Bristol Rovers' ascent of the League Two table reached its highest peak yet on Saturday. Fourth place is in their possession after navigating through a gruelling battle at promotion rivals Northampton Town.
They led for each of the 90 minutes after Harry Anderson put the Gas ahead in the 38th second at Sixfields. From that moment, the Gas delivered a clinic in game management. There were a couple of strokes of luck with the woodwork rescuing Rovers twice, but their poise under pressure from a team that has been in the promotion picture all season was so impressive.
The squad enjoyed a trip to the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday, including a big winner in the final race of the day. No surprise there, Joey Barton has built a team that is thriving when the stakes are high. This was a six-pointer at the top end of the table and Rovers fired a warning to their rivals, signalling that their surge is not ending any time soon.
