Up until the 85th minute, Bristol Rovers had delivered a fitting and symbolic end to 2022. A risible first-half display was followed by a blistering and thrilling comeback and three-goal salvo emblematic of the way they’ve turned their fortunes around over the last 12 months. Joey Barton’s Gas in microcosm.
Except, thereafter, as Timothee Dieng and Sam Nombe completed Exeter City’s own remarkable resurgence, Barton was instead provided a window into what’s required in 2023 to continue this upward trend under his management.
The Gas were equally bad as they were good on Thursday night. As a team, at least. But to break it down into a more simplistic but also specific description, and to borrow a phrase from the manager, they were equipped with an attack worthy of promotion, and defence more associated with relegation.
After Sam Nombe and Archie Collins had fired the Grecians into a half-time lead, Barton changed tack - both in terms of personnel and shirts - as three changes were made the black away shirts, worn to mark Shelter’s No Home Kit campaign, were swapped out for blue and white quarters and a different team emerged after the break.
Aaron Collins scored the first, assisted the second for Josh Coburn and then won the penalty from which Scott Sinclair fired Rovers back into the lead and a sold out Mem were, for 11 minutes at least, deliriously celebrating a glorious end to the year.
But, for all their attacking brilliance, at no stage did they look fully in control of proceedings and as the momentum should have been with them in the closing stages, especially after John Marquis could have made it four, they cowed under Exeter’s pressure and inexplicably conceded twice. Here are all the talking points from a bonkers night in BS7…
Two shades of the Gas
How to describe this game? It was undoubtedly outstanding entertainment, a full-blooded and blistering League One encounter with individual quality in abundance, some fantastic goals and moments of genuine quality but also some very evident flaws, on both sides.
To state the obvious, Rovers were not very good in the first half. They lacked zip and purposes with their passing, were indebted to James Belshaw (more on this in a moment) for two fine saves to deny Jevani Brown and Nombe which kept the score down, but really struggled to impose themselves on Exeter higher up the pitch.
Ryan Loft and Josh Coburn weren’t given much change out of the officials, much to the frustration of the home support, but Barton’s instructions - at least in a visual sense - seemed to be for the Gas to calm down a bit. On at least two occasions he strode out to his technical area and gestured with his hands to indicate some composure was required as passes were rushed, overhit or players simply not on the same wavelength.
Antony Evans’ error for the second was the problem in a nutshell. As the clock ticked towards half-time, the midfielder spotted Luca Hoole on an overlap and tried to thread a pass through to him. It wasn’t particularly high-risk but given the lack of defensive cover behind the right-back needed to be made. It was under-cooked, Exeter broke and Collins scored.
Was it the clash between black shirts, dark blue shorts with the Grecians “alternative” kit? Barton certainly thought so, as he admitted after the game that the visitors were supposed to wear their home kit but a breakdown in communication meant they were instead clad in a mixture of light blue and turquoise.
With the blue and white quarters back on their chests, Rovers were a different team. Full of vim as they attacked, Exeter were forced increasingly back with each passage of play and goal; Collins was special (see below), Coburn colossal and they had found their lost rhythm and flow.
This was what Rovers were about as the volume levels inside the Mem rose and the scoreboard changed and even when Marquis missed his moment, you still felt there was likely to be only one winner but, in truth, even after having the stuffing knocked out of them, Grecians manager Gary Caldwell was proactive, making the necessary changes and keeping his side on the front foot.
There were warning signs - Archie Collins denied by Belshaw and then Nombe striking the crossbar - and with one substitution remaining in the closing moments, with hindsight, might Barton have considered (I’m sure he did) introducing Glenn Whelan into the game just to make it that extra 5 per cent tighter as it remained concerning open.
But the Gas live by the sword, die by the sword to some extent and that attacking expertise seemingly comes at a price with two completely avoidable goals undoing their hard work for what proved a timely reminder that this team is far from the finished article but, for all their flaws, remain a thrilling watch.
Belshaw a lightning rod for much more
Barton’s post-match comments about James Belshaw were both understandable but also a touch harsh. Granted, the manager did ever so slightly roll things back when, having said his No1 was responsible for all four conceded, admitted that being good defensively isn’t just about the goalkeeper. Then again, he was the only individual named in the critical aspects of his press conference.
There wasn’t anger in his voice, he didn’t say it with much venom and initially when providing that observation, such was his tone in contrast to what he was saying, some degree of clarification was sought to confirm that, indeed, he felt Belshaw was culpable.
Certainly watching the goals back, they’re not going to make the commemorative James Belshaw DVD whenever it’s produced: Nombe’s first is arced over his right arm, Archie Collins drills a second rather tamely into the near post, and it’s not even fully in the corner, his miskick leads to a third, while his misjudgement for the fourth and final goal doesn’t need any explaining. James Connolly’s body language as Nombe’s header drifts over the line does that for you.
However, inside all that were two brilliant first-half saves, one with his legs to deny Nombe and then a diving finger-tip stop to prevent the No10 doubling his personal tally inside the opening 45 minutes.
