Ryan Howley was delighted that Bristol Rovers secured a last-minute winner against Plymouth Argyle in their final fixture of the group stages in the Vertu Trophy.
The Pirates would only secure first position in the Southern Group B and a home draw in the Round of 32 with a win, and left it to the final moments, with Kamil Conteh converting from close range to help the Gas finish on eight points after three fixtures.
Howley has been in and out of the team after a spell on the sidelines with injury but has been a mainstay in the Vertu Trophy and has played every minute of every fixture across the three group matches in the competition.
Speaking to BRTV after the hard-fought match, Howley was delighted with the result and believes they can take confidence from finishing above a team from Sky Bet League One.
"I'm really happy," he said. "Obviously, it wasn’t the prettiest game on the eye, but we got the result, which is all that matters.
"To finish top of the group, against League One opposition as well, is a good feeling. You’ve got to take this win now and look at the positives, look at the negatives and breed that winning feeling and take it into the next game.”
With under two minutes of the game played, the dynamic of the game had already taken a turn. Argyle were reduced to ten men after a foul outside the box from Kornél Szűcs, who was sent off for pulling down Bryant Bilongo, denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
Howley admitted Rovers had to be patient against Plymouth, with the Pilgrims switching to a defensive system to try and earn a point.
“It completely changes the dynamic," said Howley. "Obviously, against ten men, they’re going to be sat behind the ball, we’re going to have a lot of the possession, and it’s just about taking your time and trying to find a way to score rather than forcing it.
“Which I think we did a little bit at times, it wasn’t the prettiest goal in the end, but it’s all that matters, we got the win.”
nder the conditions of wind and rain at The Memorial Stadium, the Vertu Trophy fixture was a challenge for both teams. Direct passes forward that would usually find their target changed direction in the wind, forcing both teams to look to play on the floor.
In the end, it could be argued that the conditions played their part in the Pirates' winning goal. Jack Sparkes' corner was dropped by Luca Ashby-Hammond straight to Conteh, who had a simple finish from close range.
Reflecting on the conditions, Howley insisted that they had to deal with the conditions before congratulating Conteh on his first goal for the Gas.
“It was windy, it was rainy, but that’s part of football," he said. "You’ve also just got to deal with it. I think you’ve got to look forward to every game. It’s a good opportunity to get on the pitch, even if it’s windy and rainy. You’ve just got to adapt to it.
“I’m really delighted for him [Conteh]. I’m not sure it’s how he’d imagined it, but a goal is a goal at the end of the day, so I’m really happy for him.”
The midfield ranks at Rovers have plenty of depth, with Howley competing with Conteh, Alfie Chang, Joel Cotterill and Josh McEachran for a place in the team. The former Coventry City man was pleased to be out on the pitch and get minutes in his legs.
“I think it’s nice to just get back out on the pitch and get a start," he said. “I think it’s the first time since Cheltenham that I’ve had a really good run out, so it’s nice to get the minutes and the legs in and put myself back into the frame if I can.”
