One of the great strengths of Joey Barton's promotion-winning Bristol Rovers team was its assortment of match-winners; the manager could count on the individual talent of his star players to deliver.
That is not to diminish the collective. Rovers' defensive record of 16 goals conceded in the final 25 games of the season was the product of a tightly-knit unit that executed the manager's game plan to great effect. Nonetheless, Rovers had several standout performers as they surged from the bottom half and into promotion contention before snatching the final place in the top three with the most memorable of endings.
It certainly was a campaign to remember for the Gas, and here is how Bristol Live rates the players' (who made five or more League Two appearances) performances over the season...
James Belshaw - 9
What. A. Signing. Brought in to back up Anssi Jaakkola, but was soon thrown into the starting job due to the Finn's injury issues. By the time Jaakkola was passed fit, Belshaw had done enough to secure the job.
The 31-year-old was particularly pivotal as Rovers' form started to turn midway through the campaign. Rovers' defence still had some leaks at that point and the goalkeeper played his part in winning several crucial points.
He only misses out on a 10 because there is perhaps no such thing as a "perfect" season, but Belshaw came pretty close. He ended the campaign with 17 clean sheets in 42 appearances and a save percentage of 75.2 per cent. Very impressive.
Luca Hoole - 8
One of the transfer priorities as the Gas began pre-season almost a year ago was a right-back. But by the end of pre-season, that was not the case. Hoole had caught Barton's eye and the teenager has rewarded the manager for giving him a chance.
Ended the season with 29 league appearances, solidifying himself as a first-team regular in the second half of the campaign. The Welshman has become an increasingly rounded player with his attacking abilities developing nicely.
Hoole, 19, can reflect fondly on an excellent season on an individual and collective level, and he has an excellent platform from which he can make further strides next year.
Connor Taylor - 9
Growing pains are expected with young loan players, particularly defenders, but with Taylor there have been few. Save for a tricky full debut against Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup, the 20-year-old has enjoyed a seamless transition into senior football.
So often, he has been the dominant presence required at the heart of the defence, ruling League Two's skies with his superior aerial ability. The Stoke City prospect is a fine one-on-one defender and has shown confidence and prowess with his feet, too, establishing himself as the cornerstone of Barton's defence.
Like Belshaw, he is a player who perhaps played more than he expected, but he has certainly maximised that opportunity –and has an exciting summer ahead back with his parent club.
James Connolly - 9
A transformative January signing who proved to be the missing piece of Rovers' defensive puzzle. The Rovers rearguard was among the best in the division once Connolly was acquired on loan from Cardiff City.
The Gas were conceding in excess of a goal per game when the January transfer window opened, prompting calls for an experienced centre-back to be on Barton's shopping list. But the manager had seen something in the former Blackburn Rovers prospect, and Barton has been wholly vindicated for his decision to put his trust in a second 20-year-old centre-half.
Connolly made 24 starts for the Gas and, after a couple of difficult games early in his spell, he rapidly matured into a composed and reliable defender. He popped up with a big goal at Port Vale, too.
Josh Grant - 7
A fine player, superior to the League Two standard, but injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential this season. At his best, he was a goalscoring threat at left-back, adding an extra dimension to Rovers' game.
But he finished the campaign with just 22 league appearances, with foot and knee injuries holding him back.
Barton once said Grant was his favourite player but the club needed to work on making him more robust, and he is sure to be an important player for the Gas in League One if they get on top of the injury concerns.
Nick Anderton - 7
Overcame a chastening start to become a dependable player for the manager, making 34 appearances in a variety of defensive roles.
The winning goal at Harrogate Town in October helped to turn his form around and by the turn of the year, Anderton became a regular starter in the team until illness and injury saw him make way.
The 26-year-old is a valued and popular member of the squad, and a player the manager can count on.
Trevor Clarke - 5
Injuries limited Trevor Clarke to just five league starts, meaning Gasheads and the coaching staff alike do not have a significant body of evidence to base their opinions on.
