The first task for Steve Evans in his opening match as Bristol Rovers manager was to avoid defeat, to start winning points again. Doing so at Crewe Alexandra, albeit with his new side playing against 10 men for more than an hour, at least removed an early monkey from his back.
Ahead is something far trickier, a task that would daunt many other managers, as the veteran coach seeks to fire the League Two strugglers – hitherto on a 10-game losing streak that had taken them into the relegation zone – up the division. The ultimate goal? To clamber on to an equal footing with Bristol City.
