Bristol Rovers progressed to the FA Cup third round on penalties after a gruelling goalless draw with Barnsley at Oakwell over 120 minutes on Saturday afternoon with the Gas’ defence and goalkeeper Josh Griffiths to thank.
The hosts ended up having 30 shots, nine of which on target, in a game where Rovers had to dig in for the most part in South Yorkshire.
However, their resolve stood firm and four excellent penalties alongside a miss and a save to deny the Tykes in the shootout in front of the travelling Gasheads saw the Gas advance in the competition to the stage where England’s big boys enter the fold.
With manager Matt Taylor taking a leave of absence to deal with a family emergency, first-team coach Dave Horseman led the team alongside assistant manager Wayne Carlisle and took media duties. Here’s everything he said post-match…
Dave, that’s got to be the best way to an FA Cup tie, on penalties, isn’t it?
Yeah, I think when you go that long, and obviously it’s a tough match, and at times we’ve rode our luck…let’s not mess around, our goalkeeper and defenders were absolutely brilliant defending the box and making saves today.
So when you go that far, the job’s to win. It’s only to win and to come through it is probably actually a little bit more special to win it on penalties and to send, obviously, to come all the way up here close to December and all those fans and send them home happy is what we’re really here for.
Let’s talk about your goalkeeper. Outstanding in the game with some brilliant saves and then with the winning save in the shootout as well.
Yeah, exactly that. And it’s not the first time this season he’s done it. Now, obviously, the gaffer, George [Friend] and the board identified he was a really good goalkeeper and we’re lucky because Jed [Ward]’s a really good goalkeeper.
But what we’re managing to do is have a brilliant one for us, again, not the first time he’s done it, and our one’s getting really good experience. So we’re pretty strong in the goalkeeper department and Scotty Brown does a brilliant job with him as well, I have to say.
So yeah, delighted with that and then when he weren’t there then Chrissy took one in the face and yeah, by hook or by crook, we managed to win the game and in the FA Cup that’s all that really matters.
You practiced penalties in the week. Did you have the takers on that you wanted? I mean, it’s four out of four, 100 per cent from the penalties?
Yeah. So what I did is, listen, iit was a little bit risky, Scott [Sinclair] is a penalty taker for us. Kamil [Conteh], obviously, at the moment isn’t or he’d be a bit further down the list and I know we’re hanging on a little bit but we’re trying to win the game. There’s no point. So Scott is a big player for us. Big personality but you don’t want him to come on with no kicks on the ball and not to run around.
So look, we got that far. We thought, let’s go for it. Stick Scotty on and I thought our penalties were absolutely outstanding and they practice them every day. It’s not just yesterday or before the last round and I was really confident. I mean, I told the lads, our goalkeeper is already a psychological 1-0 because he’s been incredible and yeah, just really, really pleased for everybody at Bristol Rovers today.
Somebody as well to talk about, Michael Forbes, hasn’t had many minutes, plays 120 today in a brilliant defensive performance as a unit, but just talk about him.
It’s really interesting. So, he obviously came in from West Ham, started pre-season really well, had a little bit of tendonitis, I think, and obviously then hasn’t quite got in the team. Now, Connor [Taylor] and Willo [James Wilson] have been brilliant for us, along with many others, but particularly those two. So, he’s had to bide his time.
I think when you go out on your first loan, your first loan’s really about this where when you’re in the academy system, if you’re a good player like Michael is, you play every minute and actually now he’s got to learn to fight his way in. What Michael’s got is incredible. As you can see, he’s a really, really good defender and he’s going to go and have a really good career.
But what he’s actually done is managed to get over the disappointment of not playing, knuckle down and improve. I’m sure the gaffer was watching today. So I’m sure that gets him definitely much closer to the starting team and he’s built trust with his teammates and everybody else. I’m really proud of him today because he’s a soldier, he’s a warrior, that one.
And the scenes at the end, you’re in front of the traveling support, you go and everyone mobs Josh Griffiths. I mean, what can that do for the team, just the whole football club?
Well, I think before we carry on…listen, we are dedicating that win to Matty Taylor and his family because that’s more important than any win and I think what the team showed is everything he epitomises. His spirit, determination. He’s so caring and everything and obviously we don’t want his family to go through this so I think more importantly, we’re dedicating that purely to him. The boys went through the pain barrier for that reason today and we spoke about it quite a lot so I think that’s really good.
I didn’t like doing the fist bump. It clearly wasn’t me. It was very awkward but the gaffer does it for the fans. It’s important that you show your appreciation and we do. We really appreciate it. Maybe we don’t say it enough but we really appreciate it. I think Bristol Rovers fans are some of the best.
So yeah, listen, it was important. It’s a nice way to send them home. We really hope we get a big boy [in the draw]. There was Man. United away mentioned in the dressing room. You just never know now. So obviously it gives everybody a lovely weekend and who knows what’s coming?
It’s not about me. I’ve literally done one game. That’s absolutely fine. But I think what that probably does is show that we can defend our goal really well as a team and I thought there’s people like Shaq Ford ran his socks off today.
I don’t think people…we know he’s talented. He can dribble. I thought he was back, defending diagonal passes. I think without that you don’t win games and he did all those things magnificently well today.
