Bristol Rovers remain without a League One victory since mid-December after 3-1 defeat at Wycombe
Talking points from Bristol Rovers’ defeat at Wycombe, by Sam Frost
ALONG list of missed chances haunted Bristol Rovers in their 3-1 defeat against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.
The Gas were much improved and bossed the game for long periods, but a savvy home side buried their opportunities while Rovers didn’t.
Adebayo Akinfenwa, Darius Charles and Matt Bloomfield scored first-half goals for the Chairboys, with Jayden Mitchell-Lawson equalising for Ben Garner’s side before their afternoon fell apart.
Garner’s wait for a win goes on as his side came out second best in another game which threw up plenty of talking points.
GIVE GARNER TIME
ON social media following the game, there was a wave of comments calling for Garner to go.
Undoubtedly, Rovers are enduring a miserable ride of late, like a long-winding ghost train touring the grounds of League One.
They are without a win in nine league games under Garner – and on Saturday it was Akinfenwa who played the role of the bogeyman to jump out and haunt Rovers as the ride pulled into Adams Park.
But there are clear signs the Rovers manager is getting his message across. His side were far superior to Wycombe, who sit second in the table, for long periods of the match, but amid a crisis of confidence errors are creeping into their game.
It sounds cliched, but you do feel they are one win away from turning a corner. There has been progress in each of the past four matches since the manager returned from leave.
Fans’ frustrations are understandable. The last few weeks have been hard to stomach, particularly when hard-earned cash is being spent in the process.
But Rovers’ place in League One is all but secure, so it is time to look to the future – and what is certain is that Garner has a plan.
He wants to transform and modernise the playing side of the football club, and those calling for his head should perhaps consider it will take more than six weeks to implement.
FAIR PLAY, GASHEADS WHILE some were getting carried away on Facebook and Twitter, the 970 Rovers fans who travelled to Buckinghamshire were superb.
Their backing of a team which has given them little to cheer about lately was admirable, and even
when mistakes were being made they kept up their support, rather than getting on the players’ backs.
No one would disagree that this team owes them a win now, and hopefully the progress will culminate with three points at Tranmere tomorrow night.
DREAMS DO COME TRUE MITCHELL-LAWSON enjoyed a moment he will forever treasure on Saturday, scoring his first senior goal.
The 20-year-old, on loan from Derby County, has made huge strides in just a few short weeks since joining the Gas and against Wycombe he was a constant threat on the left wing with his speed and movement.
Mitchell-Lawson’s swift progression is testament to Garner’s
coaching, although the one thing that looked lacking from his game at this early stage of his career was an end product.
But he dispelled that notion with authority at Adams Park, scoring a stunning equaliser on his weaker foot from 20 yards out – and he was unfortunate not to add to his tally in the second half.
He also created chances for others – a first-half cut-back for Ollie Clarke the best of them – and his fine performance in Buckinghamshire will surely cement his place in the starting line-up for the coming weeks.
After the game, Mitchell-Lawson told me it was a “dream come true” to score his first goal and Garner believes he can play at a higher level.
That remains to be seen, but what is certain is Rovers have a talent on their hands, for four more months at least.
LITTLE BY LITTLE GARNER will be pleased right-back Mark Little got through his first 90 minutes for the Gas in two months.
The 31-year-old is a veteran at this level, and his return brings a balance to the defence. He was solid rather than spectacular at Adams Park, but his return after a calf injury is timely, bolstering Garner’s options to play a back four, which seems to be his preferred method.
WANDERERS’ ANTICS ENABLED
BY REFEREE GARNER rated the performance of referee Tom Nield as “inept” at fulltime – and, while that may be a tad harsh, he certainly allowed Wycombe to break the game down and kill time.
As soon as they hit the front, the Chairboys took time over every dead ball.
The referee did little to tackle the issue early doors and it continued after the break as Gareth Ainsworth’s side saw the game out and claimed three valuable points in their pursuit of promotion.
And fair play to them, it’s not their responsibility to enforce the rules of the game. That duty lies solely with the referee and he failed to do so on Saturday.
It meant Rovers’ momentum at pivotal points was stunted and, while the referee cannot be blamed for the defeat, he certainly made life more difficult for Rovers.