After weeks of improved performances that have solidified Bristol Rovers' place in League One upon their return to the third tier, Joey Barton watched his side's standards slip in a 2-0 defeat at Port Vale on Saturday.
Rovers have known for a little while that they will be one of League One's 24 clubs next term – and rarely has it looked possible that they wouldn't be – but it was officially confirmed despite an error-strewn display at Vale Park as Ellis Harrison and Tom Pett pounced on poor first-half defending to claim the points.
Against much better opposition in Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County in the seven days previously, Rovers were much better than this and it has been a puzzling issue all season that they have reserved their poorer outings for the teams in and around the bottom third of the table.
It was not an afternoon without positives for the Rovers boss. Barton was intent on giving 19-year-old academy graduate Jed Ward a start before the end of the season and the goalkeeper took advantage of a rare opportunity with an assured display.
Ward aside, this was an afternoon when few Rovers players reached the standards they have set for themselves in recent weeks. They deserve plenty of credit for staying the course over a marathon of a season to ensure their status is confirmed for next term, but they owe it to themselves to ensure their levels do not dip those low again in the final four games of the campaign.
And Barton is looking ahead; he knows results like this and the errors that led to it are not fitting of the promotion-contender he wants the Gas to become heading into August and that is the message driven home to his players.
Rovers regress
After a run of good displays in succession in recent weeks, Rovers turned in a disappointing performance across the board here. They were unable to match the intensity of their opponents – who had a few relegation fears lingering in their minds after a run of eight games without a win – in the first half and it told on the scoreline with Andy Crosby's side two goals to the good and rarely coming under threat at the other end.
Competitive duels with Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County, which saw the Gas dominate possession, and good wins over Fleetwood Town and Charlton Athletic before that meant there were few signs of this performance coming, but they never found any kind of rhythm in this game.
Again, Rovers had much more of the ball in this game (65 per cent, very similar to the Wednesday and Derby games), but the build-up play was decidedly laboured with the Vale goal rarely coming under much threat until the changes Barton made in the second half finally injected a little bit of impetus.
Defensively, Rovers have had a few showings like this over the course of the campaign. They have improved of late, but the reality is they do not defend the box well enough from set plays and that led to Harrison's excellent improvised finish from a 22nd-minute corner as the Gas failed to make first and second contact. The second goal stemmed from another ball delivered into the box and again Rovers failed to get the all-important first or second touch as Harrison made a nuisance of himself and Pett arrived to bury the dropping ball into the back of the net.
Thereafter, Vale did not pose much threat at all, but they didn't need to. The damage had been done and Rovers were culpable. It doesn't really matter because the Gas have done well enough to consolidate in the league without them, but this felt like more points given away against one of the league's weaker teams as a result of a poor showing rather than turning up and being outplayed.
Barton's post-match debrief with the press, of course, detailed his frustration and disappointment, but the sense is attention is increasingly turning to the big picture of next season and beyond. A promotion challenge, he has said multiple times now, is the goal and he acknowledged that this was not a performance befitting of a team of that calibre.
By and large, the squad assembled for this season has served him well, accomplishing the primary mission with time to spare, but he made absolutely clear that the standards are not plateauing over the summer, they are going up.
"We wanted to stay in the division this year, which we have done, but I don’t want to finish 15th, 16th, 17th next year, and any player who might think we’re happy with staying up next year will be seriously considering his state of mind if he thinks that’s going to be the case when we report back for pre-season," he said.
The remaining four games, therefore, have significant meaning. There may not be anything to play for beyond a few places and personal pride when it comes to the league table, but this manager will always be ruthless when he sees fit and he will demand much more from his players between now and May 7 than what they mustered at Vale Park.
These upcoming games will not be remembered for very long at all, but they could be influential in shaping individuals' futures, for better or for worse.
Up to the standard
While Barton was unhappy with the standards the Gas reached in and out of possession, he could have no complaints about the performance of his teenage goalkeeper with Ward showing he can cut it at the level.
Vale doubtless saw the Bradley Stoke lad as a target for crosses and long balls, but Ward conducted himself with an authority that was not replicated by the defenders in front of him for both goals. Inside the first minute, he showed some of the maturity he has gained from a spell in the National League South with Hungerford Town by punching clear the first cross that was whipped in his direction. He caught the ball on numerous occasions in a fashion that inspired confidence, too.
