Bristol Rovers came away with an impressive 1-0 victory over unbeaten Grimsby Town in Sky Bet League Two on Saturday, but Josh McEachran knows there is more to come from his team.
The Pirates continued their good form in all competitions, collecting their second win in three fixtures with a narrow triumph over the Mariners, with Macauley Southam-Hales volleying a fantastic effort from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.
A third straight clean sheet ensured Rovers came away with their first away victory since January, with Darrell Clarke's men showing their defensive strength to stop a dangerous Grimsby from finding a leveller.
Speaking to the media after the fixture, McEachran was pleased with another tight victory before pinpointing areas his side must improve in future.
“It’s another good 1-0 [win],” he said. “I thought we dug in deep there at the end. I still think there’s more to come from the group. It’s a fantastic result off the back of them beating Manchester United, so we knew it was going to be a tough game coming here with the atmosphere and stuff. It’s a great three points and we move on now to next week.
“I thought, in the first half, we were really good. I think in the second half, we sat off a bit too much. We needed to be a bit more aggressive. We let them come on to us a bit more, but I thought we scored at the vital time, and we held on for the three points.
“We knew what they were capable of, we knew that they wanted to have a little bit more of the ball than us, but I think in the second half, we just needed to be a little bit tidier in the transitions and be a bit more aggressive as it gets us up the pitch a bit better and control the game a bit better than we did. But I am not taking anything away from it as it was a great three points.”
The Pirates are unbeaten in their last four fixtures in all competitions after a difficult start to the campaign. A dominant performance in a 0-0 draw against Oldham Athletic at The Memorial Stadium gave Rovers a platform to build from and followed their tie against the Latics with a 1-0 victory over Cambridge United.
A crazy 4-4 draw with Tottenham Hotspur U21s in the Vertu Trophy kept the unbeaten streak alive before the Gas then beat Grimsby, who were coming off the back of a headline-making win over Manchester United in the second round of the Carabao Cup. With the form turning in Rovers’ favour, McEachran knows the importance of bringing everyone together.
“Coming into the group off the back of last year being relegated, obviously, it is tough. We needed to get the fans back onside, and I think especially in the last three games against Oldham, Cambridge and now here, I think we are gradually building that.
“So, there is a lot more to come, but I think the fans need to stay with us, we need to stay with the fans, we need to create that unity together and now start climbing up the table.”
It was a battle of the McEachran brothers on Saturday, with Josh's brother George playing for the hosts. However, it was not a perfect birthday for the Grimsby man, who started on the bench before coming on with 20 minutes left to play.
It was the first on-pitch meeting between the McEachrans, with their family in the stands.
“I was really disappointed that he didn’t start,” said the midfielder. “This is the first time I have played against him, but he’s a top, top young player. He played outstandingly last season, and he’s done really well this season so far. So, I wish him all the best, and it was special. Our family were here today, so it was a nice moment for us both.”
McEachran has been an ever-present for the Gas since signing from Oxford United and has started all six of Rovers' fixtures in Sky Bet League Two.
After a hit-and-miss pre-season for the midfielder, McEachran feels he is building his fitness and suggested there is still plenty to come from him.
“I missed the first week of pre-season and then I got injured,” he said. “So, pre-season wasn’t great for me, but getting the games, starting every game this season, and I’ve got a few 90 minutes. It was hectic, the Saturday and Tuesday [games], but now going into Saturday, I feel like my confidence is getting better, my fitness is getting better. You still haven’t seen the best of me yet; there is still a lot more to come. So, I am really looking forward to it.
McEachran was also full of praise for Kamil Conteh, who has been his midfield partner this campaign.
“He’s a great young player and a really good guy,” said McEachran. “He’s in every day doing his best in training, wants to get better, and he listens. So, I’m really enjoying playing alongside Kamil at the moment.”
