Bristol Rovers secured a hard-earned point at home to Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon in a 1-1 draw in a game that consisted of limited quality moments.
After a closely fought opening half hour, the game got the spark of life it needed when Shaq Forde scored a brilliant opener for the hosts, snatching the ball high up the pitch and driving towards goal before curling a precise finish into the bottom corner.
The Gas sought a second goal for more breathing room but it was Lincoln who netted next as substitute Jack Moylan fired past Josh Griffiths in the area, a chance that came out of very little.
Neither side could find the decisive moment to clinch all three points with both teams having to settle for a point. Here is every word Matt Taylor said to local media in the aftermath of the draw…
Matt, what did you make of that?
Pleased with the constant intent and the way the team approached the game. I have to give credit to Lincoln, I thought two teams were so, so honest in their structure, in their system, in their responsibility, that it almost cancelled out any quality moments in the game.
I think it’s fair to say, bar Shaq’s goal and their lad’s goal, both very similar in terms of shift and shoot in a one v one moment, there’s few of those moments throughout the course of the game and neither goalkeeper really has had a save to make. Josh [Griffiths] just before half time but it’s a foul on Chrissy [Martin] before it even gets to the foul on Willo [James Wilson].
So, it was that type of game where it was so tight and such fine margins but if we have that approach and intent throughout our time together, we’ll be absolutely fine because I do believe the quality and the control aspects will come on top of that.
Just how good was Shaq’s goal?
Very good goal. Like I say, in a game where, as much as neither team created and had a quality moment, I think neither team allowed quality moments from attacking players, if that makes sense? Shaq certainly showed that.
The best thing about it from my point of view, as the way I am, back tackle, won the ball back, working hard for the team and he got his reward with a really classy finish. Such a great moment and as with us at the moment, you’re looking for that second one to give us that breathing space.
Their goal came out of absolutely nothing. It was a ricochet in the middle of the park and it’s landed to the lad one pass and we didn’t quite get tight enough in around our 18 yard box and that lad will constantly do that. He’s done that recently. He’s done that in the past. He’s a classy player in terms of those one v one situations.
So, yeah, that was a frustrating moment and then we didn’t lose our way in any way, but we lost our real control of the game. We seemed to be a little bit backwards as opposed to forwards, but we still had enough forward actions to make their ‘keeper work, but I have to give credit to both sets of team. You can say both sets of defences, but in terms of both sets of team, they were so diligent and that’s credit to Lincoln and ourselves.
Did Chris Martin show you what he brings to this team today?
Yes, and some. That’s the best he’s been. We’re still pushing how long he plays and still pushing that he gets better service but I thought that foil of himself and Macca [Luke McCormick] I really liked today. Macca’s energy and brightness and endeavour in and around him.
They’re up against serious players today. Lincoln are in a position in the league for a reason. But yeah, we really took the game to them today and I think the fans as well as the whole feel of the place appreciated it and we kind of appreciated each other.
Did today show you just how tight a league it is?
Yes, but I don’t want to obsess or think too far ahead or away from the actual pitch. We know we need to improve our performances. We need to improve our points tally but we have been moving in the right direction and every time we go out there in the capacity we are, we seem to be getting closer to what I want us to be.
It’s exactly that in terms of our intent and how aggressive we were with our game today, but we have to add elements of control and quality in terms of our ball use. I think that’s fair assessment of where we were today, but I loved the majority of the way we went about our work.
What was going through your mind in the last 15, 20 minutes when it was 1-1 and both teams were going for it? A couple months ago, that game might have been lost.
Yes, and we’ve not mentioned it there, but they had a lot of set pieces. We defended our backs fantastically. That’s the best we’ve defended. I know we conceded a goal but that back line and the whole team deserved more defensive praise than what they get out of that game.
We have to make more of our set piece opportunities. I can’t just talk about how well we defended Lincoln. It’s got to be…we keep saying it, 30 percent of goals, 30 percent of goals. We have to be a better set piece team offensively and we’ve got Bilongo up front again who’s a player playing out of position but he still created some havoc.
Like I say, there were very little moments where the space opened up in that game. I think probably Chrissy’s miscontrol in that second half was the only one where I really felt we created the space. The rest of it was always going to be a mistake or a moment of quality.
So, like I say, what my mind was at was thinking, how do we win the game? Getting Ruel on the pitch, possibly affecting it, getting the midfield to play a little bit higher. Yeah, like I said, I like both teams today.
On attacking set pieces, Isaac again had some classy moments today but could some of those deliveries been better?
Yeah, or people [have] got to meet the ball. We met the ball so well in our box because we had to. We have to have the same mindset. It was over our dead bodies in terms of defensive set piece moments today. We have to be exactly the same in the opposition box. It means everything. It’s so much more than what we’ve probably produced thus far.
First game of the season with Bryant, I know Kofi scored against Tottenham. We’ve got good enough delivery. We’ve got big enough players. We’ve got players who I think are capable of meeting the ball. It’s a mindset aspect and that’s why Connor [Taylor]’s goal last week was a big goal, not just for his confidence of his performance, but that we can score in those moments.
More work in relation to that, because in a game of such fine margins and such a tight game, it will always come down to that.
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.
And with it being such a tight game against a good team, do you feel as though this one stands out as one that shows this team is making progress?
Well, Reading was still a better performance, but we lost the game and that’s our last two league outings.
Before that, I think we’d won three out of the last four or five games so we have been going in the right direction. The big thing for the whole feel of this club will be when the league table looks more satisfying for the fans because I understand where we are and we are still a work in progress and still in a transitional moment and we can be better in so many areas, but we’re working towards that and the one thing which was apparent today was just the intent of the team was excellent, absolutely excellent. I do believe that our quality will come on top of that.
But we kind of fed off each other today. I think everyone could sense that.
Luke Thomas and Jack Hunt were absent…
Injured. So those two picked up an injury this week. Promise didn’t make it and Gats [Gatlin O’Donkor] and Joel Senior obviously a little bit longer.
We’re without five players and I think two of those are forwards. So yeah, I’m looking forward to…we might never have them all fully fit, but looking forward to having more options in relation to them.
Call-up wise, it seems Ruel Sotiriou has been called up to the Cyprus squad?
Yes. Ruel will be unavailable next week, which doesn’t help our forward department, but great. International recognition is fantastic for him and it might do him a world of good. Getting away from our environment, away from Bristol Rovers, not in a bad way at all, but sometimes you just go away and it’s a bit of a release for him.
I know he’s felt the pressure and expectation and confidence aspect in terms of his game. So, yeah, I’m hoping when he comes back to us for Mansfield, he’s in a good place mentally.