We hit back well and thoroughly deserved a replay
IT has been a grim season so far, but we must be due a decent run in the FA Cup, although I feared the worst after 20 minutes.
But Rovers showed plenty of grit, determination and an old-fashioned cup-fighting spirit that had the home side hanging on for a replay in the end.
Stuart Sinclair is not a dirty player, but it never looks good when you go into a challenge with both feet. His enthusiasm at the start of the game got the better of him for a tackle in the middle of the pitch under no pressure.
With Sinclair red-carded, Rovers were always going to be up against it, and the BBC must have been hoping an upset for their Sunday afternoon viewers, but I was glad with the way we fought back in front of the cameras.
Once again, Tony Craig was beaten in the air far too easily when Barnet took the lead with albeit a fine header. How many times has that happened since the Millwall man joined us?
The goal did force Darrell Clarke to bring on two attacking wide players in Kyle Bennett and Sam Matthews. I felt both of them should have been on from the start to impose their skill on the non-league side’s shaky defence that has conceded plenty of goals at home in recent weeks.
The manager was right to react immediately the goal went in, although, with Stefan Payne being one of the players sacrificed, it again meant we looked weak up front. But making another switch in bringing on Chris Lines did at least show we meant business in the second half.
I was half expecting Tom Nichols to use this game in front of the national TV cameras to break his goal drought. His big moment came and went as he went down under a challenge in the box. Was it a penalty? It could have been, it certainly wasn’t a dive and he didn’t deserve to get booked.
For once things eventually evened themselves out as Nichols got in front of his man, who brought him down for the penalty that got us the goal we had battled hard for and thoroughly deserved.
We didn’t get any luck near the end, when shots came back off the post and crossbar as we cried out for a decent striker, but it had been a good fightback.
One of the thrills of the cup is the excited anticipation of who we might get in the next round. Bring on Solihull Moors at home.