We still have time to make play-offs, says Gas boss
We have to win this weekend if we’re going to be realistic about it
MATT Taylor insisted there is still time for Bristol Rovers to close the gap on the play-offs but that they cannot afford any more inconsistencies if they are to do so, calling tomorrow’s League One match at home to Burton Albion as a must-win if they are to keep themselves in the mix.
This will be the final game of a six-match period the Rovers manager identified after the FA Cup replay defeat to Norwich City, as one where the Gas would know if they could be serious contenders or not. From their previous five, they’ve won two and lost three but haven’t seen their league position shift considerably or the gap between them and the top six.
Some supporters may be tired of still hearing ‘play-offs’ and ‘Bristol Rovers’ associated in the same sentence with there being a 12-point gap on sixth-placed Stevenage, who also have a game in hand. However, unlikely as it may be now for the Pirates to sneak into the top six by the end of the season, it still remains mathematically possible but Taylor is under no illusions that bad habits will have to be broken immediately if they are to reach such heights in the third tier.
Asked where he thought the season is headed for Rovers ahead of tomorrow’s game, the Gas boss admitted: “Probably where it was headed before those six games. I think the gaps are still the same so we have to close that gap.
“It’s 16 games left so there’s still time and still points but we can’t afford to keep having the inconsistencies of losing a few on the bounce and winning a couple and then losing one. We have to win this weekend if we’re going to be realistic about it, and home games against any opposition. We have to back ourselves and get the points on the board. That’s certainly what we’re looking for.
“As the season goes on, I’m sure you’ll keep asking me questions whether we’ve got a chance. We’ve got a chance mathematically but we just know sometimes we look like we’re threatening that gap but not quite there and, unfortunately, we may end up being a team that threatens it but not quite closes it.”
There were familiar frustrations post-match on Tuesday night as, after following up a run of four consecutive defeats with back-to-back wins at home to Oxford United and away to Exeter City, Rovers lost 2-0 at home to relegation-battling Fleetwood in grim conditions.
The pitch would have taken a significant
battering from the rain which hasn’t seemed to stop much in the two days since, and against another physical side fighting for their lives in Burton, similarities are certainly expected to be drawn between Tuesday night and this weekend’s contest.
On facing the Staffordshire outfit and potential conditions, Taylor said: “This is no disrespect to our groundstaff because our pitch has been absolutely outstanding, but you can’t play a 100-minute game of football in conditions like that and not have the pitch affected by it so that’s one thing that we’re going to have to understand.
“You’ve seen the weather today. It’s a quick turnaround to the weekend, so different ways of winning games of football and certainly at
home we’re going to have to understand that.
“In terms of this weekend, it won’t be too dissimilar to Tuesday night. A team in a certain position in the league fighting for everything. There will be a lot of second balls, a lot of first contacts, there will be a physical nature to it. That physical nature has got to come from us first in terms of opposition teams and then we’ve got to back our quality all the way up the pitch.
“I thought we worked the ball well to the middle of the pitch on Tuesday and then really ran out of steam and ideas. We lacked a bit of energy in terms of our attacking mindset, so that’s certainly something we’re touching on and looking for improvements and we have to make opposition teams defend. We’re at our best when goalkeepers and centre-halves are getting worked.”
Centre-back Connor Taylor and midfielder Grant Ward remain out with knee and hamstring issues, respectively, while also in the middle of the pitch, both Sam Finley and Luke McCormick aren’t expected back for a couple of weeks at the very least having missed last weekend’s 1-0 win at Exeter and the 2-0 defeat to Fleetwood Town.
Additionally, right-back Jack Hunt will have to go through concussion protocol after suffering a head injury on Tuesday night and will miss tomorrow’s game at the very least. In-form striker Chris Martin is suspended after being sent off against Fleetwood.