Joey Barton has called on Bristol Rovers to give Exeter City a taste of their own medicine when they travel to the Mem on Saturday.
The Gas have twice been overwhelmed early in heavy defeats to the Grecians this season. In the fourth League Two fixture of the season in August, four goals in 24 minutes blew Rovers away at St James Park.
A much-changed and youthful Rovers side was 5-0 down at half time on the same turf in the EFL Trophy in November before making the scoreline slightly more respectable with three second-half goals.
But, with confidence soaring and Rovers surging up the League Two table, Barton believes his team are a different beast and he has demanded his players take charge from the off in front of what could be a sell-out crowd.
"We’ve got a really tough fixture on Saturday," Barton said. "They’re on a good run themselves, they will be full of confidence and they will be looking forward to the trip to our place and we’ve got to make sure from the first bell, they get it right on the nose.
"From the opening bell, as soon as the two of us meet in the middle of the ring, they get it right on the nose and we win that first round. That includes everybody in our stadium, our fans. We must win the first round and then we’ll win the second round, third round, fourth round until the referee stops the contest. That’s the demand."
Rovers fine form has seen them beaten just once in their past 12 league games, moving to within three points of the play-off places, but third-placed Exeter, too, are hitting their stride at a good time as the campaign enters its final third. Matt Taylor's side have won four straight and head to the Mem after 10 days without a game due to a postponement and a free midweek.
Barton was asked if Rovers' heavy defeats at the hands of Exeter were a source for added motivation ahead of an afternoon when the stakes are already high.
"When someone has beaten you, you do feel a bit like that," he replied. "I certainly do. I’m only speaking for myself, but if someone beat me at anything, tiddlywinks, Connect Four, I’d feel the exact same.
"Winning is a nice feeling and being a winning team. It’s a lot better feeling than the alternatives and for a long period of time we hadn’t done enough work to give ourselves alternates on the machday. Now, through hard work and collective endeavour, we’ve got ourselves in a position where we expect to win games of football now and we expect to play well and we expect to be a really good outfit. We expect to win games away from home after a year of not winning games away from home. There are lots of things that are changing.
"Revenge? Yeah, maybe, but we’re at the point where we’re not really focusing on the opposition. We’re paying them the absolute professional courtesy we have to and making sure we’re preparing for them, but I also know if we execute and get it right – and I say that with the greatest respect to every single team – we know that we’ve got enough quality and enough collective fitness and team structures to be a real problem for most teams."
Barton suggested there had been "needle" between the two camps in the previous fixtures and he is eager for the sides to lock horns again.
"We know just what a good side Exeter are," the Rovers manager continued. "Matt’s got the lads organised there. There was a bit of needle in the previous games, so I’m expecting that to continue in a healthy and positive way.
"They’re a good side on a good run and we’ve got ground to make up and our scalp to get back off them from the earlier part of the season.
"Really looking forward to Saturday’s game. When you’re winning games and you’re winning in the manner we are by keeping clean sheets and a level of performances across the board that we are, you can’t wait for your next opportunity.
"The fact we’re playing a form side, the fact we’re playing a side we’ve got previous with, the fact we’re playing a side in the local proximity to us, they’re all factors and they all add a little spice to the game. But also, it’s just another team in our way and I can’t wait to get in the stadium on Saturday, I can’t wait for our fans, I can’t wait to see how many come out, what numbers they are, what kind of noise they make.
"This group of players are unveiling levels of performance and quality moments at every junction, so long may that continue.
"In the opening gambit of the season, there’s a lot of different people there and a lot of difference to peoples’ confidence levels at that point, our fans included, us as a staff included.
"If Exeter think that’s us, hopefully they’ve prepared for that team, but I know Matt and the Exeter players aren’t stupid. They know what they’re facing on Saturday, they know how tough of a task it is for them.
"We’re intent on reclaiming our scalp from the league fixture, we’re intent on being in front of our fans and giving the best account of ourselves and it should make for a fantastic game because we feel they are a really good team, they’re a good side on a good run, but also we’re a really good team as well."
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