Another season is in the books for Bristol Rovers and this one may not live too long in the memory, but it could be a crucial one nonetheless as Joey Barton hopes to lay the foundations for something bigger and better in the weeks and months ahead.
A 21st defeat brought the curtain down on a gruelling season for the Gas as play-off-bound Bolton Wanderers edged an entertaining game free of pressure on either side. Rovers' place in League One for next season had long been secured; the Trotters hope their future lies out of the third tier in the Championship, but with a top-six place already in their possession, there was little on the line on Sunday.
The low stakes did not detract from the entertainment in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at the Mem. May 7 was a day for Hollywood scripts a year previously and 12 months on, events in BS7 could never compare, but it was watchable nonetheless as the ever-impressive Luca Hoole cancelled out Manchester United talent Shola Shoretire's opener before the break.
