Bristol Rovers' late victory over Crewe Alexandra at The Memorial Stadium will certainly be one that Head Coach Steve Evans will remember for a long time.
Against Grimsby Town, Rovers' fast start proved crucial, but this time, it was all about a memorable end. The Pirates were a goal behind heading into the final stages after Alfie Pond gave the Railwaymen a first-half lead before the Gas turned the score around.
Tommy Leigh, brought on at half-time, got onto Joel Senior's perfect cross to head in the leveller before finding the winner in stoppage time, driving a clever effort into the bottom corner.
Speaking to BRTV after the contest. Evans reflected on the performance, Leigh's impact and the Gasheads.
Steve, endings don’t come much more special than that, do they?
"No, they don’t, and in front of the Thatchers' end as well. For every one of the Gas family in the stadium, thank you for sticking with us after a really poor first half. And I don’t mean, Crewe weren’t missing chances and dominant, but they were in front, deservedly in front.
"We didn’t look as if we could have two passes or the energy to go and compete in a football match. It’s not many times, maybe once or twice, that I’ve had to take the paint off the walls in the dressing room to freshen and liven people up.
"We got the type of reaction, not only the substitutes, which were great, but the reaction from everyone on the pitch in the second half, because a dominant performance got us a win."
A disappointing first half, but I guess that’s what substitutes are there for. To come on and change games.
"We can’t start games like that and think that’s acceptable. It’s not. The boys have not been like that, credit to them. The ones who retained their shirt and stayed on the pitch. It could have been any ten outfield players who we could have changed in that half-time period.
"But I said to myself and to Paul Raynor, it’s not very often that I’ve gone away to my office and changed the team and changed the system and changed the personnel and done it very constructively with Paul. But first I had to remind him of what playing for Bristol Rovers should be about."
It's another January signing that makes the difference. Leigh with two different types of goals, but equally as important.
"Tommy’s taken a little while to settle, and it’s easier to say he’s got a little bit frustrated, but I actually pointed out to the Director Of Football, Ricky Martin who watches training every day, but I said coming off yesterday, I just told Tommy Leigh that his training sessions in the last two or three days have been remarkable. They’ve been a different gravy.
"So, we were eager to get him onto the pitch, but the opportunity jumped earlier than we thought and not only his goals, I think his passing. I think he had one wayward cross into the box behind. But I think other than that, everything was on the money for him. I thought he was really good, but he was supported by a number of players that really stepped up in the second half."
You mentioned Tommy there, the scorer. In the last two games, he's been an unused substitute, but today it justshows that everyone in the squad is needed. He’s trained well, and he’s come out with the difference.
"Listen. I said, credit to the players, we don’t need to be rushing Riley Harbottle, who has been out for weeks, arguably, who, for four weeks, was our best player along with Shaq Forde. We don’t need to rush them back. It did look like that at half-time.
"I was thinking, do we need those players? We certainly do need those players, but we need everyone in the group. I was saying before the game to the players, that the next two weeks it's going to take every one of them to play a part and help us get some points because this is a dogfight at the bottom end of this league.
"This is the hardest single challenge I’ve had in football, trying to keep this club in the football league. But if I achieve it, I won’t be going to the Maldives, but I’ll be going somewhere sunny, even for a weekend."
It felt like, for 80-odd minutes, the ball just wasn’t quite dropping for Rovers. Does that show the mentality that the team just kept going and going?
"I think it was difficult to get momentum. You know I’m not going to tell Lee Bell or the people at Crewe how to play after all, if they win today, they’re going to the playoffs. I’ve got no right to tell them. But what I will say is that it takes the spectators away from the game, if you take a minute every time there’s a throw-in, two minutes every time there’s a corner.
"Obviously, it was a strategy; they killed it early doors because they knew that we were going to come out and have a go, especially at home in front of our home support. It was really difficult to get any tempo."
I mean, four wins in five against some top, it’s showing that this place is slowly becoming a fortress for you.
"We’ve got every reason for this place to be a fortress, it’s called Bristol Rovers supporters. They’re incredible fans. I go out before the game, I should almost put the tape recorder, in old money, put the recorder on of me saying, ‘Paul, look at this attendance again. Look at the people and support.’
"The noise today when that Tommy Leigh second goal went in reminded me of Elland Road. I can give them no bigger compliment. That was 44,000 at Elland Road. That was what the noise levels were like today. Incredible.
"The scenes around the ground, up in the stands, up in the seats, up behind me, on the terrace. Men, women, boys, girls. I keep seeing them hugging each other and seeing the fans at the end coming off, and they’re going to have a pint or a curry. Enjoy your Saturday night, that was hard-earned."
