Aaron Collins believes Bristol Rovers’ "rampage" up the League Two table has made Gasheads start to believe that the club can achieve great things this season.
Rovers have taken 13 points from the last 15 available, a string of results that sees them 12th in the table, six points off the play-offs with a game in hand over seventh-placed Swindon Town.
After their first away win in three months against Scunthorpe on Tuesday, the Gas - who were down to 10 men for nearly an hour after Luca Hoole’s first-half dismissal – secured their second victory inside a week on Saturday by beating Walsall 1-0 following another late goal from Collins, the fifth time he’s netted in his last seven league games.
A fortnight ago, Collins struck three minutes from time against Hartlepool on the way to the Gas winning their first game of 2022, and he repeated the same trick at the weekend this time dead on the 90th minute.
A defensive error from Walsall and the tenacity of Harvey Saunders saw the ball bounce in his favour in the penalty box allowing him to head in the winner.
Speaking after his match-winning goal, Collins hopes that after four wins from their last five, belief is starting to grow at the club, both on and off the pitch, that Rovers can reach the play-offs.
“I hope the fans start believing because the players are starting to believe that we can be up there at the end of the season,” Collins said. “We’ve had a good run since the start of December and just a bit before that.
“The last 10 games we’re up there in the top five for form and we’re starting to believe. The gaffer as well, he’s said the whole season we’ve got to start believing.
“I think now with a full-strength squad, we’re believing, although we still have some people coming in and others going out and me playing as a nine, but that’s what we’ve got to do.
“We have to work hard as a team and the results will come and at the end of the season it’s all about where we are.”
The Mem has been a hostile ground at times this season, the defeats to Swindon and Leyton Orient in particular resulted in a significant amount of discontent emanating from the stands, but Rovers have won their last three at home in the league.
When plays break down or chances are missed, they are no longer met with groans and complaints, instead they’ve been replaced by Gasheads urging their side to keep pushing and it’s certainly being noticed by the players.
“When I’m walking back to the halfway line all I can hear is ‘Goodnight Irene’ and it sent shivers down my spine,” Collins added. “The fans were quality for the whole 90 minutes; we’ve got such a good crowd here and they’re starting believe.
“The form over the last 10 games, we’re proving that we are on a rampage and long may that continue. We’re getting ourselves in contention to push for play-offs and once we hit that, we’re hoping to hit the next level.
“Six points off play-offs now, we’re taking it game by game, but we’ve got a game in hand on teams above us and two games on some. All we can do is believe and with the fans believing and behind us, hopefully this club can go places this season.”
Despite being a man light for the entirety of the second half, Rovers barely gave Walsall a sniff at goal with James Belshaw’s only notable save coming deep into stoppage time, preventing George Miller from snatching a late equaliser.
Rovers themselves also didn’t enjoy much goalmouth action but still carried a threat for large parts of the contest and if a goal was to come it did feel as though it would go the way of the hosts.
Similarly, to the Hartlepool victory on January 15, the Gas were able to keep a clean sheet and Collins confidently felt that if they could stop Walsall from scoring, there was always a good chance Rovers could steal the points with a late goal.
“I think I always felt a goal coming,” he said. “We proved that in the way we played for 90 minutes. We were solid and we didn’t concede and if we don’t concede there’s a good chance that we can go and nick a goal at the end.
“Throughout the second half, I just felt like we were going to get a chance. It was no different against Hartlepool, we kept the clean sheet for the 90 minutes and then late on we got a goal.
“There’s always going to be that one chance and as long as we take it, we’ll come out with the three points.
“A 1-0 win with 10 men, you can’t beat it. Obviously, Harvey Saunders played a massive role in that, if he’s not there challenging for that and doesn’t win the header, I don’t get that tap-in.
“Credit to him, he’s been out for a long time. It’s nice to have him back and I’m buzzing to get the goal for the fans, for the team and it’s a great three points.”
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