Bristol Rovers won for the first time in eight games on Tuesday, but it says a lot about the perception of the EFL Trophy that the real positives for Joey Barton were not centred on the result. Instead, Rovers' injury problems are relenting and the defensive shortage that has marred the opening two months of the season is nearing an end.
The Gas were in control without ever leaving second gear against a callow Crystal Palace under-21s side at the Mem, tasting that winning feeling for the first time in 52 days after goals from Alfie Kilgour and Trevor Clarke. For some individuals, this was an important evening and a chance taken to advance their cases for first-team action, but for the manager the game caused annoyance more than anything else – irked by some of the bruising fouls his players took as well as a red card for Glenn Whelan that he described as "nonsense".
Ultimately, though, the events of Tuesday will be rapidly forgotten. The winning feeling will surely have been underwhelming, but that certainly will not be the case if the Gas get three points against Cambridge United in the league on Saturday. For Rovers, that is the be all and end all.
At last
Rovers have been desperate for their injury issues to relent and on Tuesday they took a step closer to returning to full strength. An eight-game winless run dating back to the win against Oxford United on August 13 has been ended but by far the bigger source of satisfaction for the manager is the replenishing of his resources. James Gibbons appeared for the first time in almost two months with a foot stress fracture healed, while Lewis Gibson was back in action after five weeks on the sidelines with a calf issue.
Both full-back Gibbons and centre-half Gibson appeared in the second half and came through unscathed, giving Barton's defensive resources a level of depth that has been sorely missed of late. Until Saturday's promising performance at Exeter, it felt as if Rovers were stuck in neutral, unable to make forward strides without a workable solution in defence.
With Gibbons and Gibson back available, more options to field both a back three and a back four are open to the manager. For example, Lewis Gordon can return his focus to left wing-back, and in Gibbons they have a player who can take up several roles across the defence.
And with Josh Coburn getting his first 45 minutes in the blue and white quarters after his delayed move from Middlesbrough, the striker department has been bolstered again. Barton now has five first-team options to call on to lead the line, with plenty of variety at his disposal.
In this cameo, Coburn gave a good first impression. Not only does he bring physicality beyond his years at 19, but the 6ft 3in target man appears to have plenty of guile as well. He will hope for busier games in the final third, but he was not content with just winning aimlessly flick-ons; he wanted to use his aerial ability to link the play and that can only be an asset.
The mitigating factors behind Rovers' poor form have been obvious, but the flesh is healing around the bare bones. That process is not complete but is time for the Gas to start moving forwards.
Confidence boosted but familiar misfortune
Few players at Rovers have had as much misfortune with injury as Kilgour, and that continued on Tuesday with a promising performance cut short after 45 minutes. Albeit against limited opposition, Kilgour had defended in the aggressive fashion Barton likes and he showed the threat he can pose from set-pieces with a powerful header to give the Gas the lead in first-half stoppage time.
After making such a strong first impression in the first team in 2019, a series of injuries have knocked the 24-year-old centre-back out of his stride. He was limited to just 14 appearances in all competitions last year due to a knee injury that rumbled on for several months.
With that injury – hopefully – behind him, Kilgour has entered a contract year. His deal at Rovers ends in June and he is fighting for his future at his boyhood club.
A lack of continuity, in terms of both his availability and the players alongside him, has affected his form and without a consistent run of 40-plus-game seasons in the bank, any player's confidence will be affected. After losing his place in the starting XI in the past League One game, his performance against Palace had the makings of a timely confidence boost.
But earlier in the first half, he went to ground claiming a penalty after it appeared he was caught by a high boot from a defender. The referee turned down Rovers' appeal and Kilgour continued untroubled until the interval but feeling dizzy at the pause, he had to be withdrawn and he enters concussion protocol.
Hopefully, any issues are minor and quickly put to bed, but there must be a feeling of familiar frustration for Kilgour, who would have been eager to make use of every minute he could have had on the pitch and his training schedule is likely to be affected until he is cleared by the medical staff.
Clarke's comeback
It appeared Clarke was way past the point of no return at Rovers, such was the way he was exiled after the opening game of the season. With Rovers willing to help partly fund a transfer, his exit appeared inevitable.
However, circumstances have afforded him a route back into contention and he is taking it with both hands. There have been some decent performances and Barton has been quick to praise his attitude, but Tuesday's showing was perhaps his best in a Rovers shirt.
The challenge will be to transfer it to a bigger stage, of course, but the manager must have been encouraged by the chemistry the Irishman enjoyed with Sylvester Jasper on the left flank coupled with a heightened level of confidence and quality Clarke showed on the ball.
The 24-year-old was already advancing his case for first-team opportunities with a solid performance, and he capped it in ideal fashion with an excellent goal – his first for the club. Clarke never lacks enterprise and a willingness to affect the game in the final third, but this was a showcase of his ability, cutting in from the left side and unleashing a bullet into the corner with his weaker right foot.
With Barton intent on playing a back three this season, it will be vital that Rovers get attacking contributions from their wing-backs. Clarke's response in recent weeks has not only demonstrated his character, but his quality was on show on Tuesday, too.
The real stuff
For all the encouragement of a professional, well-managed 2-0 victory, the reality is this game cannot serve as an accurate barometer for league action. Playing against an under-21s side, who to be fair are level at the top of Premier League 2 with Manchester City, just cannot compare to the real thing.
Palace may have had some talent in their ranks, but some of their better prospects who may have played in this game, such as former Derby County forward Luke Plange and centre-back Jake O'Brien, a target for Rovers in the summer, are out on loan.
So the minutes in the bank will serve Rovers' players well, but this was a game without much consequence or jeopardy. The fact Barton's post-match press conference was dominated by his "disdain" for the competition rather than any positives on the pitch says it all.
Saturday is all that matters to Rovers and although this runout may boost the confidence of individuals, the team at large gained and learned very little. It was not used as an opportunity to work on tactics; it was treated as an inconvenience.
"The sooner we're out of it, the better," Barton said at full time, but with four points from their two games so far and qualification for the knockouts likely, the Gas are set to be inconvenienced for a little bit longer.
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