It was a winning return for Riley Harbottle, who is back from injury and started the Gas' narrow 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town.
The 25-year-old started at the heart of the defence alongside Alfie Kilgour and Clinton Mola, with the Gas limiting Salop's opportunities. Will Boyle and Iwan Morgan flashed efforts just wide of the post in the early stages, but that was as good as it got for the visitors, who only managed one shot on target during the contest.
Rovers were quiet in the first half before dominating the second, but had to be patient in their pursuit of a winner. Shrewsbury dropped deeper into their defensive third to try and preserve a point, with the Gas continuing to put the pressure on before Tommy Leigh found the breakthrough, blasting his deflected effort beyond the reach of Matthew Cox.
Speaking to the media after the game, Harbottle stressed the importance of the Pirates securing another victory, especially because of Shrewsbury's recent form, with the visitors winning their last three matches on the road.
“I think coming into the game, the win was the most important thing," he said. "I think in recent times, especially earlier on in the season, we weren’t on the right side of these results, so it’s definitely positive. A clean sheet and three points, we probably won’t remember much about the game because it wasn’t the best quality, but the results are the main thing. So, yeah, we’re happy.”
“Credit to them, we were looking at them before the game, and they’ve won five in six, and you go, ‘these aren’t an easy game'. They’re definitely a tough one for us, and we knew what they were about, a big physical team that were direct, and I thought we stood up to that today.
"I think quality-wise, we’ve definitely got to be better with our standards and the players we’ve got. We can be a lot better in that sense, but I think we stood up to the task."
The Pirates have made themselves tough to beat in recent weeks. The Gas have only lost one of their previous six matches, keeping two clean sheets and only conceding four goals. Injuries and illness have forced the defence to switch around a couple of times in the last month, with Harbottle praising the experience of the group.
"I think we’ve got quite a bit of experience back there now, Alfie's a monster of a man, you see, you see his build and the way he is, he’s our captain, and I think he led us well out there," said the defender. "I think Kofi has been absolutely outstanding.
“Obviously, I’ve been out for six weeks or so, with a couple of different injuries. So, it was nice for me to be back out there, but a credit to them two and whoever else has been filling in there. I think the last couple of weeks, especially, they’ve been phenomenal.”
Harbottle signed for the Gas in the January transfer window from Sky Bet League One side AFC Wimbledon. He started the first six matches he was available for before sustaining an injury that has seen him miss the last seven games.
The defender returned to the starting side against Shrewsbury and is pleased to be back.
"I felt good," he said. "I think I’ve had two or three training sessions back with the squad, so I really respect the gaffer for throwing me back in and putting his trust in me. As I said, I know this league. I was promoted out of it last year, but it feels good. Obviously, I had a tear in my groin and a tear in my ankle ligament as well, so it was quite a long period of getting both of them right.
"But the physio department here have been absolutely outstanding and have got me into a good position, so hopefully we can kick on now and, touch wood, hopefully we’ll have a good end to the season."
There is still plenty of work to do. However, the Gas are now ten points above the relegation zone after winning four of their previous six fixtures in the fourth tier, also claiming five victories in six outings at The Mem. Harbottle always backed the group to turn around their poor run of results and suggested the squad is now looking forward.
“This club should never be in the situation it’s in," he said. "I think from the day I walked into the building, I looked around the changing room, and the quality you’ve got in the changing room. The manager speaks for himself; he’s never normally at this end of the table. I had full belief in that, but the confidence must have been low, and when confidence is low, it's hard to turn around.
"The gaffer has definitely done a good job with that. The players that we've got in the building are leaders, and I’ve definitely picked that up, so we’re looking forward. We’re looking forward. It’s a special club, and it shouldn’t be where it is. Hopefully, we kick on this year, get safe, and next year I honestly believe it will be a special one.”