There were flashes of his ability as a pacy threat on the left wing, but rotten luck with his fitness led to a disappointing season on an individual level. It will be interesting to see if the club exercises the one-year option in his contract when the retained list is published soon.
Alfie Kilgour - 5
The centre-back would have had plans to respond to the previous season's relegation with a strong personal campaign, but it never quite got going due to injury issues. He ended the season with 11 league appearances.
A goal at Bradford in October proved valuable, but that was the personal highlight of a frustrating campaign and he will hope for better luck next season.
Cian Harries - 5
Could not have made a much better start than he did, scoring an incredible volley at Mansfield on the opening day of the season, but he only made 15 more appearances and received two red cards as he lost his place in the starting XI and eventually the matchday squad. His final appearance of the season came in the 2-1 defeat at Oldham Athletic in February.
Mark Hughes - 3
A signing that never worked out as planned. Injury issues meant Rovers never saw anything close to the best version of the veteran defender, who decided to hang up his boots and join Plymouth Argyle's coaching staff midway through the campaign after just six appearances. It was a decision that worked well for both parties.
Junior Brown - 3
A late addition in the summer transfer window but only went on to make six League Two appearances, the last of which came in October. Another to have injury issues but he was out of contention for a long time and Barton was happy for him to leave in January, but a move did not materialise.
Paul Coutts - 9
A driving force behind Rovers' promotion. A difficult start in the blue and white quarters was attributed to a nasty bout of COVID-19, that depleted his fitness reserves and robbed him of a proper pre-season. He was needed at the start of the season and he never shirked the challenge, but it took some time to hit his stride.
But once Coutts his peak form for Rovers, there was no looking back for the player or the team, orchestrating games masterfully in the heart of midfield. Off the pitch, everyone around the squad has hailed his leadership qualities.
Two red cards forced him to miss four games, but he would make 39 appearances for the Gas and his contribution proved invaluable in the promotion triumph.
Glenn Whelan - 8
Played a very similar hand to Coutts, albeit in a slightly less prominent playing role. Off the field, he was a source of wisdom teammates could lean on, and he never let the Gas down in his 19 starts and 12 substitute appearances.
No wonder Barton wants the 38-year-old back involved next season.
Sam Finley - 9
A huge factor behind Rovers' promotion. Rarely was off his game all season, even amidst the depths of Rovers' form, demanding the highest standards from his teammates and delivering telling contributions on a regular basis.
The 29-year-old ended the season with five goals and seven assists, showing himself to be a match-winner in each third of the pitch.
Finley just gets the Gas blue-collar ethos, bringing tenacity and energy, but he is also a fine footballer in his own right and will doubtless be a crucial player for the Gas in League One.
Antony Evans - 9
A wonderful individual campaign that transcended into success for the team, finishing with a double-double: 10 league goals and 12 assists, placing himself among the best players in League Two.
So often, Evans produced a moment of pure magic when the Gas needed it, including a 30-yard screamer to defeat a stubborn Barrow in March, and he was one of many heroes on the final day of the season with two goals and an assist.
Out of contract next month and Rovers will be desperate to agree new terms with the star playmaker. But if this is the end, Evans produced one of the best seasons from a Gas player in recent memory.
Harry Anderson - 8
A line used many times throughout the season but only because it fits perfectly, Anderson is a manager's dream. "The Rhino" always put the team first, playing in a wide range of positions for the cause.
After a bright start to the season, his form briefly faded, but when he was given the chance in a more familiar role on the wing, Anderson was brilliant, starting all of Rovers' final 19 games.
Contributed six goals and four assists, an impressive haul for a player who played plenty at wing-back and full-back over the course of the campaign.
Elliot Anderson - 9
Signed at the 11th hour on January deadline day and what an impact he has made. Parent club Newcastle United wanted to find a temporary home for the player above League Two level, and it is easy to see why.
