Bristol Rovers' charge into League Two promotion contention continues at pace after a well-managed 2-0 win at Leyton Orient on Tuesday night to close to within three points of the play-off places.
Rovers won this game in the big moments. They scored a sensational opening goal through Antony Evans, who reminded everyone of his high class after three games out injured, and the Gas seized control with a quickfire second from Aaron Collins.
But beneath the headlines, there were plenty of small moments of interest. Here are some of the sights and sounds you may have missed at Brisbane Road.
Calming things down
Once they hit the front, the Gas were rampant at Brisbane Road. Antony Evans' top-class goal came slightly against the run of play, but from that moment until the half-time whistle it was the visitors who made all the running.
Aaron Collins was in the right place at the right time to double the lead just a few minutes later and the Pirates immediately went in search of a third that would have surely wrapped things up before the pause.
However, Barton showed his nous in stoppage time. Knowing it would be unlikely Rovers would muster a clear-cut chance in the remaining seconds, coupled with the fact that it would be a horrible time to concede to a side desperate for a lifeline, the manager curbed Luca Hoole's natural positive instincts.
The full-back chased after a ball that had gone out of play with a view to taking a quick throw-in to get the Gas back on the attack, but Barton deemed it wiser for Rovers to manage that situation. With Hoole just a couple of yards away, he gestured to slow down and bleed some time off the clock to ensure the two-goal cushion was in place at the interval – another example of the improved game management Rovers have shown as the season has worn on.
Finley’s passion
It's safe to say Sam Finley is a very popular player in the eyes of the fanbase. Even when the Gas were struggling at the start of the season, the midfielder was regularly a standout performer who was driving the standards for his teammates.
He is enjoying a fine season, bringing a wide range of qualities to Rovers' midfield with his tenacious tackling blended with an instinctive creative vision and a penchant for scoring brilliant goals.
Another of the qualities that have endeared him to Gasheads so much is his throwback heart-on-the-sleeve style, which was on show multiple times at Leyton Orient.
Late in the game, with the Os desperate for a goal that could give them a glimmer of hope of rescuing something from the contest, Finley won a throw-in that gave the Gas an opportunity to allow the clock to tick closer to the 90, and the 29-year-old recognised it was a moment where the Gas could start to feel more comfortable.
Stood facing the away section, he pumped his fist and roared in the direction and the Gasheads responded in kind as Rovers headed towards a third victory in succession.
And when the points had been wrapped up, Finley – and his teammates – headed back to pay thanks to the supporters who had travelled to E10 on Tuesday, with another roar of delight for good measure.
New nicknames
"Seabiscuit (or Biscuit for short) is Connor (Taylor) and Beefy is James Connolly," James Belshaw revealed in the post-match press conference on the edge of the pitch at Brisbane Road after dropping their nicknames in conversation.
He added: "I think he was called Beefy as a kid and the manager's brought it in and it's stuck. I've got Beefy and Biscuit at centre-back, but the two young lads have been great."
That makes three Gas players with out-of-the-box nicknames that we know of, with Barton revealing at the weekend Elliot Anderson had been given the moniker Billy, in reference to the film about a Geordie ballet dancer
Not a happy place
Excluding the corner of the East Stand where the away fans were congregated, Brisbane Road was not a happy place. With just one goal scored and no wins in 2022, it's not hard to understand why.
Orient fans showed their discontent at half time, with the whistle met by a band of boos, and although the Os did put up a fight in the second half, the mood did not greatly improve.
Phone torches were switched on and waved in the air shortly in the second half, presumably a symbol of the fans calling for a change in the dugout, and the anger soon turned to gallows humour. In Rovers' 3-1 defeat to Orient, the roles were reversed with Gasheads turning to self-deprecating chants. Orient followed suit on Tuesday, ironically calling "We've got the ball". To sum the situation up perfectly, they gave it straight back to Rovers and the Gasheads were delighted to let them know about it.
The defeat was to be Kenny Jackett's final game in charge of Leyton Orient, losing his job shortly after the game. Credit to him for having the class to head back out onto the pitch to wish Barton well after learning his fate. He would not have been blamed for heading straight home in the circumstances.
'We’ve got our Rovers back'
The sense of momentum behind Barton and his players now is huge, with the Gas putting together an 11-game run with just a single league defeat that has their rivals taking notice.
Being a Rovers fan has been difficult in recent times, with a promising season in 2019/20 crumbling in hugely disappointing fashion before the pandemic took hold. The following campaign was worse, with the Gas finishing rock-bottom of League One in a season played behind closed doors.
The desired upturn in fortunes has been slow to manifest in League Two, but at a pivotal point in the race, Rovers are on the charge.
The away end was perhaps at its loudest all season, relative to the allocation Rovers were allotted, with the full songbook being aired, juxtaposing the understandably defeatist and disgruntled mood from the home fans at Brisbane Road after a miserable run.
Barton's name was sung loudly on multiple occasions, and at full time there was a booming cry of "We've got our Rovers back".
Time will tell if Rovers are to complete the ascent back to the third tier this season, but the levels of belief and hope for the future have been transformed since the autumn.
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