Bristol Rovers secured back-to-back wins in League One for just the second time this season on Saturday as they beat Barnsley 3-1 at the Mem in what was also Inigo Calderon’s first home victory in charge of the Gas.
The visitors started the better of the two sides but Rovers grew into the game and took the lead four minutes before half-time as Gatlin O’Donkor headed home an excellent cross from Grant Ward.
Isaac Hutchinson added a second early in the second half with Barnsley continuously squandering good chances of their own while Josh Griffiths had an excellent afternoon in goal.
However, the Tykes did manage to halve the deficit through a Josh Earl header midway through the second period but a late effort from substitute Ruel Sotiriou secured the victory for the Gas.
Here’s a full transcript of everything Calderon said to local media post-match…
Well Calde, congratulations. A great team performance and the result we wanted.
As you say, team performance and that’s what we need. I don’t mind who starts because the ones that came on, I think they were really good. That for me, is so, so important that everyone in the squad has a big part in the team and I think we did that.
All the players that came on, they were good so that’s why we need to go out from the situation because we are in a bad situation and you need everyone and you need to do performances like today against a really good team that were in a really good run. You could see that even in the beginning it was difficult because they were in great confidence and we were a little bit nervous and anxious with the ball.
We were not too good and it was a little bit difficult for us and that’s the point, when you are there, everything is difficult. I didn’t expect to win the game clean and having a great day, you have to win like that.
We did against Cambridge but it’s true that as we have that game in between with Ipswich, it was a bit unfair because we create again the bad feelings but the reality is that we won the last two.
How pleased were you with the tempo that your team played with today?
Yeah, that was key because I think for us, playing at home has to be extra and that connection with the fans for me is most of the time about passion. It’s not about playing good, bad, it’s about the passion and I think the fans could see that.
As I say, when you have even the centre-back overlapping, that’s not tactic. That’s coming from passion. That’s coming from people that care about the situation and trust me, it’s not easy when you are down in the table to train, to perform and to play games. It’s probably because you deserve [it]. We always say that the table doesn’t lie but to repair the situation is not easy and I think we are doing [it] step by step.
Speaking about James Wilson, twice he got forward, twice he created goals. Is that a sign you’ve given a team the chance to express themselves and in the moment to do what they feel is best on the pitch?
I could say yes. I could say that’s part of the tactics, but it’s not. For me, it’s more the passion and I’m not there with the control. They have to do [it] and because then there was a situation that he stepped up in the press and that’s something I really want, the centre-backs to be aggressive, especially when we press because for me, it’s key to be high on the pitch, to press higher.
So after, obviously, it was a consequence and to be fair he did it right. So maybe we have to start thinking about playing him right winger.
You’ve spoken about players getting goals, you’ve got three players today who have got on the scoresheet. That should do them the world of good with their confidence, shouldn’t it?
Yeah, it shouldn’t be like that. It shouldn’t just be about the hard work. You cannot wait until you get the confidence with the goals but I know how football is. That helps.
So, as I say, if we can spread out the goals even better because that means that more players are feeling part of that winning, so that’s great.
As I say, everybody, for me, should be proud of what they did today. Everyone that was involved today, so that’s key.
And your goalkeeper deserves a mention as well for the excellent saves he pulled off, particularly in the first half.
Yeah. I think we need a great team performance and every time we need someone to stand up a little bit and I think Josh was outstanding today. I was thinking don’t be that good because someone is going to take him but I think he’s been working so hard so I’m really pleased for him.
And Grant Ward was someone who had been in and out of the team before you got here. He played the full 90 minutes and I thought he was outstanding in midfield today.
I don’t really want to talk about it because I think everybody was great but it’s true that Wardy was, again, really good and I said when I came everybody will have the chance and I think Wardy is taking the opportunity.
It’s not free to have that but obviously that helps so [I’m] pleased for him because I think he’s a good player. But for me everyone playing in the Rovers shirt has to try to do their best.
It is January, two players went out this week. Are you close to bringing anyone in?
Maybe. I mean, we are working on things, I’m not going to lie to you. Different positions. But I will always say the same – they have to be better than the ones we have.
I am not desperate to bring players [in], otherwise I would be lying to you. I’m happy with the ones we have and if we find something better than the ones we have they will be welcome but I don’t want to be made bringing [in] players.
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We spoke earlier in the week about possibly losing a bit of momentum having a two week break from the last league game, so the intensity that your players played with and the way they played today, you must be so delighted that that two week break didn’t hold anything back.
Yeah I was worried about that because I think, as I say, this week,that loss against Ipswich, caused us a lot of damage because I think the way it was was not what we wanted. But at the same time I think it was unfair because it was a Premiership club and the difference is obvious in there.
Still, that affects [the players]. Especially, as I say, when you are down there everything affects you. So that’s why credit to the boys, the way they approached the game because the way they played the game against a really good team, I think it was really good.
That’s why sometimes it’s not about creating chances for me, it’s about how much you want [it] and I think the boys wanted it a lot today.
I appreciate you don’t want to delve too much into individuals but your goal scorers are three players who came in this summer, two of which permanently on big contracts, big expectations. They haven’t been able to get the goals they would have wanted but the fact that they’ve scored today, that must be massive for the rest of the season and their confidence?
Yeah, as I say, it shouldn’t be about the confidence just if you score a goal because that means that you are going to be selfish and I don’t like people [to be] selfish. I don’t like selfish football. So it’s more about performances but, at the same time, if that is going to help to perform better, I will take it.
But as I say, they should be proud of everything they’ve done, regardless of if they score or not. If they are going to be happier, I will be happy as well.
What was the message at half-time because you came into the break with the lead but Barnsley had quite a few chances and the fact that you were able to get the second goal so quickly was great timing?
Obviously, that was not what happened after because we were talking about trying to fix a few things with or without the ball. Normal ones. But it is true that sometimes you think you’d already done something and I think we were a bit relaxed and the start of the second half was not good and we cannot afford that because they can score and all of a sudden everything you’ve done in the first half disappears.
I repeat [it] a lot but when you are down there, it is not easy to maintain the level and sometimes you think it’s already done and it’s not and [you’re] still hanging on [in] the game. But I think it was more controlled after, that was credit to the boys.
This is your first role in senior management. Just that moment where you were able to stand in front of all the stands, particularly the Thatcher’s End, a full Thatcher’s End with happy faces. How much did that mean to you?
I mean, a lot. It’s like I’ve been here so long. I haven’t been here that long but still it was the second game at home and we played so many away and we go again away and away again. So, for me playing at home is always special and you know everybody was over there in the stadium and I wanted to be here.
Leyton [Orient] was not that experience because we couldn’t win it. So today was finally a great win with the fans.
As I say, this is really important because I think the connection between the players and the fans was there and for me, it’s key because to play at home has to be an extra point and I think we had that today.
And I think you also had the full Mem experience today with some boos alongside the cheers?
If I was a fan, I would be the same. But at the same time I think when we give them something, they give us something back as well.
I think the next time it’s going to be a bit easier because, as I say, we are in a transition mode in the way we play and sometimes I can understand that they don’t like when we play backwards. But I will say that the first goal came from a long possession. It’s part of the way we want to change things.
It will take time as well, to the players and to the fans, but obviously when we win it’s a bit better for everyone to be on the same page.