Bristol Rovers showed plenty of effort and determination in what Steve Evans described as a typical derby game against Swindon Town on Saturday afternoon.
In a fierce contest where 2,315 Gasheads packed a sold-out away end at the Nigel Eady County Ground, the contest started with chances few and far between before Kane Thompson-Sommers lifted the travelling fans with a curling effort into the bottom corner after a clever run.
Nevertheless, Swindon were always going to try and fightback and levelled through Ollie Palmer's first-time finish. It seemed unlikely that the contest would end in a draw, with both teams rarely sharing points in this Sky Bet League Two season, but neither outfit could find a winner despite creating scoring opportunities in the late stages.
Speaking to BRTV after the contest, Steve Evans reflected on the game, Thompson-Sommers' goal and the improvements his team are making.
Steve, a draw here today, how do you reflect on that?
“It’s a typical local derby, isn’t it? I don’t think there was too much quality in that game. Certainly, whatever number of players on the pitch, I lost track of it, 26 or 27, I don’t know these days.
“Everyone was wholly committed to trying to get a result for their team. I think the difference in the game is that they score a goal, which is a bad defensive error from us; it’s a simple individual error, but we scored a fantastic goal that's worthy of winning any derby. I think we can go away a little bit disappointed with the decisions over the 90 minutes.
“I think we should have got some decisions that would have gone in our favour. Nothing mind blowing, so I’m not saying, ‘referee this, referee that’, but can't be working hard to gain corners and free kicks and things around the edge of the box and the referee not give them. That’s disappointing, but, overall, we're going away disappointed; we think we left two points behind. I don’t remember them having another chance, really, in the entire game."
An unchanged team to start the game, is that a simple decision in a big derby?
“No, not a simple decision. You know, we look at the opposition carefully. Last week we did it against Grimsby, we changed at half-time because they did something a little bit different and looking at Swindon, I thought we’d come here and get at them.
“Listen. This isn't the Bristol Rovers from ten weeks ago, and anyone at Swindon Town will know that. I think they'll go away today thinking they’ll take a point against this team.”
A quiet start to the contest, but Kane opens the scoring with a beautiful goal. How do you reflect on his strike?
“Yeah. We’ve counterattacked, and Ellis does brilliantly on the right, works the ball up the right and then gets it into Kane, and when Kane drives with the ball, he’s getting more confident every week. He’s such a quiet boy. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak twice. He’s such a quiet boy, but he’s a wonderful kid.
“When he drove up the right, I thought, ‘do what you’ve done many times for MK Dons. Do what you’ve done. Chop it up on your left and just bend it in.’ I couldn’t have wished it anymore because he did it.
“I think when they got their goal, it’s against the run of play for the first time in the second half. We’ve got our foot on the ball and had passages of play. We’re attacking, we’re getting our fans excited, and then we just individually switch off from a set play.”
You mentioned it, moments that change the game. We have a really big chance at one end, and they find the back of the net at the other.
“I think there are big chances for us at the back end. I think Fabrizio is fouled in the box, but he tries to stay on his feet; he’s brave. Then the goalie makes a good save, but he gives a goal kick. I just said to Fab, he’s an honest kid; if he’s not honest and if he’s semi-honest, he goes down, and the referee’s not an option because there has been contact. He tries to stay on his feet, and I think there are two or three other chances. Yusuf Akamrich put a fantastic ball across the box, waiting for Ellis to tap it in. He doesn’t get on the front foot.
“I can’t complain about the effort and determination of the group today. We’ve come here, and the conditions changed; we’ve got hardly any wind, and it’s a beautiful, sunny day. In the first half, we had 35, where we had to defend against horrific conditions and then still took the lead.
“So, we go away disappointed, but we built on Grimsby last week, we’ve come to Swindon, and we’ve got another free week, which is good, because we get the chance to get some big players like Harbottle and Forde back available to us. The boys on the bench need some action. So, we’ll get some work into them and freshen the others up and make sure we’re all good to go against Crewe, in front of what we need, a packed Mem.”
You mentioned it a bit there, but the disappointment was not picking up those three points that you could have done. Does that show the growth of the last few weeks? You’re not quite where you want to be, but you’re getting there.
“Players give you a reaction. We go to the dressing room after we go to the supporters, and we go into the dressing room, and everyone coming in is hugely disappointed.
“We’ve got some making comments, the vocal ones, making comments, the quiet just shake their head and sit down. But I think everyone knows that’s a game we could and should have won."
And finally, we can’t do this interview without mentioning the Gasheads in attendance, 2,300 packing the stand behind the goal.
“The best thing I can say is they matched the Swindon fans, and they probably have about 8,000 here. They’ve matched them song for song and probably louder in spells.
“You’ll never hear me question the Bristol Rovers supporters, they’d turn up in the car park at the top of the Alps, if Bristol Rovers were playing. Thank you for your support, every man, woman, boy and girl who was here today.”
