In the blue and white quarters of Bristol Rovers, a demoralising year-long stint on the sidelines is becoming a distant memory for Grant Ward as the midfielder popped up with the winner in the Easter Monday win at Fleetwood Town.
The 28-year-old has proven to be a shrewd addition as a free agent by Joey Barton in January, with the former Blackpool and Ipswich Town man making 12 appearances for the Gas and nailing down a role as a regular starter.
Prior to his move to the Mem, Ward had played just seven times in an 18-month spell at Blackpool marred by a ruptured Achilles tendon. Before that, he was a pivotal player in the Tangerines' promotion to the Championship in 2021, and he has shown his ability and fitness on a short-term contract with the Gas until the end of the campaign when Barton surely will be eager to sign the Tottenham Hotspur academy product to a new contract.
Ward's goal at Highbury Stadium made it 2-1 to the Gas, and although it came in fortuitous circumstances with his cross outfoxing goalkeeper Jay Lynch and flying into the top corner, no one could begrudge the midfielder a bit of fortune as he ended an 863-day wait for a goal. His last came in a FA Cup win for Blackpool against Harrogate Town in November 2020.
"It was a shot, something we’ve been watching in the clips," Ward said with a wry smile on Monday. "I’ve done it a couple of times, to be fair. It’s not the first time.
"I could see from the angle that I hit it from that the keeper was struggling. If you get it in the right areas, you’ve got a chance. First goal for the club and it helped the boys get a win, so it’s a great feeling.
"I was watching Premier League Years the other day so I went for the Alan Shearer with the one hand up. Before I knew it, the boys mobbed me and I couldn’t move, but I saw the supporters (celebrating) and I appreciate that.
"It’s my first goal for a few years. I was injured for a year, so it’s a great feeling and, hopefully, I can get a few more before the end of the season."
Ward believes the victory, which was Rovers' second of a fine Easter weekend that went a long way to cementing their place in League One for next season, was fully deserved despite going in behind at the break to Jayden Stockley's header.
"We played really well; we dominated the game. They had a little spell at the end and maybe we tired a bit, but overall we were brilliant.
"We’ve gone back in at half time with a bit of frustration but the gaffer said we were the much better team and if we lost it would have been a travesty. He said if we stuck to the gameplan, we would get a result and that’s what we did.
"We put the big boys on up top and it made it tough for them and we battled in the middle for the second balls. It was a great performance all around.
"You’ve just got to battle. If you keep battling, something will drop for you and it did in the end."
The Gas have taken 13 points from their past seven games to climb to 14th in the League One table and Ward believes the upturn in form is the product of Barton's January signings settling into the side. As a result, Ward and his teammates are excited looking ahead to the final seven games of the season, which sees the Gas face five of the top seven in the third tier.
"I think when I came to the club, the boys were flying but a few new boys came and we had a bit of a dip," he said. "We needed to gel as a team but we are reaping the benefits of that.
"We just want to play now. The boys are buzzing. We actually relish the so-called top-six teams. We seem to play better football against them and we will relish the challenge."
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