After half-time he was at it again to keep away Archie Collins and then Jay Stansfield. But the goals that are prevented are unfortunately rendered redundant when others are then let in.
Belshaw is unquestionably one of the most popular individuals at the club, amongst the fanbase and in the dressing room and, for what it’s worth, he’s always excellent with the media and comes across as a thoroughly decent bloke.
What was interesting about Barton’s comments were they spoke of a wider concern he has about the character of his squad. Not in their attitude on the field necessarily, as they showed the cojones to get back into the game, but how they then react to the disappointment. Around the Belshaw criticism he also said the dressing room was too quiet for his liking, too many people down in the dumps and not a lot of anger.
At 32, and with his status in the squad, Belshaw is a senior and influential, he’s also a rounded human being who can take individual criticism and use it constructively to improve. With the ages of his starting back four (from right to left) being 20, 21, 22 and 21, and Connolly introduced at half-time, name-checking any of them in respect of the four goals could be counterproductive. Belshaw, unfortunately, took the hit to some degree and the message to the rest of his teammates will be clear.
That's not to say this is purely a strategic move by the manager, because he's too honest and up front in his assessment to solely play that sort of a game. Rovers No1 will be disappointed by at least two of them. He knows that, and Barton certainly does.
Nights like this are inevitable
To expand on the latter part of that section, whichever iteration of his defence he decides on, Barton is selecting a back four riddled with inexperienced which invariably leads to inconsistencies from individuals and therefore collectively.
Of the defenders used against Exeter, Hoole and Connolly are experiencing League One for the first time, Thomas and Gibson had barely 50 professional appearances between them before this campaign, while Lewis Gordon is in his first proper professional season.
It’s a huge ask to expect all of them, even three-quarters of a back four to function at their maximum over a consistent amount of games. It will happen, and has done so, on a number of occasions and even taking into account night’s like this, it’s clear they all have varying degrees of high-level talent.
But defence is about doing the basics right all the time. A task you can get away not fulfilling with as much regularity higher up the pitch, and to a lesser extent, in midfield. Becoming a truly great defender can only be gleaned from playing matches, adapting to situations and then learning from each one to eradicate any mistakes in the future.
That’s why it’s often healthy for a player in that position to learn their trade alongside an older, wiser figure. Rovers don’t have that opportunity at present, as either through design or financial direction - probably a bit of both - they’ve had to go young and get players in to develop on the job.
That’s wonderful to watch when it goes right but, as was the case against Exeter, when it breaks down it can get a little ugly.
Positionally, at times, they were all over the place and although Paul Coutts is there to offer some organisation, he’s not playing directly alongside Thomas or Connolly, pulling them into shape in real time.
Dieng drifted into a very obvious area of space to rather tamely head Exeter’s equaliser, darting between Connolly and Gibson who had moved inside from left-back. That was a problem but so was Thomas moving into no-man’s land to sort of try and help Harry Anderson prevent Stansfield’s ball into the box but, in reality, not do enough to either stop the cross at source or destination. This is all to be expected, and we’ve seen similar problems at Derby County, Wycombe Wanderers and home to Lincoln City.
Yes, Rovers’ 41 goals against - third worst in the division - does look a worry because you can’t keep relying on the attack, as good as they are and it is, but also there’s an inevitability about it because a defence needs more than just talent to succeed.
But also, while the above doesn’t excuse what transpired, as a unit, they’ve still contributed as a collective to getting the Gas to this point which, in the context of where they are in their careers, is considerable testament of their ability.
The character of Collins
In many ways devoting another section to Collins is kind of pointless, we know how good he is and how important he is to this team. Taking his production in the final third out of the equation would leave the Gas in a completely different part of the table.
When Rovers needed their star to deliver, boy, did he deliver; a wondrous strike, an outstanding cross to set Coburn up and then his run which led to the penalty began around 40 odd yards from goal and drew in five opposition players before the final trip.
This wasn’t a spark, it was a full-blown firework display, illuminating the night sky above the Mem. But what was perhaps most impressive is that it came after a pretty indistinct first-half from the Welshman in which he, as much as anyone, was guilty of not meeting his own individual standards and then in the context of his role in the collective.
He did set Coburn up with a clever outside-of-the-boot flick, but was also booked for a pretty lame dive in which his teammates were so unconvinced by they didn’t appeal for a penalty or free-kick with much gusto before the referee raised his arm clasping a yellow card in the direction of the Rovers No10.
If the hosts were to get back into the game, they’d require a significantly improved performance and they certainly got one, which speaks as much for his character and attitude as it does for the magic he can unleash in his boots. Collins, as he has done many times already, is more than happy to put this team on his back and get them up the mountain they have created for themselves, and he’s still only 25.
Having got the Gas into the lead, evidence of Collins individual excellence for his team arrived soon after Sinclair’s penalty when he left his free role to retreat back to the halfway line and help screen his defence, making a key interception to get Rovers back on the ball.
He’s undoubtedly a special player but, much more than that, he’s a special teammate.
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