Almost 48 hours later, it remains impossibly to fully digest what happened at Spotland on Saturday. Bristol Rovers, yet again, provided an afternoon of madness as they came from 3-1 down to beat Rochdale 4-3.
Aaron Collins' match-winning hat-trick kept hopes of automatic promotion alive as the final day looms. Implosion became pandemonium as the Gas slipped in and out of the play-off places throughout the afternoon before eventually securing a top-seven berth in the most dramatic fashion.
On and off the pitch, there was too much going on to take it all in. Here are some of the moments you may have missed from a ridiculous afternoon in a ridiculous campaign...
Clough's close eye
With Mansfield Town's trip to Salford City flexed to bank holiday Monday by the broadcasters, Stags boss Nigel Clough was at a loose end on Saturday and he decided to make the 90-minute journey to Spotland to take a closer look at the Gas.
The Stags are not scheduled to face Rovers or Rochdale in either of their last two games, but Mansfield could realistically be play-off opponents for Barton's side if Northampton or Port Vale are the teams to claim automatic promotion on the final day.
Clough, sporting a club tracksuit, doubtless would have seen flaws to exploit throughout Rovers' performance at Rochdale, but the Pirates' incredible fightback will concern any team that might cross their path in the play-offs. The Gas have shown time and again they will not shrink in the face of adversity.
With the Gas losing at the break, Clough, sitting one row behind the press, shared some wisdom. "Anything can happen in the last two games," he said. Too right, Nige.
There was another spectator of note close by. Gas coach Kevin Bond watched this game from the stand rather than from the dugout, where he is usually found.
In amongst of it
For Rovers' last away game of the regular season, owner Wael Al-Qadi and CEO Tom Gorringe opted to join the travelling Gasheads in the away section on Saturday. They picked a great day to experience the limbs of delirious away end when Collins equalised and then scored the winner in the dying moments.
They avoided entering the pitch too early at full time while hundreds of Gasheads celebrated with the players and staff, but once the crowd had been cleared the owner and CEO were allowed onto the pitch by stewards and jogged across to meet Barton and his staff for a jubilant embrace after an absurd game of football.
They then had their usual pitchside debrief, which has become commonplace at away games this season, before Barton completed his media duties.
Not everyone was delighted at full time, though. Antony Evans was the player selected for random drug testing and he had to wait behind after the team coach had departed to complete the mandatory anti-doping duties. He would leave later with strength and conditioning lead Tom Short.
Goalkeepers union plus one
Goalkeepers are an interesting type, but Rovers' union of shot-stoppers had an additional member before the game on Saturday. With time to spare after setting up the warm-up for the outfield players, Barton's right-hand man Andy Mangan joined the keepers for one of their pre-match rituals.
With James Belshaw, Anssi Jaakkola and Jed Ward all travelling to Spotland, they had their usual game of two-touch with Tony Warner. First-team coach Mangan, a striker in his playing days, couldn't resist, getting involved with the goalies as they juggled the ball in a circle.
That Ward travelled the 360-odd-mile round trip to Spotland was interesting, too. Usually for Rovers, two keepers have been enough this season, but with so much riding on Saturday's game, it was clear the Gas were not willing to take any risks if either Belshaw or Jaakkola were to be injured in the warm-up.
There were signs in the warm-up
Rovers made a terrible start to this game, and there were signs of the sloppiness that was to come once the game started in the closing stages of the warm-up. The Gas are typically sharp in front of goal when it comes to the shooting drill that brings the pre-match preparations to a close, but they were missing the mark at 2.45pm on Saturday.
Only Harry Anderson was finishing shots regularly with conviction. His namesake, Elliot, normally so lethal in front of goal, was particularly wild. One of his strikes landed in the lap of a woman sitting in the back row of the stand behind the goal.
Any half-decent team will exploit a team's sloppiness and Rochdale duly obliged by racing into a two-goal lead, but who cares now? It may not have been their cleanest performance, but Rovers got the job done.
Pandemonium
Spotland was a crazy place on Saturday but the rating on the bonkers scale peaked when referee Ross Joyce called the end of the game after what felt like an eternity of stoppage time. A second pitch invasion – the first came in the aftermath of the winning goal – ensued, with hundreds of the travelling 2,005 Gasheads hopping the hoardings to embrace their heroes.
Barton was at the centre of those celebrations, hoisted into the air while those who remained in the stand sang his name. In the midst of the chaos, Barton's lucky hat was pinched by one fan. The manager later joked that he would inform insurers he had a Rolex taken, too.
Once Barton was returned to terra firma, he made his way back to the dugout but one lad caught up to him. He gave the manager a hug after snapping some selfies.
Stewards steadily got control of the situation and started clearing the pitch, but one member of the security team clearly had enough. He collared one youngster and tripped him to the deck before apprehending him, prompting a few laughs from those left in the stands. Rochdale then had to abort their lap of appreciation with fans from both teams still on the pitch.
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