Luke Southwood believes Bristol Rovers must right their wrongs at the start of 2026 after the Gas fell to a 2-0 defeat to Barnet in Sky Bet League Two.
The Pirates were looking to end the year with a victory after falling to a narrow 3-2 defeat to Bromley in their previous fixture, but could not turn their positives from their last performance into points against the Bees.
The Gas, who started quickly against Bromley, could not get into the same rhythm and conceded on either side of half-time through goals from Adam Senior and Ryan Glover. Luke Southwood had saved a penalty from Mark Shelton before Barnet got their second. Nevertheless, Rovers failed to capitalise on the momentum they gained, with Alfie Kilgour seeing his point-blank header pushed away by Cieran Slicker.
Speaking to BRTV after the fixture, Southwood was disappointed his side could not put Steve Evans' plans into action and suggested the Pirates must make the most of the Christmas schedule to gain points quickly.
Luke, defeat here today at The Mem, how would you reflect on that one?
"Yeah, it was disappointing. I think we had a really good 60 minutes or so on Saturday that we were looking to build on, and we didn’t manage to do that. All the things that the gaffer arranged for us to do, we did not execute and that reflected in the result."
You mention a really good start to the last game. What was missing from this performance that was in that last one?
"It’s hard to put your finger on it, I think it was the intensity that we played with on Boxing Day that we didn’t seem to have today. The pressure we managed to put them under on Boxing Day, we just didn’t manage to do today."
After your penalty save in the second half, you felt a lift around the Mem. How disappointing was it that you couldn’t build on that momentum?
"It was. Obviously, I was buzzing to save it, and then we all know football, and that tends to be the catalyst sometimes for things to change in the game. I really thought we’d have a good chance to kick on and get something from the game and go on and win it, but it was obviously disappointing for it not to play out that way."
After two quite bright performances, does it feel like a slight step back, and how important is it to draw a line under it and move on?
"I think so. The things that the gaffer and Paul Raynor wanted us to do, we didn’t do today, for whatever reason, and that is obviously on us. We need to look back at the positives in the previous performances and get back to that."
After a difficult end to 2025, is there an opportunity to start fresh with two quick games at the start of 2026?
"I hope so. I think that’s obviously the positive of the Christmas schedule, that we have a quick turnaround to get back out there and put things right and show what we’re really can do, and what they want us to do. I think that can be a positive as long as we turn up and get the performance."
Finally, you mentioned Steve Evans there. What has he added to the group since coming in?
"I think you saw so much of it on Boxing Day. I think that for those 60 minutes, that is exactly what he asks of us and what he wants us to be like with the intensity and the pressure, the understanding of what we're doing and the confidence to get on the ball and play forward and run forward. I think it was all shown in that 60 minutes or so, and obviously, it’s just about consistently doing that and recreating it.
