The EFL Trophy can be fun, it turns out. Mix in a few youngsters and players out of position, coupled with a mutual decision to abandon caution and entertainment ensues. That was the case, particularly in the second half, as Bristol Rovers travelled to Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.
For differing reasons – Plymouth's hopes of being in the League One promotion shakeup and Rovers' focus on getting past the 50-point mark as soon as possible to secure their third-tier status – this competition is bottom of the pile for both clubs. The hosts made eight changes from the weekend and Rovers made six, although Joey Barton – absent through illness – may have preferred to make more injury and transfers situations allowed.
The result was a couple of teams with talent and experience in different areas and a lack of cohesion that would be expected from the first-choice lineups. But rather than making for a drab, disjointed game, this descended into basketball mode as the minutes went by, with each team taking turns to attack their stretched opponents by the end.
