Nine games remain in the League One campaign for Bristol Rovers and while it may seem there is not a great deal to play for beyond making absolutely sure of their third-tier status for next season, several individuals face an important final few weeks.
After Accrington Stanley's thumping 5-0 defeat at Exeter City on Saturday, Joey Barton's Gas are 10 points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand and a vastly superior goal difference. So Rovers remain seven points adrift of their manager's 52-point target, but it would take something equally remarkable and disastrous for them to be clawed into the basement battle.
But momentum matters in football, both from an individual perspective as well as the team, and it is important that Rovers and their players do not let the campaign fizzle out to ensure they are starting from a solid foundation when they return for their second season back in the third tier.
