Bristol Rovers' unbeaten run stretched to eight games with a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. In this latest test, Joey Barton's Gas showed their mettle in the Steel City.
Rovers survived a stoppage-time sucker punch at the end of the first half that had seen the visitors create the better chances at Hillsborough. Michael Smith's superb header was a sickener for Barton and his players, but they were undeterred by that body blow.
And when Antony Evans, Aaron Collins and Josh Coburn combined to unlock the defence on the hour, with the latter scoring with the kind of class and conviction that has got his teammates calling him "The Teeside Haaland".
But a point would not have been earned without the heroics of James Belshaw, the rare maturity of such a young backline and a midfield packed with experience and class. This was the latest example of the collective functioning in unison to execute the manager's plans.
The Gas are 14th in League One, but in this form they are a match for anyone, with a trip to Pride Park for 3,000 Gasheads on the horizon.
Made of steely stuff as Rovers rise to the occasion
A poor start to the season was underpinned by injuries, but it is still true that Rovers had not put their best foot forward in the big atmospheres so far this season, losing by two or more goals at Barnsley, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth.
But the confidence of an unbeaten run and back-to-back wins coupled with a squad in much better health meant they were prepared to contend at Hillsborough, and Barton's Gas gave as good as they got throughout an entertaining game in front of 22,006 and the Sky Sports cameras.
Rovers have not been on Sky for a league game for more than five years, but they made use of the platform to show the club in a good light on Wednesday. The away end was vibrant, the limbs were top tier and the players on the pitch can be proud of their efforts against a club with vastly superior resources and expectations.
Barton said some of his players were "rabbits in the headlights" after being swept up in the early noise at Oakwell, but there was no sense of them being overawed here. To a man, they craved touches of the ball, with a complete absence of shyness.
Having seen two of his strikers run clear on goal in the first half as well as a few moments that went begging after the equaliser, Barton will be disappointed his side did not claim the statement win this would have been. The Owls have lost just once at home all season and the likes of Cheltenham Town, Morecambe and Forest Green Rovers have all been thumped at Hillsborough this season.
Rovers were a completely different test for the promotion hopefuls. Yes, they had to rely on their keeper, but Darren Moore's side rarely had control of the game and the crowd grew increasingly frustrated and anxious.
Of course, Rovers will suffer downturns in form over the coming months – that is unavoidable. But as Halloween nears they have shown no longer can they be spooked by the big crowds, big names and fancy light shows. They are made of steely stuff and this performance was another display of their mettle.
Deserved acclaim
Gasheads love James Belshaw, and it is obvious why. Not only is he a top goalkeeper, but he is a top bloke, too.
From a journalist's perspective, he gets immense credit not just because of the good times, but his willingness to stand up, face the questions and take the flak when things go wrong.
The 32-year-old put his hand up for press duty after the defeats at Barnsley and Ipswich Town during an awkward moment in Rovers' season and that speaks volumes about his character.
So that he got a national platform to show off his skills and take the acclaim from the national and local journos at full time was fully deserved. Time and again he has taken the difficult questions so he merited all the praise on Wednesday after a brilliant performance.
He will not be on Michael Smith's Christmas card list after denying the Wednesday target man a would-be winner with a sensational acrobatic save in the final minute of normal time, but that was only the last in a series of top-class stops. Josh Windass and Lee Gregory were also repelled in crucial moments, in addition to keeping out what would have been a James Gibbons own goal with his outstretched boot.
The save from Gregory at the near post was particularly decisive. A second goal at that moment, 10 minutes into the second half, would likely have put the game beyond Rovers' reach. Instead, they were level five minutes later.
Belshaw has had something of a frustrating start to the season, beaten by more than his fair share of deflections, penalties and unstoppable screamers. On Wednesday, he had the chance to earn his team a valuable point and he did precisely that.
Concern for Loft but Coburn is class
Given it was only the second point Rovers have gained at Hillsborough in their history, they cannot be too disappointed that the winner eluded them on Wednesday.
Really, the only sour notes are the injury concerns for Ryan Loft and Harry Anderson. Loft was forced off after 30 minutes with a hamstring complaint and Anderson, his replacement, had to go off himself in the closing stages with a groin issue.
Should either man miss a significant period for the Gas, that is problematic. Anderson has tremendous value in multiple positions, both as a starter and a substitute, while Loft is in the form of his life and the striker is developing rapidly by the game.
His physicality and relentlessness are huge assets for the manager, who will be desperate for good news from the medical staff when they report for work at The Quarters.
At least Rovers have depth built into their squad to cope with it, particularly up front with Coburn and Collins causing many problems for the Wednesday defence, while Scott Sinclair is building his fitness.
Collins will be frustrated he did not put one of his chances away on Wednesday, but he still played a pivotal role in the goal. His football IQ is growing and his dummy over Evans' pass unlocked the defence for Coburn.
The Middlesbrough loanee still had plenty of work to do but took the chance in style with a delicious chip over David Stockdale. The 19-year-old has three league goals to his name for Rovers already, and throughout his seven appearances in all competitions, he has shown the variety he has in his game.
Not only is he blessed with a big, powerful frame, but he is technically excellent, too, and he looks well-placed to have a fine career. In the short term, if Rovers can keep him fit, he is a powerful weapon in a fearsome arsenal.
'This is where we want to be'
After a year spent in League Two, Barton knows where he wants to be. Those memories will last a lifetime but this is the baseline level that Rovers need to be playing at.
The product has been vastly better aesthetically and there are weeks like this when the Gas go from facing the league leaders Plymouth Argyle to storied clubs like Wednesday and Derby County on Saturday on their own patch.
With the Sky cameras in town, too, this was a stage to showcase the club and Rovers did not shirk it. Barton made clear he wants this to become a new normal when Rovers take on the big hitters and hold their own.
"My ambition was to get the club back to this level because maybe Sheff Wed are below the level they should be at, but to get the club back competing with this calibre of opposition," he said.
"This is where we want to be. With the greatest respect, I don’t want to be travelling to Crawley and Sutton and that’s with the greatest respect to them.
"We want to be playing in these arenas and bringing our fanbase. I’m proud of the lads tonight and proud of the football club."
Impressive accomplishment within reach
With the greatest respect to Rovers, a punter would have got long odds on them going unbeaten throughout October. Form and the fixture list that awaited them when they arrived at St James Park in Exeter on the first day of the month suggested there could be tough moments.
But the Gas have excelled, showing they have all the tools they need to finish the season securely in League One, with an outside chance of pushing for a bit more.
Now, they are just one game away from making it a month unbeaten. In that time, there have been three league wins, progression to the next round of the EFL Trophy and, perhaps most tellingly, two toe-to-toe clashes with sides fancied for promotion that have indicated what the Gas are capable of on any given day.
The woes of the opening 10 games are a distant memory. Since then, Rovers have not only found their feet in League One but they have found a stride.
Pride Park awaits on Saturday and a while ago this appeared like another fixture to be feared, but the thousands of Gasheads heading to Derby will travel with excitement and anticipation, and justifiably so.
Barton is certainly delivering on his promise to supporters that he will give them a team they can proudly follow.
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