Did anyone see that coming? An FA Cup upset can never be written off, but a performance so poor came out of the blue for Bristol Rovers, who were dumped out in the second round by non-league Boreham Wood on Sunday.
The Gas had been beaten just once in their previous 12 games before this dismal display and there were no signs of a shocker incoming. If anything, Rovers looked like they were building towards giving a team a hiding, but the afternoon went perfectly to plan for the National League side, who were well organised in defence, potent from set pieces and knew exactly how to manage a two-goal lead.
Will Evans got the credit for the opener, but it was George Broadbent's shot from a corner routine that deflected beyond James Belshaw off the defender to give Boreham Wood an 18th-minute lead. Their advantage was doubled on the half hour when David Stephens headed home after phase after phase of chaotic defending in the Rovers box after a corner.
Joey Barton rolled the dice with a quadruple substitution at the break, but despite a rise in the intensity, the non-league side never looked in serious danger and they are in the third-round draw on merit.
After such a positive run over October and November, Rovers will hope this is just a blip and there is every chance that is the case, but Barton felt the need to issue a stern warning to his players after a game where they regressed to a surprising extent. They are much better than this and they have to show it at Bolton on Friday.
FA Cup magic leaves Rovers in a trance
A sickness bug that struck several players in the days and hours before the game set the tone for the malaise that would set in on the pitch. As per Murphy's Law, every player who could put in a sub-par performance did put in a sub-par performance on Sunday, with few players leaving the Mem pitch with any credit after a performance that was equally disjointed and disappointing.
No one at Rovers saw this result coming after losing just once in the past 12 games, but the FA Cup never ceases to cause upsets. A Gas team that had been so confident in recent weeks suddenly looked bereft of good ideas and structure, after a decent opening 10 minutes.
From that point on, passes were being forced, first touches were going awry to dismantle almost any attempt to build an attack, and Boreham Wood were only growing in confidence. Their gameplan was clear and it was perfectly executed, exploiting a poor performance from Rovers in all departments, with flimsy attempts at defending set plays costing the Gas not for the first time this season.
After a very encouraging two months, this performance was very difficult to predict or explain. Time will tell, but Barton will hope it is
As the World Cup has shown, tournament football is hard, particularly when there is a disparity in how the teams view the importance of the game. For Rovers, cup progress is a welcome bonus, but for Boreham Wood – until they play in the third round, of course – it was their biggest game of the season and that told in the quality of their respective performances.
The Gas fell victim to one of the few shocks in the second round, but there have been plenty this season. This competition has a funny old knack for bringing the best and the worst out of teams. It certainly was the latter for Rovers on Sunday.
Barton's warning
Before the game, Barton correctly stated that if Rovers were on their game, it would be very hard for Boreham Wood to beat them, but for the first time in a long time, he was truly let down by his players.
Of course, he and his staff take some of the responsibility for what he admitted was the nadir of his managerial career, with set plays costing Rovers again, but this was a collective failure across the pitch.
Last season, the FA Cup – specifically the thrilling first-round replay win over Oxford United – was a defining factor in the development of that team. Barton made clear on Sunday he will do all he can to ensure the opposite is the case.
"A rude awakening for us and if there is anybody in that dressing room that feels that might be accepted, you know how effective and ruthless and efficient we are," he said. "Their f****** feet won’t hit the ground if they think that’s the level of performance."
A relaxed approach had been used by the manager ahead of the game with Rovers playing two cup ties last week, but a more firm approach is incoming.
There was a lot to dislike about Rovers' performance in almost every aspect on Sunday, but some elements were more worrying than others – namely decision-making in possession – and Barton clearly wants to snuff that out.
Wood deserving winners
Luke Garrard is building quite the collection of FA Cup shocks, toppling AFC Wimbledon and Bournemouth last season en route to the fifth round, when they played Everton at Goodison Park, and he added another scalp on Saturday in the shape of the Gas.
He and his staff deserve huge credit; they may be enduring a tough run in the National League in recent weeks, but they were very well-drilled and had the answers to the questions Rovers posed. From front to back, they were physical, and they had willing runners in the form of Danny Newton, Cameron Coxe and others to get themselves up the pitch when required.
Set pieces were always going to be a key part of the game and Wood were both effective and creative with their chances from dead balls. The first goal came from a smart cutback from Zak Brunt's corner that Rovers did not anticipate, and the second came from keeping the chance alive after the Gas missed several opportunities to clear a corner.
For periods of games in recent weeks, Barton's side have been an unstoppable force at home against League One sides, but the Wood never looked like buckling under the pressure Rovers were able to muster, with goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore having an unexpectedly quiet afternoon.
Dozens of Gasheads stayed several minutes after the final whistle to applaud the Boreham Wood players from the field, who deserved the kudos for an excellent performance and result. Best of luck to them in the next round.
Captain Connolly
The overriding feeling will be deep disappointment, but at the start of the afternoon, there was a sense of pride for James Connolly as the 21-year-old wore the captain's armband and led the team out on Sunday.
A year ago, the centre-back was an unknown quantity to Gasheads, but since joining in January he has more than played his part in a promotion campaign and, after two months out with a back injury, he has – until Sunday's aberration – steadied a Gas defence that has been conceding too many goals.
In his post-match press conference, he said he would relish the chance to be a full-time captain in the future, and although he will hope for better results, he certainly has the leadership qualities required, holding the respect of his manager, teammates and supporters alike.
This was a dismal collective performance, but Connolly's character was on show again by putting his hand up to fulfil the media duties after the game – never an easy task on afternoons like this one. He deserves credit for that.
Bounce back at Bolton
It feels like a trip to the University of Bolton Stadium (The Macron or Reebok as you may better know it) comes at a good time for the Gas. The pressure is on to prove a point after slumping to such a dismal defeat and Barton's players will naturally be motivated for a big game at a big stadium against a side with sights on a play-off place in League One come the end of the season.
As Barton says, it's back to the bread and butter for the Gas and a strong performance and result at Bolton on Friday will mean thoughts of Sunday's performance will be long gone from the front of the mind.
Ian Evatt's side are sure to pose a tough challenge, winning three of their past five games and holding fifth place in the table, but time and again this season the Gas have shown they can mix it with the top sides in the third tier. A run of just two defeats in 13 games points to Sunday's defeat being the kind of inexplicable blip that FA Cup has produced so often.
Throughout Barton's tenure, Rovers have been good at mustering a response after bad performances and results. He said in his post-match press conference that his "whip and cane" would be back in action when the players report to The Quarters after a more relaxed approach last week.
Justifiably, he was hugely disappointed by Sunday's showing, but his players have responded before and he will hope they do it again.
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