They were made to wait for it. Twenty days out of action were tacked onto more than months without a home win, but Gasheads tasted victory at the Mem again on Good Friday, and Bristol Rovers were good value for it, too, downing an in-form Charlton Athletic 1-0.
The Addicks plundered six goals against Shrewsbury Town last time out, but six days on – led by former Bristol City manager Dean Holden – they could barely lay a glove on a youthful yet highly impressive Rovers defence. Were either side to find a winner, Rovers always seemed more likely and so it proved 19 minutes from time when John Marquis haunted Charlton again.
The South Londoner, a former Millwall player, has eight League One goals this season and more than a third of them have come against his old rivals. After delivering a brilliant brace from the bench in a comeback win at The Valley in December, he again scored the decisive goal, converting from the penalty spot with authority.
Joey Barton had some trepidation about how his players would deal with the challenge of returning to action after nearly three weeks without a game, but they were arguably at their most secure at the back all season; James Belshaw did not have a save to make, although he and his manager were pleased to see the outstanding Lewis Gibson in the right place at the right time to clear off the line in stoppage time, clinching a first win on home turf since New Year's Day against Cheltenham Town.
In that time, Rovers' hopes of entering the top-six conversation faded and crumbled, but with eight games left, they are on course to secure their League One status with time to spare.
Super John and the super subs
Leaving the Mem with a bottle of Birra Moretti in one hand and a suitcase in the other, Barton could reflect on a day where his plans, hatched over the past two weeks with trips to Shrewsbury Town and Plymouth Argyle postponed due to the international break and the Papa John's Trophy final respectively, came to fruition.
Conscious that his players would be rusty from the pause – although they did stay sharp with a behind-closed-doors win over Premier League Aston Villa a couple of weeks back – Barton went the conservative route with his starting XI. Sam Finley was deployed as an attacking midfielder ahead of Grant Ward and Lamare Bogarde, with Antony Evans and Scott Sinclair out wide and Marquis, Aaron Collins and Ryan Loft among a cast on the bench that was as strong as it has been all season.
Charlton had won three out of four before heading to BS7 and the six-goal thumping of a decent Shrewsbury team indicated they would pose a significant challenge for the Gas, but Barton's side eased themselves into the game and gradually became the ascendant force. By half time, both sides had spells of pressure, but Rovers looked more capable despite being short of the usual attacking options in the starting XI.
As the hour approached, Rovers were still edging the contest but the smart money was on a goalless draw until the introductions of Collins, Loft and Marquis within the space of six minutes made sure it was the Gas on the front foot heading into the closing stages. As a result, they gained more and more territory and started asking more questions of an experienced Charlton backline.
Collins' quality is obvious and his ability to turn away from challengers immediately gave Rovers more cutting edge, while Loft's energy and physicality made him a complete nuisance, taking on the mantle from Josh Coburn in the starting XI. In Marquis, a bit more intelligence and clever movement had been introduced, stretching the Charlton defence and it all culminated in the breakthrough moment.
Luca Hoole's fine form continued and the right back flicked a smart ball into space for Bogarde to meet, catching the Charlton defence off guard and there were no complaints from the visitors when referee Simon Mather pointed to the spot after the Dutchman's surge into the box was halted by the hand of George Dobson.
Having just come on before winning the debate with Aaron Collins over who would take the penalty, Marquis faced significant pressure with the game in the balance as he paced back and paused to take the penalty, but he whipped the ball into the side netting, sending Ashley Maynard-Brewer the wrong way and sending his team on course for a victory that goes a long way to securing their place in the third tier for next season.
Barton said the moment that preceded the penalty brought him a sense of satisfaction, as well as when the ball hit the back of the net.
"I was surprised Aaron let him take it, but thankfully he did and John stuck it away with aplomb," the manager said. "The two penalty takers I know had come off the pitch, Scott Sinclair and Antony Evans, so we didn’t know who was going to take it.
"For me, the most pleasing thing from that was our culture because you’ve seen loads of times when a player wants the ball. You could clearly see Aaron wanted to take it, but there was none of the shenanigans that usually puts a taker off and misses.
"They accepted it and decided it themselves and they put it in the back of the net, so I am really pleased with our lads, more so than you would expect, because it shows the teamship (sic) that we’re starting to build here."
It really is a squad game and that has been particularly evident in Rovers' attacking ranks all season. Coburn, Collins, Loft and Marquis have all taken their turns to be the main man this season; on Good Friday, they all had different roles and they all played their part.
Rovers refreshed and confidence renewed
After back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth, it felt like Rovers' unexpected hiatus came at a welcome time. Two free weekends worked wonders for refreshing both bodies and minds, and a friendly win over Aston Villa at their Bodymoor Heath training ground was a welcome bonus to lift spirits.
After a few missteps in those defeats last month, Rovers were on point on Friday, when they got the basics right. Starting from the back, James Belshaw was sharp despite not facing a shot on target until stoppage time, with his punches and composed play on the ball setting the right tone.
At the back, Rovers have been guilty of giving away too many soft goals through errors in possession and failures to clear their lines, but they were efficient in both departments.
