Elliot Anderson’s fine finish ensured Bristol Rovers secured what could be an important point come the end of the season against fellow promotion-chasers Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park on Saturday.
Joey Barton’s side dominated the majority of the contest in Birkenhead enjoying 68 per cent possession but their profligacy in front of goal in a dominant first half looked to have cost them dearly when Kane Hemmings lashed home in the 56th minute after latching onto Tranmere goalkeeper Joe Murphy’s long punt forward.
However, the Gas fought back into the game and seven minutes later equalised when Luca Hoole headed into the path of Elliot Anderson who sent a guided effort into the bottom corner from close range.
Both sides had spells of pressure in the final 25 minutes but neither could find a winner with both sides having to settle for a point that saw Rovers move down a place to sixth in the League Two table.
Here are five things we learned from the game...
Elliot Anderson answers Barton’s call
Following the win over Bradford City last Saturday, Barton gave a rallying call to Elliot Anderson to improve his goal contributions and the teenager duly obliged with a fine strike in Saturday’s draw.
The Newcastle loanee is a genuine pleasure to watch play football. The way he can transition from flamboyance to escape one challenge to practically running through the next challenge is commendable.
However, since his move from Newcastle in January, for all his flashy, jaw-dropping moments, there has been a sense that he could do more to maximise his goal return.
In the first half if anyone was going to launch the game into life from a Rovers perspective it was going to be Elliot Anderson and he was the man who deservedly brought the Gas level in the second half.
The teenager will undoubtedly play an important role in the final games of the season as the Gas look to achieve promotion back to League One and individually he could be the main benefactor of Antony Evans’ return to the team as he would likely be moved out wide and given more freedom to roam in the attacking third.
Gas missing Evans' inspiration
After two games without Antony Evans, Barton was hopeful he would be back available for the trip to Tranmere but when the teams were announced at 2pm there was no sign of the former Everton U23s captain and his absence was noticeably missed on Saturday.
Elliot Anderson and Sam Finley are the players most capabale of producing a moment from nothing for Rovers, but neither can quite open up a game like Evans. The Newcastle loanee specialises in beating defenders with his dazzling feet and bouldering drives into space, while Finley can alleviate pressure with ease to start attacks either through an accurate long-range pass or a clever flick.
Both Anderson and Finley were able to show those traits on Saturday but that killer pass in the final third that Evans has provided countless time this season eluded the Gas in a dominant yet frustrating first half.
The Gas sent barrages of attacks towards the Tranmere goal in the first period but they were unable to register a single shot on target, often overplaying their attacking phases and either attempting an ambitious pass between the lines which was unsuccessful or needing to recycle possession with the moment to strike dwindling.
Tranmere were happy to sit in their own half for much of the game trusting their ability to batten down the hatches and strike on the counter-attack, and their opening goal came following that format.
Once Hemmings’ fierce effort nestled in the back of the net it was difficult to see the Gas finding an equaliser just based on Tranmere’s know-how to grind out results, but Elliot Anderson provided a moment of attacking quality and composure, a feature that was scarce for much of the game, to equalise.
With 25 minutes to go following the leveller, Rovers pushed to turn the game around and certainly got more joy breaking in behind Tranmere but similarly to the opening half, that final pass that would create a golden opportunity to snatch three points couldn’t be mustered.
Barton revealed after the game he expects to have Evans back for the Good Friday clash with Salford City at the Mem, and based on Rovers’ last two games, he is needed.
Nicholson needs to follow in Harry Anderson’s footsteps
At the start of 2022, Harry Anderson endured a spell of five games – four of which were substitute appearances – where he played a combined total of 44 minutes, his absence was mostly due to a niggling injury, but it’s possible that a similar time period away from the starting XI could do wonders for Sam Nicholson.
The Scotsman was arguably the biggest culprit for over-complicating attacks on Saturday as he took one too many needless touches when advancing towards the box, but he did show signs of what he is best in the opening ten minutes.
Through creating an overload on the left wing with Trevor Clarke, in particular in those early knockings, Nicholson was afforded the opportunity to drive at the Tranmere defence with real intent.
Josh Dacres-Cogley was overwhelmed in the first quarter of the game but Nicholson’s control over that battled waned as the game ticked by and he was eventually withdrawn on the hour mark .Nicholson, to be fair, did miss four matches through injury in March and he is still getting back up to speed.
Antony Evans is likely to be involved in some capacity on Friday and if fully fit he could start over Nicholson. However, it’s unlikely Evans will be able to complete 90 minutes, so Nicholson could be a difference-maker in the final 20 or 30 minutes when full of energy against tiring defenders.
It could be the recipe needed to get his confidence back up. When Harry Anderson earned back his starting place, he followed it up with two goals in the following three games and Nicholson could certainly have a similar impact if given some time away from the starting XI.
Luca Hoole’s developing trait
Multiple Rovers players have developed and honed their game as the season has gone on but perhaps none have been more satisfying to watch than homegrown full-back Luca Hoole growing in the shirt every week.
The teenager has stepped up to almost every challenge that has been placed in front of him in a defensive capacity this season and with more and more commanding performances under his belt, he is starting to develop an appetite for contributing further up the pitch.
On both flanks Rovers provided many moments of concern for Tranmere with Harry Anderson linking up with Hoole and it often being the latter the furthest forward of the pair sending the crosses in.
After Tranmere’s goal, Aaron Collins was moved onto the right with Anderson switching to the left, but still Hoole continued to be a nuisance for the hosts reaching the by-line and swinging in several dangerous crosses.
What was most impressive was his intuition for the equaliser as he found himself situated in the Tranmere half to react quickest to Peter Clarke’s half-cleared header and rather than just sending the ball back in the same direction, he accurately nodded the ball into the path of Elliot Anderson just inside the box allowing the Newcastle to swivel as the ball was bouncing and fire home the equaliser.
Stakes are raised for Salford
From a Rovers perspective, there are just five games left of the regular season and three of those are against teams also fighting for promotion starting with the visit of Salford City to the Mem on Good Friday which has only become more important.
Following their victory over Harrogate Town at the weekend, Salford sit in seventh and a win for the Ammies would see them leapfrog over Rovers.
Elsewhere in the division, Port Vale, Mansfield and Newport all picked up three points with the gap between the Gas and the automatic promotion spots now up to five points. If they are to make the top three, a win is surely essential against Salford. In the race for the play-offs it is a must not lose.
Barton’s side have five games left of the regular season with three of those to be played at the Mem, where Rovers haven’t lost this year, and with a play off position currently in their possession the Gas are in control of whether or not their season extends beyond May 7.
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