As far as having to make saves, he was left with no chance with either goal as Harrison and Pett both slammed home from close range, but the academy graduate looked sure behind the one or two straightforward shots fired in his direction.
Just before the break, he did well to avoid any rash decisions after a moment of miscommunication between James Gibbons and James Connolly resulted in a clear run at goal for Gavin Massey. Ward did just enough to hold the forward up and allow his defence to get back in position.
In the second half, he made a smart sprawling stop from Danny Butterworth, although the offside flag had already been raised.
Not only has the 19-year-old grown bigger and stronger since his debut at Blackpool two years ago next month, but he has also worked hard on his kicking and it showed in the moments he had the ball at his feet. He was eager to play out whenever possible and never looked in any danger of making a mistake, and he showed he has learned a thing or two from James Belshaw as he raced off his line to sweep up a ball over the top of his defence, running it away from danger before picking out a teammate.
Ward, who has been with the club since he was eight years old, will hope he does not have to wait as long for his next Gas start in a league game as he did between appearances one and two. Perhaps he features again before the end of the season, with the Shrewsbury Town game on May 2 the obvious candidate as Rovers' other games have promotion implications.
He certainly did his cause no harm whatsoever here.
Mathematically sure
Rovers were already certain of their place in League One ahead of this game thanks to a significant goal-difference advantage over Cambridge United, but Saturday's result made mathematically certain of the club's place in the third tier going into next season.
That they have achieved security with four games to spare – and been comfortable, barely looking over their shoulder for several weeks to boot – deserves plenty of credit after a chastening start to the campaign when a series of injury problems for key players threatened to leave the Gas in a season-long battle in and around the foot of the table.
Eight months on from the campaign getting underway, the Gas they have proven they are better than that – much better, at times – and they have established solid foundations heading into next season when Barton has designs of fighting for promotion.
After such a brilliant run of form heading into Christmas that left Gasheads wondering about their top-six changes, finishing in relative comfort in the bottom half may be underwhelming, but the main mission has been accomplished and it is an important step on the journey.
Barton has learned a lot about his squad through it all. It is a group with plenty of potential, but it was neither deep enough nor experienced enough to make a sustained challenge for a place in the top half across a gruelling 46-game season. He knows what and where he needs to upgrade going into the summer.
Can't repeat these mistakes
The Gas were far too charitable in the first half at Vale Park and they were fortunate not to be punished further beyond the two sloppy goals they allowed in the first half, with moments of hesitancy or poor decision-making not taken advantage of by the Valiants.
Heading to the league leaders, Plymouth Argyle, on Tuesday, the Gas cannot afford to make the same mistakes. With a capacity crowd expected at Home Park as the Pilgrims vie to lift the League One title, it is imperative they are not given any freebies to set them on their way.
There is added spice to this game, of course, after the clashes between the coaching staffs and the league meeting at the Mem in October was a pulsating 2-2 draw with both teams leaving nothing on the field. Thus, there is no excuse for the Gas to be flat like they were at Vale Park.
Barton and his players will be desperate to hold up their end of the bargain as far as Plymouth's title rivals are concerned, and if the Gas can get themselves into the game by not repeating the errors of Saturday, the pressure will quickly transfer to the hosts with Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday breathing down their necks.
Mixed feelings
It was sad to learn this week that Nick Anderton has been forced to call time on his playing career due to his ongoing battle with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, with his treatment including chemotherapy and a knee replacement.
But the moment all in attendance at Vale Park rose and applauded the promotion-winning defender in the 16th minute was touching. It has become commonplace at the Mem for every home game, but it is no less impactful seeing thousands of people show support for a fine man and his young family.
His playing days have finished, but the 27-year-old can be very proud of what he has achieved on the pitch and the class and bravery he has displayed off it. He is a wonderful ambassador for the club and his manager is desperate to get him back involved in whatever capacity possible when Anderton gets the all-clear.
His career as a player has met a premature end, but he certainly made his mark on the pitch as a dependable contributor in one of the golden years in the club's history, and he continues to make his mark off it, both as a brilliant teammate and an inspiration to supporters. When the time is right, he will continue to do so in whatever role he decides..
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