The Mem has hosted some incredible scenes in 2022. Bristol Rovers' 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town on Saturday was not one of them.
The Gas were dragged into a gruelling slog as Steve Cotterill's Shrews sought to prevent any sense of flow or tempo from developing in the contest. Breaks in play were elongated, attempts to lure the coloured cards from the referee's pocket were frequent and Rovers' patience was pushed to the limit.
Shrewsbury got the kind of game they wanted: a gruelling scrap that played to their strengths at set-pieces and on the counter-attack, with Joey Barton's Rovers unable to impose their will on the pattern of play.
Still, the Gas had their moments and amidst the mess, there was one shining moment of class from Aaron Collins that broke the game open. His mesmerising assist for substitute Ryan Loft 22 minutes from time split open a stubborn defence and put Rovers in position to claim their third win of the League One season.
For those on the terraces, the goal stirred a sense of justice. Not because Rovers had played particularly well but because Shrewsbury had made this quite the unenjoyable game with their attempts to bleed the clock and influence the referee. Gamesmanship is part of football but attempts to get Rovers' players sent off were transparent.
But Shrewsbury's approach left its mark on the performances of Rovers' players and led to good chances for the Shropshire side in either half, taking one 10 minutes before the end as Ryan Bowman scored from close range after a series of set plays that the hosts failed to fully clear.
At full time, Rovers had just cause for frustration, but they underperformed with and without the ball at times on Saturday and there is work to be done not only on the training pitch but in the final days of the transfer market before it shuts on Thursday.
A gruelling watch highlights Collins' importance
Seven minutes of stoppage time in the first half and six in the second summed this game up. Not every game can ebb and flow but this was disjointed in the extreme.
As is their right, Shrewsbury were set up to spoil, deny Rovers any sort of rhythm and profit as the game descended into a mess. Fair play to them, it did bring some success, leading to good chances and a strong spell in the first half, and the focus on set plays led to the equaliser. Barton's Gas, meanwhile, could only get sucked into a scrap with a Shrewsbury defence that was stubborn and well-organised thanks to the many, many breaks in play.
It was up to the officials to get the time-wasting tactics under control and it was up to Rovers to find a way of navigating their way through, over or around the quicksand that this contest resembled. They did create some chances, with Harry Anderson heading the best of them against the post, before Collins produced a moment of sheer class in a game that was so uneasy on the eye.
The top scorer turned provider on Saturday with a wonderful turn that took one defender out of play before he sped clear of another, and by feinting to shoot he opened up space for Loft to receive the ball and stroke it home first-time.
The substitute striker held up his end of the bargain and Rovers had the lead, seemingly on course to claim the kind of ugly win that can breed momentum, but Shrewsbury's strategy yielded some reward with Bowman prodding beyond James Belshaw 10 minutes from time.
These were extreme circumstances due to Shrewsbury's approach and how it influenced the flow, or lack thereof, of the contest, with the ball out of play for a huge proportion of the 103 minutes overseen by referee Sam Purkiss, but the game did encapsulate where Rovers are at the moment.
They have lost the fluidity in the attack that powered their surge to promotion last season with Barton's business in the transfer market unfinished and the reliance on Collins is growing. He is taking on the mantle from Elliot Anderson as Rovers' X-factor.
The 25-year-old can drift in and out of games at the moment with Rovers not functioning as Barton desires, but when things are not clicking he is their best chance of producing a game-changing moment. This time, it was an assist rather than a goal.
When he gets the ball in the half spaces, he is so hard to contain thanks to his combination of speed, agility and close control. He showed all three qualities to produce a glimpse of class not in line with the rest of the contest. On another day, it would have been the winner.
And with Barton still searching for signings and functionality from his team in possession, there are many worse ideas than to just give the ball to Aaron Collins at this moment in time.
Set-piece struggles
For the second week in succession, Rovers lost their clean sheet to a goal from a set-piece. This one was very different to the Connor Ogilvie header they shipped at Portsmouth seven days previously, which came from the first phase.
On Saturday, Bowman's equaliser came from the Gas losing both the first and the second contact, capping off a succession of poorly-defended corners in the final 15 minutes that ultimately led to the equaliser.
Rovers were made to pay for not clearing their lines as Shrewsbury searched for an equaliser. Two corners were whipped in and the defence was able to get the first touch, but when it came to applying an authoritative clearance to get upfield, Rovers were lacking. Shrewsbury recycled possession and won a third corner, which produced the equaliser.