He and fellow January signing James Connolly have had a transformative effect on the direction of the season, with Anderson often an irrepressible force in Rovers' attack. At times, defenders could do nothing to stop him as he plundered seven goals and six assists in 20 starts – including winners against Colchester United and Salford City.
Too strong and skilful for the level, Gasheads will watch the 19-year-old's career with interest and remember one of the best players to wear the blue and white quarters in recent times. A return next season is not impossible, but unlikely.
Luke Thomas - 7
His season was in danger of going completely off the rails in November when Barton blasted him in the press for poor standards on and off the pitch, but Thomas has responded admirably.
Gasheads still did not see him at his absolute best – after all, he is a player who has excelled in League One and the Championship at times – but he was definitely getting close to top form by the end of the season.
Shone brightly in cameos off the bench and deservedly started the final game of the season. The manager has declared his desire to see Thomas back at the Mem next season, but for now the loanee heads back to parent club Barnsley.
Sam Nicholson - 7
An interesting season, which produced five goals and four assists in 34 appearances. Decent numbers and several good performances, but after shining in League One in a bad Rovers team in 2020/21, a bit more was expected this year and he ended the season out of the starting XI.
Heads into the summer with his contract expiring, and he is sure to have options. A match-winning player he remains, despite not quite hitting top gear.
Harvey Saunders - 6
One of a few dependable players who contributed but ultimately were left frustrated by a logjam of attacking talents ahead of him.
Started the season excellently, with his speed and sheer endeavour valuable to a struggling, disjointed team, and he scored the winner against Oldham Athletic early in the campaign.
But he was taken out of the lineup due to an ankle injury and was unable to regain the prominent role he once had, finishing the season with 21 appearances, 10 of them starts.
Sion Spence - 6
His season followed a similar course to Saunders, contributing a couple of big moments without forcing his way to the centre of Barton's plans.
He returns to Crystal Palace with just six League Two appearances to his name, but his last-gasp goal at Walsall and the heroic brace against Oxford United will long be remembered. They proved to be huge moments for the team, if not quite the personal springboard Spence would have hoped for.
A League Two club could be getting a good signing in Spence next season, who will no doubt have improved from being in and around Barton's successful squad.
Brett Pitman - 4
A summer signing that split opinion, and it ended up not quite working out as planned. What Pitman gave Rovers in a scoring threat, he cost them in energy and mobility up front.
The veteran forward contributed goals against Bradford City, Colchester, Leyton Orient and Newport, but the emergence of Aaron Collins as a more dynamic striker made the Gas a much more cohesive and dangerous team, with Pitman duly leaving for Eastleigh in January.
Aaron Collins - 9
A slow, concerning start to life in BS7 has long been forgotten, with Collins cementing his place in Gas folklore with his heroics in the push for promotion and the joyous celebrations in the aftermath.
After taking 19 games to score, he ended the campaign with 18 goals in all competitions, including five in the final two fixtures when the Gas needed them most.
His development from a second striker into a number nine was pivotal for the Gas, filling a void in Barton's team and transforming Rovers as an attacking threat.
League One awaits and Collins will be a player to watch with interest next season.
Ryan Loft - 5
Collins was the man to fill Rovers' striking void, but Loft was the man tasked with that job when he joined from Scunthorpe United in January. In a couple of early starts, he looked like the physical focal point Barton was searching for before injury disrupted Loft's momentum.
The 24-year-old returned from injury as a role player off the bench, with chances limited, but his goal at Port Vale was one of the memories of the campaign.
Barton insists Loft was a signing not just for the short term, but in seasons to come and he needs to take a step forward next term.
Leon Clarke - 6
A campaign blighted by injury, but he did contribute important goals against Crawley and Scunthorpe United. Barton has often praised the veteran striker's importance in the dressing room, too, as one of the leaders of a largely youthful squad.
His contract ends this summer and it will be intriguing to see if he continues playing.
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