Bennett made an excellent run from deep, one of the few Rovers managed.  He rounded the goalkeeper, but from an acute angle, and with two players waiting for a pull-back, he opted to shoot and could only find the side netting.

That failure to pick the right option somewhat summed Rovers up as an attacking force, with Dominic Samuel managing their only shot on target in the opening period, finding the gloves of Johnny Placide with his 25-yarder after a neat piece of skill.

With the weight of 3,500 travelling fans on their shoulders, Rovers struggled to settle, and Oldham’s front pairing of Craig Davies and Eoin Doyle caused them countless problems.  The latter stung the palms of Raya with an effort from 18 yards, while Davies was denied by an excellent stop from the Rovers keeper 10 minutes before the break as his shot across goal looked set for the bottom corner.

Peter Whittingham rattled the crossbar with an effort moments after the re-start, but that failed to give Rovers the impetus they so badly needed. The home crowd started to become more involved, buoyed by their side’s display, but the hosts continued to be wasteful in the final third.

Rovers turned to their bench, sending on Danny Graham, Harry Chapman and Bradley Dack.  However, a string of yellow cards, in which four Rovers players were carded, brought about a fractious second half which prevented them from building up any sort of rhythm.  Whittingham saw a corner cleared off the line, but that apart, Rovers’ attacking struggles continued.

And just when it looked like they were to hold on for a sixth clean sheet of the campaign, a neat Doyle flick sent Menig in the clear and he showed the composure of finish to find the far corner.