Steve Evans said his Bristol Rovers team are giving everything after falling to a narrow 1-0 loss to Bromley in Sky Bet League Two.
The Pirates were looking to break the Ravens' 18-game unbeaten streak in the fourth tier and be the first team to beat them at home in the league this season.
Evans admitted that his team were second best before the break, with Will Hondermarck breaking the deadlock, but his triple change made a difference. Shaq Forde, Joe Quigley and Yusuf Akhamrich were introduced, and the Gas created chances, but they could not find a leveller.
Joe Quigley lifted a first-time shot from close range over before Forde was shown a second yellow card for a foul outside the box. Speaking after the fixture, Evans was disappointed with how his team started the game, but was pleased with their second-half display.
Well, Steve, it was a frustrating defeat here today. How do you reflect on it?
“Well, I think, there’s no doubt, we're second best in the first half. We make some changes, and there’s no doubt we’re the best in the second half.
“We made a couple of golden chances in the first half, to equalise against the run of play because it’s not as if Bromley were making chances, but we made three good chances, didn’t take any of them. In the second half, there was some fantastic play. Joe Quigley had quite a simple chance; he tried to blast it into the roof of the net, but it was easier just to pass it in.
“So, there are things that. I thought we had totally dominant spells until Shaq Forde had been silly in a challenge. I think the referee could have managed it better, but I don't think he had a good performance himself, the referee, but he’s not the reason we lost. We lost because they took a chance, it took a deflection and went past the keeper, and there was nothing else in the game. I thought we were better for long spells in the second half.”
You’re never a man to make excuses, but losing Alfie Kilgour and Tommy Leigh must have been difficult as well before kick-off.
“Yeah, listen. We work on a system and a pattern, and I think it's taken away from us. Tommy at ten o’clock this morning, and Alfie when we arrive at the stadium. He couldn’t keep anything down, so we obviously had to change it up. People come into the team, and the shape changes a little bit. But obviously, we never got it right in the first half; I have to take responsibility for that.
“We looked like a team that worked together, principally it is if you look at the personnel, but in the second half we were much better and dominated. This is a Bromley side that’s efficient, and they’re probably not good on the eye, but if you’renot good on the eye and you’re top of the league, it’s a good place to be, isn’t it? Andy’s manager of the year, for sure, in the whole of the EFL. So, in the second half, we got the ball down, we played in little pockets and turned them up sides.
“Had two or three good chances, and to be fair to the Bromley lads, they had four or five great blocks when we’re striking it. Until Shaq goes off, where we’re just camped in their half.”
Three changes going into the second half, what do those attackers bring?
“They brought back a focus. Joe Quigley got hold of it more than Ellis did in the first half, but then again, he was getting better service. When you bring Forde and Akhamrich onto the pitch, the game changes.
“We suddenly had wide options that could get at players and add a bit of pace into our team, and again, young Yusuf was affected by a little bit of sickness as well. We had to introduce something at half-time.”
You said you always want to compare the team to the top of the league. How did Rovers compare to Bromley today?
“Well, listen, that’s not a good Bromley performance. I’ll be surprised if Andy does, but Andy’s at a stage where it’s about points, and we’re the same at a different end of the league.
“Listen, we know we’re going to be significantly better going forward, but we have to think about today and say that in the first half, that was unacceptable from some players. But in the second half, until the sending off, the only one I’ve gota complaint with is Shaq Forde.
“I’ve got no other complaints because the boys are giving us absolutely everything for the cause, and we’ve had enough dominance to make, certainly two, easy chances. To be fair, the Bromley lads have blocked four or five.”
