Bristol Rovers head coach Inigo Calderon has set his focus on the positive elements of the Pirates’ disappointing defeat from a winning position against Northampton Town.
The Gas took the lead at Sixfields Stadium just a minute into the second half when Scott Sinclair found space in the box and provided a neat finish into the bottom right corner.
The lead lasted just 15 minutes though as the Cobblers found an equaliser through Dara Costelloe who headed past Jed Ward from a set piece situation. Momentum remained with the hosts as they went on the find a winner with 12 minutes of normal time to go, Nesta Guiness-Walker tapping in a cross with his first touch after entering the field of play.
After defeat away at Wycombe Wanderers in midweek, it was Rovers’ second loss in the space of five days and their fourth away from in a row in League One. Saturday afternoon was a good chance to take points off one their relegation-battling rivals with Kevin Nolan’s men just one place below the Gas prior to kick-off, however, Calderon’s men were unable to take that opportunity.
“It’s a difficult one to explain; a difficult one to take,” the Pirates’ boss admitted after the game.
“Especially when they’re with us down in the table. It was a difficult one because I think the game was more or less controlled.
“I don’t think we were struggling at the moment when they scored the equaliser. In fact I think we had a chance just before and that became the free kick…and everything changed.”
Rovers came bursting out of the blocks in the East Midlands and instantly tested Nik Tzanev when Ruel Sotiriou struck a ferocious shot towards the bottom left corner, the Cobblers keeper getting down to push it wide.
Northampton went on to match the visitors’ number of efforts over the course of the first half as the two sides went into the break goalless.
Veteran winger Sinclair sent the Gasheads behind the goal into delirium as soon as they had returned to their seats for the second period, giving them hope that the Pirates’ home form could be turning for the good.
“We talked at half time that the game was more or less what we wanted and obviously scoring that early is always perfect because that affected them a lot,” the 43-year-old Spaniard continued.
“So I think we were under control but maybe we stopped playing and you give the chance to find a way somehow. But I cannot say that too much because I think we had the ball when they had the free kick. I think on another day you could see that [a goal] was coming [but] I think today you could not see that it was coming.
“Sometimes when you slow down the tempo that gives youj a chance to switch off a little bit and I think then of course at the end mistakes can be big or small and obviously they were big mistakes. I think we were defending really well, and it was not an easy game to defend because we knew that they were going to do everything on the ball, you have to live with that, crosses were going straight into the box. But, I don’t think Jed had to make many saves before that so the progression is there, but obviously we cannot switch off for one second because we can lose.”
The defeat at Sixfields leaves Rovers well in the mix of a relegation scrap, with other teams picking up points around them. Burton Albion, Peterborough United and Cambridge United all picked up wins in their fights for League One survival, leaving Calderon’s men just three points above the relegation zone.
Despite the situation the former Brighton Under-18’s head coach finds his team in, he is remaining optimistic going forward.
“Losing is not final because we have plenty of games,” he emphasised.
“The good thing is that we’ve been there already so we know what it takes. Maybe another team is coming here and it’s a surprise for them but for us it’s not a surprise. We know that it’s going to be difficult until the end but we will do it.”
The Gas return home next week after two consecutive away fixtures with 14th-placed Rotherham heading to the Memorial Stadium just three points above them in the table.