It may seem that Bristol Rovers have little to play for in the final nine games of the League One season besides from accumulating a few more points to make sure of their place in the division for next year, but Joey Barton and his players' performances in the run-in will play a deciding role elsewhere.
A glance at Rovers' fixture list between now and the final day on May 7 shows a schedule backloaded with some of the toughest tests saved for last. Five of the top seven are left to be played and 16th-placed Port Vale – one spot below the Gas – are the only team beneath them in the table left to face.
Such difficult assignments on paper, including top two Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday, coupled with a pair of disappointing results at home to Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth before an unusual 20-day hiatus, have left some Gasheads fearful of where the next points will come from with third-tier status not fully secure in their grasp.
