Bristol Rovers' place in League One for next season was all but assured by the time they kicked off against Derby County at the Mem on Saturday, but there is still plenty of life left in their campaign. Personal pride, laying foundations for next season and upsetting a few promotion charges remains on the agenda for Joey Barton and his players.
And deep into added time, the Gas made sure all three items were ticked off with Antony Evans' thumping finish from the penalty spot securing a deserved point against a Derby side who offered surprisingly little in the way of ambition or attacking intent against a side in the bottom half of the table, particularly when news of a surprise defeat for play-off rivals Peterborough United was followed by an early goal for David McGoldrick.
The Irishman has been in fine form all season and the last thing the Gas needed to give Derby's top marksman was time and space in the box, but they did precisely that inside five minutes as the former Sheffield United forward gave the Rams the lead.
