Bristol Rovers took steps of consistency and growth despite drawing against Swindon Town on Saturday. Progression and resilience were the foundations of a strong performance that continued good form for the Gas.
Swindon away was one of the tastier looking fixtures on release day back in summer and more than 2,500 Gasheads made the short trip on Saturday.
Although a longer trip for me, I couldn’t miss this one and my fellow supporters were certainly in fine voice.
Looking back on the day, it’s clear to me why we have some of the best fans in the lower echelons of the Football League. We travelled in our numbers, sang from start to finish and played our part in a good Rovers display.
Being disappointed with a point away from home against promotion contenders is one marker of where we are right now.
We dominated the game, having much of the ball and showing the greater intent and skill. The fact that we are disappointed shows both high standards and belief in our capabilities in equal measure. We’ve long known we have the tools for the job, but it’s taken until early in the New Year to show those tools work together.
Midday struck and the announcement of line-ups left me feeling worried. Our attacking prowess was not to be doubted, but a youthful back line would face a stern physical test from Swindon’s attack. How they would cope with the strength of Tyreece Simpson and the goal threat of Harry McKirdy was the big question for me.
That fear was proved to be unfounded. Our defence put in a heroic shift, batting away every cross or long ball with grit and determination. Connor Taylor was outstanding once more, reducing McKirdy to speculative pot shots and winning the physical battle with the unit that is Simpson. That is the type of performance we’re used to now from the Stoke loanee.
But for me, James Connolly deserves extra credit for his performance. Granted, he made the error that led to Simpson’s opener, although it took a finely placed effort to beat James Belshaw. But he had a strong game in what we must remember was his second appearance in senior football at the age of just 20.
He showed promise at Peterborough against a tricky attack, and crucially he has clearly learnt from that experience. His positioning was much better, allowing him to step out to clear and also keep a tighter defensive line.
Josh Grant was also a standout performer on the day. He was relentless on the left-hand side, tracking back all day long but proving an outlet in attack too. He made himself a key link between the lines, picking up an empty spot to receive the ball and send Sam Nicholson racing down the left flank on a number of occasions.
But he also stepped into vacant midfield spots with Swindon pressing our centre backs, offering an easy pass and relief from a tight situation.
Grant’s forays into those midfield spots were just one feature of the strong patterns of play emerging in the centre of the park. The combinations on show between midfield and defence were much improved, and we were able to shift the ball and our players around to create a forward opening.
It was like a game of pinball at times, such was the speed of the one-touch passing. Paul Coutts and Sam Finley moved across the line, interchanging passes with our defence at pace until an opportunity to advance play arose.
Coutts put in a captain’s performance once again. I’ve praised him for a number of weeks now given his consistent form. He gets less credit than he deserves though, with the skill and goals from our forward line taking all the plaudits. Coutts deserves a greater slice of that pie in my opinion.
Often efficient in the centre of the park, he showed aggression and strength to set the tone for Rovers. Evidence of this is best shown for his committed and crunching tackle on Jonathan Williams. The thud from that challenge was heard all around the ground, leaving Williams in a heap on the floor.
Finley’s return could not be more timely. What an asset to the Gas he is at this level. For all the talk of Antony Evans’ ability being suited to higher levels, the diminutive Scouser’s talents are in another world to that of League Two. His range of passing is regularly talked up, but his tenacity in the tackle and his movement on all parts of the pitch are seriously impressive too.
His probable cross got the goal and him taking up those positions gained Rovers a foothold, with Grant back-filling in midfield to stem the flow of any attack. Grant’s previous experience in the midfield role makes him an even better left wing-back, slotting in to cover with ease.
The energy on show from Joey Barton was plain for all to see. He fist-pumped the big tackles, geed up the crowd and made his passion for the badge on his jacket known to all afterwards. This kind of positive leadership can set the tone for Rovers and is perhaps evidence of his own renewed confidence in his team’s fortunes.
Significance can be drawn from the result as well as the performance. A potential banana skin in a tough away fixture at promotion contenders had the ability to upset the apple cart, but instead has turned into a positive and solidified our form.
We’ve moved up the table too and kept momentum in our favour as we turn to one of our vital games in hand on Tuesday night. Win at Scunthorpe and our form reads WWDW – the table will no doubt look much prettier too.
The next few fixtures provide an opportunity to further cement our form and progress up the table. Anything short of three points at Scunthorpe will be a backward step for Rovers, with the Irons in the relegation zone having lost four straight league games.
A home fixture at Walsall with a surely rocking Mem can continue a positive trend, with an away tie at Oldham prefixing a tough run of fixtures for The Gas. If we can win two or three of those, we will have given ourselves the best possible foundation to attack a packed second half of February, which sees us play Mansfield, Sutton, Leyton Orient and Exeter amongst others.
Rovers have navigated a tricky period of late and the picture on the horizon looks all the more positive. The task now is to continue that momentum, grow our belief and put points on the board. That needs to start with a result on Tuesday night, and Barton will know that better than anyone.
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