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Wanderers are leaving no stone unturned as they try to stop a frustrating recent habit of conceding the first goal.
Ian Evatt’s side have made things more difficult for themselves by falling behind in seven of their last eight league games.
And while the Whites have often shown a steely resolve to get themselves back into the contest, just as they did with Dion Charles’s injury time equaliser against Bristol Rovers on Friday night, the trend is starting to become a concern.
Asked if his side had been caught cold two minutes into the game against Rovers, Evatt said: “Maybe - sometimes the warm-ups reveal a lot to a team and you could see how intense their staff were in trying to pump their players up and motivate them and get them ready to start fast,” he said.
We were trying to do the same but we try a different way of doing things. The players are well aware of the record of conceding first and we’re not happy about it and sometimes you overthink things and it becomes more of an issue.”
Of 10 games this season in which Wanderers’ opponents have scored first, Evatt’s side have gone on to win four and draw once.
But the recent pattern has even prompted the players to look at their pre-match playlist in the dressing room to see if any marginal gains can be made.
“We had a chat in the changing room about why that first five to 10 minutes can be quite difficult for us. And maybe it is how we approach games,” said vice-captain Gethin Jones.
“We have honestly looked at everything, from what music we play in the dressing room, whether it is upbeat enough and gets us going?
“We will carry on looking at things, approach it as a team, look at what we can do better.”
Evatt was pleased with his players’ reaction to going a goal behind, especially given the dramatic news that club captain Ricardo Santos had been admitted to hospital with breathing problems on the eve of the game.
“We’re not happy with the first minute of the game and probably for five minutes after that, it rocked us a little but we regained our focus and we still had more than enough opportunities to come in at least level,” he said. “Second half it was all us really, I don’t remember James Trafford having anything to do at all.
“I think the game was predominantly played in their half and we just needed that moment and we didn’t take that moment until probably five or 10 minutes too late for us.
“I think if we’d have got that goal five minutes earlier, we probably would have gone on to win it.
“But the players never know when they are beaten and it is great credit to them that they keep going, especially with everything that has happened around them with Ricardo Santos.
“They got the least of what they deserved.”
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