Emphatic, entertaining and exciting in equal measure, Bristol Rovers' 4-0 thumping of Stevenage on Saturday sent a message to League Two's play-off hopefuls.
To a man, the Gas were outstanding at The Lamex Stadium, delivering the kind of complete display that means they ought to be taken very seriously in the battle for promotion.
Sam Finley, Elliot Anderson, Harry Anderson and Aaron Collins got on the scoresheet as former Rovers boss Paul Tisdale saw his Stevenage side swept aside by the youthful exuberance and class of Joey Barton's Pirates.
His group is peaking at the ideal time as the season enters its final third. Not only are results continuing to improve to keep the mathematical challenge of reaching the top seven in hand, but the performance level reached a new height at Hertfordshire.
Move over Eunice, Storm Irene is brewing and the Gas are closing in.
Rovers on the charge
That dismal night at Oldham is not even a fortnight in the past, but seven points from a possible nine since have made it feel like a very distant memory. Fine performances against Sutton United and Stevenage have got the Gas on the charge towards the top seven.
And in this form, who will fancy taking Rovers on? Stevenage are in poor form and were poor on the day, but the way they were dominated and dismantled is a statement of intent from the Gas.
Rovers have suffered just one defeat in 10, winning six games in that period to drag themselves into contention for the play-offs, and few teams can claim to have the same force of momentum pushing them on at this moment in time.
Tough fixtures await but the confidence is flowing in Barton's ranks and a strong connection with the fans on the terraces has been created. They will back themselves to beat all comers.
Turning on the style
Winning is becoming increasingly habitual for the Gas, with five wins in nine League Two games since the new year. That run began with points being ground out with gutsy, battling performances.
Those results came at a vital time for the Gas, but winning without firing on all cylinders is not sustainable. Barton's side needed to show more for supporters to believe corners really had been turned and the past two performances have been an emphatic statement.
They have taken a vital step forward in their progression.
The style has well and truly been turned on, with the arrogance that emerged against Sutton on show once again at Stevenage. Elliot Anderson was leading the way in that regard, with a head-spinning waltz through the defence before tugging his shot narrowly wide an indicator of the mood he was in.
Finley opened the scoring in stellar style, with his shot bent into the top corner from 18 yards, and his teammates continued in a similar vein after the pause. Sam Nicholson's tricky flick opened a crease in the defence and Elliot Anderson charged through before crashing into the bottom corner for a high-class first goal in the senior game.
The 19-year-old had the travelling crowd purring and the home fans groaning with his rapid turns and wrapped passes to up the tempo of the attack. With each passing minute on the park, that piece of deadline day business looks increasingly inspired.
With 16 games to play, Rovers lie five points back from the top seven with a game in hand, and if they continue to play with this verve and vigour the deficit will be wiped away in no time.
Something to be proud of
Barton's messaging to Gasheads has been clear from day one, making clear and repeating his vision for the club in the good times and the bad. One of the promises heard time and again from the manager has been creating team supporters that can "follow the length and breadth of the country with pride".
Pride is being restored for Rovers after many miserable matchdays in the past two years, but there have been few away days like this in recent memory. The last-gasp win at Walsall was a crucial moment, the victory at Harrogate was deserved yet hard-fought, and the late drama at Scunthorpe meant the overriding feeling was of relief.
But on Saturday, the party atmosphere was in full swing as the Gas ran riot in the second half. A brutal journey in the driving wind and rain of Storm Eunice was made worthwhile thanks to an afternoon to remember for the 703 in The Austin Stand at The Lamex Stadium.
The Gas laid siege on the Stevenage goal after half time and the travelling fans were savouring every moment. "We're Bristol Rovers, we're taking the p***," was the cry during one passage of play where Rovers hogged the ball like the older kids on the school playground.
The manager believes many more good days are on the horizon for Rovers.
"There are going to be many moments for the Gasheads in my tenure," Barton vowed on Saturday. "My intention was to give them a team to be proud of and I think we’re approaching that.
"We’re nowhere near the finished article, I think there are loads of gears left to come.
"Travelling in the numbers they travel with gives us the opportunity to create those types of teams, so long may that continue.
"The lads are feeding off it and there is real unity and belief everywhere we go now. There’s a belief everywhere we go."
Lofty impression
This was close to a perfect day for the Gas, Ryan Loft not getting a maiden goal in Rovers colours one of few boxes unticked.
But make no mistake, Loft was an impactful addition from the bench, showing his bruising strength to cause a demoralised defence yet more woe in the closing stages of the afternoon.
The target man was very unlucky when his optimistic effort from the touchline bamboozled Christy Pym and was kept out by a desperate raising of the palms onto the crossbar, with Collins profiting for 4-0 from the follow-up.
The 24-year-old was a nailed-on starter when he arrived from Scunthorpe United in early January, with Barton desperate for a focal point to his attack, but a stop-start beginning to the striker's Rovers career forced the manager back down the makeshift route and it has paired off handsomely with Collins showing he is more than capable as a fully-fledged number nine.
As a result, Loft may have to spend a bit more time on the bench, but his cameo on Saturday was hugely encouraging. He showed the attributes of a game-changing battering ram to bulldoze a tired defence that will no doubt come in handy when the manager is looking to shake things up, either from the start or mid-game.
A conundrum for Barton
With an unchanged team selected for three games on the trot, the Gas have got a good thing going. Three clean sheets have been kept in succession, with six goals scored.
But Barton does have a decision to make when it comes to Antony Evans, Rovers' creative leader who has carried them through several crucial moments this season. The Scouser is due back in contention on Tuesday after missing Rovers' unbeaten streak in the past week with a hamstring injury.
Just a few days ago, it would have seemed insane to contemplate not selecting Evans – with seven goals and eight assists to his name – when available, but the synergy between the Andersons, Collins and Sam Nicholson has been apparent. None of them deserves to lose their spot in the side.
Of course, this is one of those good problems for the manager. Too many options is exactly what he would want with 16 games to play in a short space of time; there are more than enough minutes to go around. Also, more time for Evans' hamstring to settle down is a luxury.
But some thought will have to go into timing the reintegration of Evans, both from the perspective of managing his injury and preserving the fine form of Barton's side.
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