Bristol Rovers coach Andy Mangan felt the Gas could have been more ruthless and efficient in the final third as they claimed a 2-0 win over Eastleigh, but that is a product of it being so early in pre-season as individuals try and build relationships and adapt to a slightly different way of playing.
Rovers dominated possession over the 90 minutes at the Silverlake Stadium with goals from Scott Sinclair and John Marquis securing the win over the National League side but, particularly in the first half, the Gas didn’t make the most of the opportunities they created.
Mangan led the team in the absence of manager Joey Barton, who had a prearranged personal engagement, and started with an aggressive front four of Scott Sinclair, Aaron Collins and Jevani Brown - in the side 24 hours after he was fined at Exeter Magistrates Court for assaulting a woman - operating behind targetman Ryan Loft.
The former trio regularly got behind the Eastleigh defence, stretching them in transition but outside of Sinclair’s well-taken winner which was the result of Collins and Brown combining, for all their interplay beyond the penalty area, they couldn’t quite replicate it inside the 18-yard box.
Brown and Collins know each other from Forest Green Rovers days and there are early signs of chemistry between the pair, but Loft, Sinclair and the new arrival are understandably still working on their awareness of what each player is capable of.
In the second half, Mangan switched it with Luke McCormick, John Marquis, Harvey Greenslade and Luke Thomas as the front four, with similar teething problems, all of which is to be expected at this stage of the summer.
“Because it’s so early in pre-season we’ve signed a couple of lads and they need to figure out how the other one plays, what they’re like,” Mangan said. “For example, in the first half, Ryan Loft wanted Jevani to shoot. Jevani because he’s such an unselfish player has passed it to him and Ryan Loft and was just a bit short on the timing.
“We should have had a little bit more in terms of attacking threat but, again, it’s just so early. The lads are figuring out what everyone likes and how they like to play.
“We like keeping the ball but we feel we can do it in a better and more efficient way. The fans are going to see that. We dominated possession. If anything, we need to be creating more chances. Some of the final balls today just weren’t quite there but, again, that’s a timing issue, very early in pre-season, and we’ve still got a long way to go.
“A really good workout, it’s early on in pre-season and I think you’ll see a few things that we’re trying to work on; loads of positives but loads of areas we can improve on. But a victory away at Eastleigh who are a good National League side and the lads should be very proud of themselves.”
Veteran defender George Friend was part of the second-half team, lining up at left-sided centre-back. First to partner Luca Hoole and then substitute Will Larvin as the former moved to right-back for the final portion of the game.
The 35-year-old was tested on a few occasions and made a couple of telling contributions while his status as the senior member in that area of the field was emphasised in the final 10 minutes when the Gas lined up with Hoole, 21, Larvin, 17, and Charlie White, 17 - all academy products.
“George Friend has come in and been magnificent, a real leader in the group,” Mangan added. “He's so fit, he's won all the races in pre-season. We're delighted to have George and I think he'll be a really good servant for the club.”
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