Without Scott Sinclair's winner, Bristol Rovers' FA Cup first-round tie against Rochdale at the Mem on Saturday was heading in an unremarkable direction.
Last season's pair of thrilling duels with Dale, which ironically had more of a cup-tie feel to them, were always going to be tough to live up to, but Joey Barton's Gas and the League Two strugglers failed to deliver much in the way of entertainment.
But with his resources depleted by injury, the Rovers boss will not care. It was a case of getting the job done, and an emotional and memorable goal in front of the Thatchers End for Sinclair in his first start since returning to the Gas, almost 18 years on from his debut as a 15-year-old, came at the relief of reporters tasked with reaching the word counts for their match reports.
The game was not filled with much quality, but there was plenty going on at the Mem on Saturday and here are some of the moments you may have missed...
In another life
With Anssi Jaakkola still effectively Rovers' goalkeeping coach on matchday, with head of goalkeeping David Coles taking a broader and more strategic role.
With James Belshaw starting the game and Jaakkola on the bench, in addition to getting himself tuned up for the game, the Finn was tasked with helping Belshaw prepare.
As usual, that involved a comprehensive workout of reaction saves, catching crosses and kicking practice, but in one moment Jaakkola showed in another life he could have been a player scoring goals rather than keeping them out.
Volleying the ball out of his hands from 12 yards, Jaakkola unleashed a screamer into the top corner. Belshaw stood rooted, only rotating his head to the left and slowly back again in disbelief.
Busy Belshaw
A glance at the stats would suggest Belshaw did not have a busy first half, but that was only because Rochdale fell victim to the offside flag in the majority of their dangerous moments.
The goalkeeper wasn't to know, though, and he produced a series of excellent saves that proved to be inconsequential.
Veteran striker Ian Henderson has been a thorn in Rovers' over the years, scoring five goals across spells at Colchester United and Rochdale, but he went goalless on Saturday.
He looked well-placed to score in the first half but the chance was taken away by the asisstant's flag and the reactions of Belshaw, who then somehow kept out Sam Graham's close-range follow-up.
Those saves and a few others in the first half may not have counted on the stats line for the goalkeeper, but it was clear he was in good form and his excellent stop to repel Devante Rodney after the interval proved to be a turning point. Rovers were jolted into life and advanced to the second round with a clean sheet thanks to their goalkeeper.
Finley's frustration
With several starters not involved, Rochdale sitting deep in their shape and an understandable lack of intensity to the game given this was a pretty bland cup draw, the Gas found it tough going on Saturday.
Things were not quite clicking for Barton's men and frustration was growing, shown best by captain Sam Finley as the half-hour mark neared.
Rochdale were getting the game they wanted. They were soaking up Rovers' attempts to play and getting chances on the counter when the Gas tried to force the issue.
With the visitors growing in confidence, the Gas were finding it tricker to move the ball efficiently, summed up at a throw-in in front of the East Stand.
Lewis Gordon was forced to hold onto the ball with few options appearing. Finley was displeased, turning to the men upfield and screaming "Where are we?", demanding more movement to stretch Rochdale's shape and get the Gas on the front foot.
Ultimately, Rovers found a groove in the second half and got the win, but Barton admitted they will need to play better against Fleetwood Town on Saturday if they are to get the three points.
The wait goes on
Declining a post-match triple first pump in the direction of the Gasheads on the terraces has been a theme of recent weeks, with Barton waiting for his team to claim a victory before indulging in such a moment of celebration.
Fans urged him to engage after impressive performances in the draws against Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Agyle last month, but Barton wanted to save it for a victory.
And as he applauded in the direction of the Thatchers End after full time on Saturday, the "Whoaaaaaa" started from the Gasheads behind the goal but Barton responded with a half-hearted effort, indicating that he was not thrilled by the performance of his team and he is saving his celebration for another day.
The league, of course, is the priority for the Gas and if they get one over on the manager's former employers Fleetwood Town on Saturday, there is no doubt Barton will roar and pump his fist in the trademark fashion.
After heading down the tunnel and addressing his team in the dressing room, Barton welcomed Dale manager Jim Bentley into the office for a chat with half an eye on the Everton vs Leicester City game on the TV.
Groundsmen's grumble
The Mem pitch was in fantastic condition on Saturday once again and the ground staff are rightly proud of their work.
They were pleased to see the Gas claim a win on home turf but there was an element of annoyance for them. Taking to Twitter just before kick-off, groundsman Ben Ford posted a picture of the pitch in great condition but he was not pleased with the behaviour of the opposition.
"Big thanks to Rochdale ignoring all warm-up protocol," he posted. Bristol Live did not see infringements at the time, with the focus on the home team's warm-up, but clubs are urged to look after certain areas of the pitch in their pre-match preparation to prevent unnecessary damage to the surface.
After all the fine work the groundsmen put in during the week to give Barton's Gas an excellent playing surface, you can understand their frustration when visiting teams do not follow the rules.
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