With confidence flowing, Bristol Rovers eventually located the style switch to dispatch of Harrogate Town on Saturday.
For the opening half an hour, the football was neither pretty nor effective with Joey Barton's side uncharacteristically out of rhythm, but it took just one moment to change everything at the Mem. Aaron Collins' sumptuous curling strike was the catalyst for an afternoon of memorable quality.
Newcastle United loanee Elliot Anderson soon mustered a moment of rare individual class that explains his ties to a Premier League club and Collins followed it up with the cheekiest of chips to make sure of the points with a third of the game still to play.
The performance served as a reminder that Rovers know several routes to victory. They have won as a collective, both in handsome and ugly fashion, and they have won as individuals. Saturday's three points owed plenty to the latter, with the Gas drifting sloppily through the opening exchanges to provide encouragement to Harrogate, but Rovers' class told in a six-minute spell bookended by brilliant goals.
Barton does not care how the goals are scored at this crucial stage of the season, but the degree of difficulty that is in his playmakers' respective wheelhouses must be a source for unerring confidence. The league table, too, is cause for encouragement with Rovers now only out of the top seven on goal difference – the closest they have been to the promotion shake-up – and they are showing no signs of slowing down in that pursuit.
Power of individuals
Rovers did play well on Saturday, in the end, but for the opening half hour it was like they'd had an unfortunate encounter with the talent-thieving aliens from Space Jam. The conditions, admittedly, were tricky, but Rovers' usually reliable ball-players had malfunctioning radars.
Frustration was building on the terraces with Gasheads, who have become increasingly accustomed to the controlled brand of football that has underpinned Rovers' surge into form, mystified by the near-constant turnovers of possession in dangerous areas.
But Rovers found a way, powered by rare moments of quality that beg an interesting question: Do Rovers need to play well? The sheer number of match-winners, capable of changing the game with a single action, suggests perhaps not.
The Gas were sloppy and inviting danger in the opening exchanges of this game and Harrogate were buoyed, but two moments of individual brilliance knocked the fight out of them. Rovers may not have been able to string a few passes together, but Collins could find the top corner and Anderson could produce a solo goal to remember.
This team has many strengths but none are more significant than the rare quality of the individuals involved. Things may not go to plan from time to time but Barton can usually rely on Evans, Collins et al to come up with a spark that transforms the collective performance.
The final 10 games of the season will doubtless present tight contests, but Rovers have game-changers they can rely on to make something from nothing.
Anderson justifies his nickname
Rovers' Geordie starlet has been dubbed Billy Elliot by his teammates since his deadline day move from Newcastle United and there have been glimpses of the 19-year-old's dancing feet. But on Saturday, he gave his most dazzling performance yet, blending power and pirouettes in equal measure to bamboozle the Harrogate defence.
Somehow, he looked both graceful while also resembling Godzilla stomping over a model village. In that moment and several others in this game, Anderson was unstoppable.
Anderson was single-minded when he received the ball from a quick free-kick, recognising the spaces between the static Harrogate defence and he exploited it ruthlessly and stylishly. With the ball at the tips of his toes, he weaved between challenges and left defenders for dead.
So many times, solo runs end with a hurried finish but Anderson displayed impressive composure, setting the ball out beyond the reach of Mark Oxley and into the back of the net.
A talent of this quality is not built for League Two but levels above and his stay in BS7 is a huge bonus for the Gas. He is another match-winner in a squad already packed with players of that ilk.
Collins' confidence
If ever a moment encapsulated the soaring confidence levels of Aaron Collins, it was his majestic finish for Rovers' third goal on Saturday. This is a man who went scoreless in 18 games for Rovers but nowadays he is scoring most weeks and doing it in some style.
Confidence is not a problem anymore, demonstrated by the panache with which he beat Mark Oxley to put the Gas three ahead. Earlier in his Rovers career, a simpler finish would have sufficed, but he made the goalkeeper look foolish with an audacious chip.
It ended an afternoon of great goals in some style, but Collins ensured his performance was not lacking substance. After a difficult afternoon as a number nine against Mickey Demetriou at Newport a week previously, the 24-year-old has delivered back-to-back excellent performances leading the line.
He excelled in the physical battle at Crawley and on Saturday he showed his developing hold-up skills, evidence of the improvement in his wider game as well as the goals return. Collins also played his part in securing the clean sheet, finding himself as the deepest defender after one recovery run and making a clearing harder from inside the six-yard box.
The form horse
With Cheltenham week ahead, there are 10 fences to fly in the League Two season and many will be picking Rovers as the form horse. The Gas have gone from back-markers to contenders in the race for promotion by winning 10 of their past 16 games, but the final furlongs will be where the campaign will be decided.
"Momentum is everything," Barton declared in his press conference on Saturday and Rovers certainly have plenty in their favour in that regard. Runaway league leaders Forest Green Rovers' slump is the inverse case, showing that in such a tightly-fought division form can snowball in either direction.
The Gas, though, are on a charge and, crucially, whenever they have slipped up in recent months, they have quickly regained their stride and maintaining that will be essential in the run-in.
Barton has several players hitting the peak of their form at a perfect time and there is competition for places that is keeping everyone honest. The manager can also call on the valued veterans in his squad to jockey Rovers into winning positions.
The leading pack is starting to bunch and the table is set for Rovers to put the pressure on their rivals as the chase for the finish line intensifies. Three points against Colchester United on Tuesday could see them move neck and neck with the automatic promotion places, which seemed a race too far not too long ago.
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