The boys have mentioned Manchester United. I mean, I’m sure any of the big Premier League teams. What will be the plan Monday night? Will the lads get together in groups to watch it?
Oh, I don’t know, to be totally honest. We were really just focused on…I mean, the owners are brilliant. So they wanted us to win today, that was my remit. Look, you got one session yesterday, win, and we did. So everybody’s pretty pleased.
Really good question. I can’t answer that. What would we do? We’ll be on the way to Leyton Orient. We’ll watch it in the hotel. We’ll watch it together. So yeah, get a camera in there and hopefully we’ll jump up and down or listen, you want one of two, don’t you? You want one of the big boys or you want somebody at home that you think, ah, we can win and get to next round because there’s prize money, which all helps the club.
Listen, we want to win and that’s the most important thing and I’ve had loads of messages and Bristol Rovers fans want to see heart, desire.
Don’t get me wrong, some of the passing and stuff at times today is nowhere near the level and our goalkeeper had to be excellent. So we’re not coming out thinking we were Real Madrid by any stretch. There’s still loads to improve on in the team but sometimes, and I know from my previous job, you can play all the beautiful football you want, sometimes it’s about winning and today, we’re in the hat for next round and we’re looking forward to it.
Dave, I remember speaking to Matt quite a few times this season about issues defending set pieces. I mean the progress in that department, you must be so delighted with that.
Yeah, and you have to give…it’s really hard sometimes for the support staff because they don’t get any mentions and Scotty Brown, he’s a nervous wreck but he works really, really hard on them. He’s really diligent. I mean, to be honest, he picked the order for the penalty shootout today.
So Scotty Brown deserves a massive pat on the back and I have to say, Wayne Carlisle has been amazing the last two days with the boys, the enthusiasm, like in his level of detail. He talked about the press a little bit with the lads yesterday and they don’t get any mentions because, like I said, I’ve done the job. So you stand at the front of the dugout, you take all the praise and all the abuse, I guess, probably sometimes.
We’ve got a brilliant staff behind. Procs [Andrew Procter] and Shorty [Tom Short] and everybody else behind them. They don’t get any praise and today, you know, things like defending set plays because they are massive.
Like it was only when they jogged out for the start of the game I realized how big they were and they were bringing on even bigger ones. So for the boys to defend the goal like they did, it’s brilliant for them, shows what they can do, but brilliant for the staff who put in so much hard work as well.
It’s an absolute credit to the coaches who’ve come in over the summer as well. I mean, going into this season, the main issue was how many goals Rovers had conceded last season. Just in the last couple of weeks, three clean sheets and four. That must be a huge platform to build from.
Yeah and I think we started the season really well with clean sheets and then obviously we conceded some goals. But that’s the season, there’s ups and downs and we know we’re a development group, so we know there’s ups and downs.
We’re not fine with it, because we all want to win. Gaffer wants to win every game, the players want to win every game, and obviously the fans do but I think we go from Tuesday night, where they looked like a lack of energy and fight and spirit to loads of that today.
Bristol Rovers Live on Whatsapp
Join Bristol Rovers Live’s Whatsapp community for all the biggest Bristol Rovers stories sent straight to your phone
Bristol Rovers Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the Bristol Rovers news, live match coverage, team news, transfers, fixtures, analysis and more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Now, again, we have to be miles better with the ball. We gave the ball away a couple of times that should end up in the back of our goal really. But that’s fine. We’ll keep working, developing.
It was all on me because I asked them to pass into the midfield because we thought we could create space between the lines and the boys, as you can see, are so compliant. They’re brilliant people. I think we never talk about that. Brilliant people tried to do it a couple of times, it was magnificent.
We hit the post early on and got through and then when it weren’t going our way today, we showed a resolve and that’s why we kept a clean sheet.
I believe you said before the game that the plan was always to take Joel Senior off at half time, but for a first 45 minutes in three months, how do you think he did?
Super. Really, really well. Yeah, he hasn’t played. I mean, that’s probably the first time, bar last year when he played for Morecambe against me, that’s the most I’ve probably seen him and I thought he looked like he could carry the ball, defended really well because they were good down his side. Tactically very aware so I’m delighted for him.
I thought he was brilliant. So yeah, great and the lads are buzzing and when I spoke to him, listen, we had up to 60 minutes. Our job tonight was to get through. Connor Taylor should be back Monday. Willo looks like he’s come through fine. Joel Senior’s got time. Gats has got time. So we come to Monday, probably a little bit stiff and sore, but a better squad, and that’s what we need because they’re all so different. They all bring so many good qualities. Yeah, it was positive for Joel.
Yeah, I was going to ask about Connor Taylor. I assume that was just a bit of fatigue?
Yeah, listen, he’s played so much. If I really pushed him, he’d have played again today but I’ve got Michael Forbes. You have got these people that can play and deserve to play because they train really well and Connor will be fine.
He was at the point where probably his scores on the hamstring test that they do is just fatigue. Where if he’d have played again today, you’re probably risking him and he’s been so good for us recently. As much as we desperately win today, not at the risk of losing Connor for the next six months. No chance. So, yeah, he’ll be fine.