Sam Finley joked teammates Aaron Collins and Connor Taylor had ulterior motives when claiming they scored Bristol Rovers' goal at Swindon Town on Saturday.
The Gas secured a hard-fought point on the road after cancelling out Tyreece Simpson’s 16th-minute strike with an equaliser 10 minutes before half time, but the debate over who got the final touch that sent 2,473 Gasheads into raptures rumbles on.
Finley’s delicate cross was attacked by both Taylor and Collins before it nestled in the far corner with many thinking the latter got the decisive touch based on his emphatic celebration, yet Joey Barton believed it was a faint flick from Taylor that helped the ball on its way in. However, Finley – who has been credited with the goal by Opta – believes neither got a touch.
“Connor and Azza are both saying it was them, but I don’t think there was a touch,” Finley said. “I looked straight over to the linesman thinking that if they’ve touched it, they could be offside.
“But the linesman has made a gesture to suggest there was no touch that’s why he didn’t give the offside. So, I’ll take the goal, but it doesn’t matter.
“I think they’re trying to claim goal bonuses and all that, especially Aaron Collins, but it doesn’t matter to me, as long as the ball goes in the back of the net, we’re all happy.”
Finley, who made his return from a three-match suspension on Saturday, lined up in the midfield with captain Paul Coutts and playmaker Antony Evans, and for large parts of the contest, the trio set the pace of the game.
Coutts’ composure to bring the ball out from the back, Evans’ near-relentless pressing on any unconvincing touch or pass and Finley’s vision allowed the Gas to be in control, a direct contrast to how the game unfolded in the reverse fixture at the Mem, where Swindon were dominant.
And Finley admitted that after the tough defeat is North Bristol back in October, some hard work on the training ground preparing for how Swindon like to play, allowed Rovers to press efficiently without leaving any gaps, while also still being able to play positive, attacking football.
“We’ve worked a lot on tactics and shape this week in regard to Swindon,” he added. “It felt like we owed them one from the home game. I thought they passed us off the pitch then, but I think we’ve come here and beat them at their own game.
“Swindon are probably one of the best footballing sides in the division as they showed at our place, but I thought we, as I said, passed them off the park in spells and beat them at their own game.
“We didn’t win the game, but I felt we were the better side.”
Saturday’s draw at the County Ground was not only Finley’s return to action but it was also Leon Clarke’s first minutes in the Quarters since September 11 in the defeat to Hartlepool where he suffered a serious hamstring injury.
His reintroduction to the squad has added another area to the pitch where Rovers now have significant competition for places and the timing is good for the Gas with a hectic schedule ahead.
And Finley, off the back of three league games without defeat, feels the Gas can go on an unbeaten run especially with the noticeable improvements the squad have made, along with several players returning from injuries to challenge for places in the starting eleven.
“The strength in depth we’ve got now has been proven by how good we were (at Swindon),” he said. “We can kick on now and start winning games. If we go on a good run, which I think we will do now after today and last week, then there’s only one way we’ll go for me.
“We haven’t been great (so far this season) and we’re still there or thereabouts. We’ve got games in hand and we’re not a million miles away.
“But there’s not much in it, get six or seven points and you’re jumping up to the play-offs. Three, four or five wins on the bounce, we’ll be right up there and I think that’s what we can do.”
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