And the whole team benefitted from the confidence of a well-formed and well-implemented plan which they executed to great effect. Barton may have been guilty of some questionable substitutions and selections in the previous two games, but his eyebrow-raising starting XI proved to be the right one here.
Time to pause, reflect and look forward seems to have done every person of a Rovers persuasion the world of good.
Hoole's new heights
Hoole will not forget this season. Last year, his first full campaign, may have had the glory of promotion, but this term he has learned a lot about the game and a lot about himself.
The lows were brutal, losing his place not only in the team but in the 18 in the autumn when his confidence was low, but he was taken out of the firing line and his belief has been rebuilt. In 2023, he has been among Rovers' best players.
Friday's performance was his best as an all-around full-back. Defensively, he shut down Tyreece Campbell out wide and played a big part in a clean sheet, and he was brilliant with the ball as he raided forward to great effect, playing a big part in the build-up to the penalty incident.
Fluctuations in form are part of the game and Hoole has highs and lows ahead of him, but his form at this moment is impressive and Barton says the Wales under-21 international is being duly rewarded for his hard work.
"Hooley came into a baptism of fire in League Two and handled it superbly," Barton said. "He grew and grew and came into League One and that is a big step up for a young player. You are playing against better athletes, better players and bigger crowds and naturally, he had a little spell where it didn’t quite go his way and he plateaued a little bit.
"The adversity with proper players keeps them pushing through and the players who don’t tend to reach their potential hit that plateau, lose confidence, lose their way and dip off. Hooley didn’t, he doubled down, trained harder, worked with his coaches, went in the gym, improved his nutrition and gets his rewards by playing as well as he is at the minute.
"He and Lewis Gordon were hugely important in nullifying a huge part of Charlton’s arsenal."
Best defensive performance of the season?
Although the goals have not come as freely of late, the defensive record has been Rovers' primary concern all season, although recently a youthful defence is finding its feet. The Gas have conceded five goals in the past six games, with three clean sheets, which although not perfect is a marked improvement from earlier in the season.
Gibson's return from a thigh injury suffered in January has undoubtedly been a huge factor in the upturn in form. The Everton loanee is a class act and he would be a Championship player if not for his injury troubles. Hoole, deservedly, was named man of the match, but Gibson was outstanding, too, setting the tone throughout with a performance in complete control and his stoppage-time clearance off the line, obviously, was pivotal to Rovers getting the win.
Alongside the 22-year-old, others have started to flourish. As mentioned above, Hoole is enjoying a rich vein of form and Lewis Gordon's game is coming on leaps and bounds, while James Connolly is working his way back into the groove after a tricky spell.
The players in front of them, of course, deserve a share of the credit, but the back four can reflect on an excellent collective performance. Belshaw did not make a save and Leaburn's late header, dealt with by Gibson, was their only shot on target six days removed from hitting the back of the net six times.
Rovers defended well against Ipswich Town and Barnsley in recent times, but this was perhaps the most efficient and composed performance, which Barton was eager to praise at full time.
"I thought they were superb and that’s over to the players," he said of his defence. "You work on stuff in the training ground, but it’s the lads who have got to execute it under pressure.
Beefy was outstanding, it was his best game for a long time and it backs up what he did against Ollie Watkins and Aston Villa 10 days or whatever ago.
"Lewis Gibson at 22 is the old wise head in there and Lewis Gordon had his best game in a quartered jersey. (Jesurun) Rak-Sakyi is a really good player and has caused a lot of players problems in League One, but he never got anything out of Lewis today and Lewis caused them a problem going the other way.
"It’s a young team and when you factor in 19-year-old Lamare Bogarde, it’s a young team and I’m really pleased with the boys. You go across that backline, you won’t see a younger backline in League One. I don’t think you will see one in League Two, either.
"It is very rare you see 21, 21, 22 and 21 across the back and 19 in front. You might go in the under 23s programme and not see a defensive line as young as that."
Fleetwood Back
With three points in the bag, attention turns to Highbury Stadium, which Barton will visit for the first time since being sacked in 2021, just a few months on from leading the Cod Army into the League One play-offs.
Barton insisted after Friday's game that the Easter Monday duel between 13th-place Fleetwood and 15th-place Rovers will have no added spice due to his previous connections with the Fylde Coast club, but it is hard to envisage it not being a lively game.
Fleetwood's visit to the Mem earlier in the season was not short of aggro or drama, with Shaun Rooney relishing the pantomime villain role with a pair of goals and plenty of wind-up antics. And with Rovers leading 2-1, Barton was sent off for swearing at referee Bobby Madden before Rooney's equaliser deep into stoppage time. The Football Association took no further action against Barton, who did not receive a touchline ban.
With Scott Brown in the opposing technical area, to boot, this game surely cannot pass without its tetchy moments, which Rovers must be prepared to deal with if they are to leapfrog the Cod Army in the table with three points.
Barton will play down the sub-plots, but there is no doubt victory would be sweet for the manager and the other former Fleetwood connections among his squad and coaching staff.
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