Steve Evans was disappointed by Bristol Rovers' performance against Barnet after the Gas fell to a 2-0 defeat to Barnet in Sky Bet League Two.
The Pirates claimed one point from Evans' first two fixtures as Head Coach, with their draw on the road to Crewe Alexandra ending their losing run in the fourth tier before a gutting 3-2 defeat to Bromley, where positives could have been taken after gaining an early two-goal advantage.
However, the Gas could not build on the bright parts of their previous fixture three days prior and had limited chances against a Bees side that scored either side of half-time through Adam Senior and Ryan Glover.
Speaking to BRTV after the fixture, Evans reflected on the defeat and looked ahead to 2026 after a frustrating end to the year.
Gaffer, it feels like it is another frustrating evening for you and the lads...
“Listen, I think somewhere in the game, for the first 25 to 30 minutes, there was nothing in the game. It was scrappy. It’s a typical game that, you’d probably say, a mid-table game if you like, with Barnet. They are, we’re not. We’re at the bottom end of the table, but it was that type of game. The game changes right on half-time.
“We don’t win a simple free kick into a box. We don’t win the first contact. We’re nowhere near the second contact. So, we turned, we tried to change it a little bit, but Barnet started stronger than us; they had more penetration in the physical battle, and for me, we looked as if we lacked quality in both boxes. Luke saves a penalty, but if that’s a penalty, then I’m Donald Duck. I’m not Donald Duck; it was just simply an awful decision from the referee.
“I thought the referee was poor, but we were poor. There’s no getting away from that fact, and then the second goal comes in, another set play, we don’t defend it, and if you don’t defend set plays properly, particularly those in League Two and League One, then you’re not going to win football matches. You’re going to lose.
“So, we go back on the training ground, we’ll work hard, and we know it’s coming into January. We know where we’re heading, but there’s a long time until January. I know people think there’s not, but there’s a long time.
“From my point of view, until the window’s really effective beyond Barrow, if you like, then there are two games before then and they’re the focus.”
You mention the quality in both boxes there. I can only imagine how disappointing that is, the sense of going a goal down, and it's been hard to score goals this season for the Gas, and you're trying to chase the game, and then the second one goes in for them...
“You can understand it. I can understand the supporters’ frustrations. I think they see the team, certainly from my point of view, the team can’t try anymore, but if you’re lacking quality in both areas of the pitch, there’s going to be a problem.
“So, we need to address it. I’ve had a brilliant meeting with the owner today and a brilliant meeting with Ricky and all three of us. We know what we’re trying to do, we will do a lot of it, hopefully, and we’re speaking to people and meeting players and doing the right things.
“That’ll take care of itself in January, but now we need more from the players who have to show that they want to play for Bristol Rovers. I’m gobsmacked with attendance today. I’ve walked out, and I’m saying that after Boxing Day, it was heartbreaking because we were playing so well for 54 minutes and then to see the fans turn up tonight and we let them down. It’s not a sob story, but we’ve just not been good enough tonight.”
I don't want to use it as an excuse, but these games over Christmas, there are only two days in between each game. It must be hard to get any big work in on the training pitch when you're trying to manage minutes...
“It’s hard for Barnet as well, and they had to travel. The same with Bromley, they had to travel. So there’s certainly no excuse from that point of view. The training schedule allows these boys to go out and be fresh.
“So, it’s not a case of tiredness, maybe a case of feeling sorry for ourselves individually, some do. That happens in every football club, up and down the planet. People will feel sorry for themselves, and we had a lot of that when we went to goal down.
"Then, we had a reaction, we got a boost when Luke saved a penalty, justice done for me, and then we had a good set play, a great ball in from Sparkes and a brilliant header. It's a fantastic save to stop the game from going level. I think if it goes level, then it changes the momentum, it changes and allows our boys the freedom to win the game, but goalkeepers have to make big saves.”
Finally, it's the last game of 2025, and it's been a difficult year for Bristol Rovers. How important is it to make a good start to 2026?
“It’s massively important. I certainly know that 2026 will be different for Bristol Rovers supporters, but it’s easier to just talk. I’m not going to promise anything that I can’t deliver, but we will make some changes in January, and we’ll affect it positively, and I think supporters, when we came in, we said the immediate task is now.
“The immediate challenge is to make sure we get some wins and to get away from this danger zone because this football club should be nowhere near it, but in football, you are where you are on the pitch.”
