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.
