Clinton Mola praised his Bristol Rovers team and the Gasheads after the Pirates staged an impressive comeback in their 3-2 victory over Harrogate Town in Sky Bet League Two.
The Gas twice came from behind on Monday afternoon, with Shaq Forde and Ellis Harrison levelling the score after a brace from the Sulphurites Ellis Taylor before Harrison completed Rovers' comeback with a composed finish from the penalty spot.
Rovers had a tough time before the break, going into the tunnel behind after a strong showing from Harrogate, but three second-half goals helped them on their way to a fifth straight triumph in the fourth tier.
Mola has been at the heart of Rovers' success, starting the last ten games for the Gas, with Steve Evans' men only losing once. The 25-year-old was delighted with how his side battled back and praised the substitutes for their impact.
"It’s another big three points, and it's five wins on the spin," he said. "Credit to the lads, credit to everyone, to the fans and everyone here. It was a big performance today. I think the first half we struggled, and Harrogate are obviously down there fighting for their lives.
"We were once down there as well, so we know how it feels. We weren’t ready for them. They came out fast, and they were too good for us in the first half, but in the second half, we battled really hard and came back.
"Obviously, the gaffer and Paul Raynor said some strong words at half-time, and we needed a reaction in that second half. Credit to Ellis, Shaq, Fabs, Tommy Leigh and Tom Lockyer. They changed the game when they came on."
The Gas' victory over Harrogate was their third win after falling behind under Evans, also completing comebacks over Crewe Alexandra and Gillingham. Mola suggested that previous successful reactions to going behind and the togetherness in the group were at the heart of the win.
"Credit to us that we stayed in the game and kept pushing and kept going," said Mola. "We went in at half-time and, though it wasn’t great, it was only 1–0. We know that we’ve done it before, come back from one before, and we’ve shown in second halves of games that we can still come up and win games, and that’s what we’ve done today.
"Obviously, there’s something in the group, a strong togetherness. Everyone plays their part, whether they’re playing or not, and that’s credit to the gaffer. It was a good comeback today. We know the gaffer can make changes whenever he sees it’s right, and it’s worked again today."
Rovers have won five games on the bounce and have secured their safety in Sky Bet League Two, but there are still points and positions to play for with four fixtures left to play. The objective is clear.
"The gaffer has told us we want to finish the season strong," he said. "We’ve got a few games left, so we want to get wins in them and just keep climbing up the table.
