When Aaron Collins beat Dean Bouzanis to the ball and clipped it towards goal from an ever-narrowing angle, the slowing of time as the strike drifted towards the back of the net sparked a thought.
This was another memorable moment in a season not at all lacking in them for Bristol Rovers. The highlight reel makes for some viewing with late winners and sublime goals aplenty.
But this one felt different. The others had been more random, like the unexplainable Oxford United comeback in the FA Cup, but Rovers should take great confidence from the fact that not only did they defeat a rival for the top seven in a crucial game in hand – and do it in some style too – but there were also signs of the collective growing.