Matthew Pennington pealed into space deep in the box and when the ball was headed his way by Taylor Moore he was able to steer it back into the mix, where Bowman was waiting to stab home from inside the six-yard box. Rovers cannot say they were not warned because it was a focal point of the visitors' gameplan from corners, free-kicks and long throws.
The weak clearances from the preceding corners did not directly lead to a goal, but they contributed to a build-up of pressure that eventually breached the defence.
It would be incorrect to make too many direct comparisons between Bowman's leveller and the set-piece goal conceded at Fratton Park, which was the product of a pinpoint cross and a bullet header, but goals allowed from dead balls frustrated coaches more than any other because of the focus and planning on the training ground, and the Gas clearly need to sharpen up, not so much with the basics of marking and tracking runs, nor their homework on opponents' threats, but in terms of defending with authority and clearing their lines effectively to avoid an accumulation of pressure.
A huge blow before kick-off
No doubt Rovers' difficulties dealing with the physical threat of Shrewsbury were only exacerbated by the news that emerged before kick-off that James Connolly faces several weeks, and perhaps months, on the sidelines with a stress fracture in his back.
There is no way of sugar-coating this; it is a significant blow to the manager and the team, who lose the leader of the defence for several weeks and perhaps months, depending on the verdict of the specialists this week.
Connolly is a crucial piece of the puzzle for Barton and his designs of dominating possession and defending with a high line. Connolly has shown since he joined Rovers in January as a novice on loan that he is comfortable both with the ball at his feet and his heels on the whitewash of the halfway line. At just 20 years old, he has made himself the cornerstone of a young back four.
It is no secret that the manager wants to have the option of a back three in his arsenal, and Rovers had the makings of a good one with Connolly stationed between maturing Luca Hoole and the composed left-footer Lewis Gibson. That plan may have to hold for the time being.
Kilgour's chance
The frustration for Barton about Connolly's injury is not insignificant, but with each significant injury he has told his players it is another man's opportunity. That man, on this occasion, is Alfie Kilgour, who is in line for a run in the team after a challenging stretch for the homegrown defender.
Still just 24 years old, the centre-back took little time to establish himself as a first-team regular after being given a chance by Graham Coughlan in 2019, and he was performing at a high level in his first full campaign until it was curtailed by the pandemic. The following season, no players were untouched by the woeful run that led Rovers to the bottom of the table and into League Two.
Injuries have been Kilgour's problem since, giving him few chances to enjoy a run of games and build his form, and when he was available, it was always going to be a tough challenge to displace the in-form duo of Connolly and Connor Taylor, who is now impressing in the Championship for Stoke City.
But now, with Connolly injured and a new defence bedding in, Kilgour is set to get a run in the team, starting alongside Gibson in a back four on Saturday. His opening contributions were erratic and he was guilty of overplaying when he was under pressure from Jordan Shipley, almost scoring an own goal with a loose back-pass for Belshaw that the keeper scrambled to get clear.
Kilgour improved, though, and he came up with several important headers in the second half as Shrewsbury launched the ball into the box at every opportunity. He will need to do more to secure a starting place in the long run and he is set to get the opportunity to do so.
Crucial week awaits
No, we're not talking about the Papa John's Trophy group stage tie against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Tuesday night. The result of that game is not going to have much meaningful impact on Rovers' season with their priorities fixed on the league.
But two days later is the transfer deadline, and the dealings the Gas do between now and then will be pivotal in shaping Rovers' campaign until trading resumes in January.
"We've got no wingers," Barton said in his post-match press conference on Saturday, which is a slight exaggeration, but Harry Anderson is the only man remaining of the quartet from last season that also included Elliot Anderson, Sam Nicholson and Luke Thomas. The strength in depth in that area was crucial in Rovers' success in League Two, providing sources of creativity in wide areas and also helping Rovers stretch the pitch, giving the likes of Collins and Antony Evans the space they crave.
That shortage needs to be addressed in the week ahead with at least two additions, which are likely to be loans with Barton using up just one of his five loan spots so far with the signing of defender Lewis Gibson.
Centre-back is also an area for attention. The Gas were already thin on numbers in the heart of the defence before Connolly was ruled out, with James Gibbons also dealing with a long-term injury and Josh Grant short of full fitness. More options for full-back/wing-back would also be welcome.
For weeks and months, Barton has been talking about the "dying embers" of the window when Rovers will be at their busiest and that moment has arrived. Smart signings in the coming days could make a huge difference to a team that has lacked fluidity in most of the six games so far, but if Rovers miss out on their targets then the early-season grind of hard-working but disjointed performances is set to continue into the autumn and the winter.
SIGN UP: To receive our free Rovers newsletter, bringing you the latest from the Mem
READ NEXT:
