Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers were hard done by with a missed handball in the build-up to Crawley Town's winning goal, but the Gas boss admits his team should have performed better and took the chances they created in the Carabao Cup first round tie at Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday night.
Former Rovers striker Tom Nichols, who endured a difficult three-and-a-half-year spell with the Gas up to 2020, scored the winner, profiting from a stroke of luck after James Belshaw saved his first shot, only for it to ricochet kindly for Nichols to tuck into an empty net 17 minutes from time.
The goal came against the run of play, with Rovers bossing the contest without producing enough chances. That was compounded by profligacy with the opportunities they did forge, as the Gas fell at the first hurdle in the League Cup for the third year running.
