Steve Evans was left disappointed with the way his Bristol Rovers team defended after the Gas lost 3-2 to York City on the first day of the Sky Bet League Two season.
The Pirates dealt with the Minstermen's early pressure before scoring just before half-time, with Clinton Mola getting on the end of Fabrizio Cavegn's cutback to give Rovers the advantage.
However, two quick-fire goals from Alex Newby and Harry Boyles turned the score in York's favour before Tommy Leigh levelled it up from the penalty spot. The Pirates looked to have the momentum, but Boyles scored again soon after to hand the hosts all three points.
Speaking to the media after the match, Evans said his side were second best for long spells before highlighting Keenan Gough, who impressed on his first start in the blue-and-white quarters.
REFLECTIONS ON THE GAME
“Yeah, listen, if you go away from home in any game in the football league and you make big individual errors, you are going to concede goals, aren't you?
“I think we were second best in a lot of areas all over the pitch for long spells today. But the game always comes down to goals, and it's easily individual errors for each of the goals we conceded. Bad individual errors as well.
“So, individuals will take culpability when we break it down to the boys on Monday. We never lacked effort and spirit and trying. You know, we went in front against the run of play, totally. But then we probably had our best spell for ten, 15 minutes, and we had a little spell again after we equalised in the second half with the penalty from Tommy.
“But you can't defend like that and win football matches. It's just not right. I think we were weak individually in defensive areas. We had some really good performers. I thought Keenan Gough was sensational, like head and shoulders above anything in the whole of York.”
FIRST HALF
“A million passes across the back tells you nothing. It probably tells you that you've got nowhere to put it and no ideas, and that's where we had them in the first period. They didn't make a chance for me, and then we get the goal, and then we had a good passage of play and good periods.
“On the counter-attack, the goalkeeper has a big save from Fabrizio at 1-0; he's got his finger on it to stop it going two, probably a different outcome then.
“But listen, we have to just take the defeat, get on the coach and go back home to The Quarters and go back on the training ground on Monday.”
KEENAN GOUGH
“He's a number six for me, but I wanted to try and combat some of the things that York did; that's why we put Keenan there because he can step in, and he's as comfortable as anyone we've got with the ball and play.
“But obviously the system wasn't helping us, so when we changed it, you can see when we quickly got a grip on the game, so that worked. But nothing will happen in football.
“We've lost a team that was better than us because we made huge errors, and if you make those errors, you're going to concede. It was always going to be tough here today."
NEWPORT COUNTY PREVIEW
“Newport has a brilliant result [against Rochdale]. It's going to be a different Newport this season. I think the league is really tough. If you look around the league today, the top four or five favourites - four have lost.
“So, it shows you there are no easy games, particularly in the opening weeks of the season. If you just glance at the results, there is one in the Championship as well. You know, nobody would have thought that, you know, Bristol City would have lost at home.
“That's me just saying it because they're in the same city as us; you look at the results. But we have to just look after ourselves, cut out the individual sins. You know, it's cardinal sins for me; it's cardinal mistakes on the pitch. If you come and cut them out, we've got more than enough.”
