“I think we’ve got a strikeforce as good as anyone’s in the division," Joey Barton claimed in the wake of Bristol Rovers' stirring comeback win at Charlton Athletic on Saturday, and who could argue with the Gas manager?
If Aaron Collins, Josh Coburn or Ryan Loft – when fit – don't get you, John Marquis will and the number nine enjoyed his best day in the blue and white quarters at The Valley, coming off the bench to remarkable effect, transforming the shape of the game with a brilliant brace.
The 30-year-old took his tally for the week to four goals after netting twice against MK Dons in the EFL Trophy in midweek, but his clinical finishes against Charlton will mean something more to the former Millwall and Portsmouth frontman. Not only did he get the goals, but his introduction from the bench was the game's decisive moment.
With energy and endeavour, he thawed his team after being caught cold in the first half, when the managerless Addicks flew out of the blocks and led through Ryan Inniss' accurate header from a 20th-minute Scott Fraser corner. From that moment, Rovers responded by getting the game under control, but it was Marquis who broke the contest open with his trademark hard-grafting style that has endeared him to Gasheads, even if he hasn't scored as many as they would have hoped since his summer move to the Mem.
He has put together a brilliant week, though, playing a key role in three straight wins for the Gas in all competitions. Barton and his team are soaring, climbing to ninth in the table on Saturday and they have no intentions of nesting there. With goalscorers galore in his squad, the manager has every right to be confident.
Collins, Coburn and Loft have all had big moments this season, but this was Marquis' turn to take the acclaim, and what a luxury for his manager to have such deep – and varied – attacking reserves that are the envy of most League One clubs.
John makes his Marq
Substitute appearances don’t come better than this. By the time Marquis was introduced from the bench, the Gas has gained a semblance of control in the contest, but chances were still proving elusive.
On a tricky pitch that required three pitch inspections to get the go-ahead from the referee, attempts to break open Charlton’s defence were falling short. Barton needed a spark and Marquis definitively provided one.
He is an optimistic striker in the sense he chases lost causes and he pressures defenders in possession, and he proved to be the perfect player to prey on an anxious and unconfident defence.
Twice the former Millwall man forced mistakes from Inniss in possession, and both times he ruthlessly made the Addicks pay. Firstly, he snuck onto Inniss’ blindside and robbed him of the ball before unleashing a fine finish into the top corner. For the second, he made the defender rush his clearance and Paul Coutts returned it with interest to release Marquis in on goal again. The second finish was less eye-catching, but it was every bit as clinical.
This was a lesson to young strikers. You cannot merely rely on service. You make your own luck and Marquis profited handsomely on Saturday.
It would have been all the sweeter for the South London native, who has a strong affinity for the Addicks’ rivals Millwall. Coupled with suggestions that former Charlton boss Ben Garner turned down the chance to sign Marquis in the summer, a day’s work has rarely been so satisfying for the striker.
Where it leaves him in the pecking order remains to be seen. Aaron Collins and Josh Coburn are too good not to start every game, meaning Marquis’ chance in the XI is the third man in a front three, but Barton made clear on Saturday his reluctance to start with two in central midfield on the road. As a result, Marquis may have to continue in the impact role he performed to perfection here.
That would undoubtedly cause some frustration, but every account suggests Marquis is a model professional that will do whatever job is asked of him.
And what a luxury it is for Barton to have a player like this with more than 100 career goals as an ace up his sleeve.
Polar opposites
Icy surroundings were a fitting landscape for a day of polar opposites compared to the last visit to Charlton. The last time the Gas were at The Valley, it signalled the end of their time in League One. This time, it feels like the journey in the third tier is just beginning for Barton’s side, who have been beaten just once in the past 12 games.
In March 2021, a very different Rovers team under Barton went two goals ahead against the Addicks through Luke Leahy and Ed Upson, but that lead vanished in an instant and it was a night that ended in disaster. If slipping to a 3-2 defeat when they desperately needed points in the relegation battle wasn’t bad enough, a season-ending injury to star man Sam Nicholson spelt doom for a paper-thin squad's hopes of staying in the third tier.
Nowadays, an injury here or there doesn’t seem to be such a big problem for the Gas, with Barton finding a way of making do without midfield linchpins Sam Finley and Jordan Rossiter on Saturday.
During his miserable early months with the Gas, the manager would have killed for just one of the four frontline strikers he has now; Barton’s current squad, particularly at the front end, is deeply packed with talent and that paid dividends on Saturday when Marquis – often the fourth-choice striker this season – was an unstoppable force.
Almost two years on from that dismal night at The Valley, Rovers are an entirely different beast and 11 points from the past five games have taken them to within just three points of the play-offs. One journey was doomed by a stop in Charlton, but this time it feels like an adventure has just begun.
Breaking ground
Barton is something of a football historian and traditionalist, and he reflected with pride when hailing Rovers' first win at The Valley for 64 years.
At the 21st attempt since that last win in this corner of South London, the Gas have finally ended a hoodoo stretching back to 1958.
Materially, records and achievements like this are just a by-product of the wider aim, but they are meaningful moments for a young and developing group.
The fact the Gas are going to places like The Valley, a Premier League stadium for several seasons, and the home team is sitting off them is a symbol of the progress of the team from a dysfunctional mess at this level two years ago to a coordinated machine nowadays.
Barton deserves huge credit for both the change in the ability of the squad and the transformation in the culture. His team broke new ground on Saturday and they will be confident of rewriting more history between now and the season’s end.
Back in the groove
Barton has made no secret of the fact Luca Hoole has had a tough time of late, openly discussing the defender’s loss of form and confidence as he encounters a sophomore slump.
The Welshman was a crucial player last season but the step up to their third tier has not been seamless. However, it has been a good week for the defender, who scored and impressed on Tuesday against MK Dons in the EFL Trophy.
He found himself back on the bench on Saturday, but with James Connolly feeling under the weather, Barton was minded to make a change at the interval. Hoole was given a chance and he took it, looking like the player who performed with maturity beyond his years last season.
The Wales under-21 international was solid defensively, but he also showed the kind of composure in possession that his manager demands. The challenge now is to maintain this level over the coming weeks, but Luca Hoole is back on track.
Ninth at Christmas
Offer the current league position to any Gashead after 10 games of the season and they would have not believed it was achievable, but the Gas have transformed the narrative of their season in rapid fashion.
Rovers have been impressive for many weeks now, but their points tally did not translate to the quality of their performances. Recent games have seen to that, with the Gas now in possession of a place within touching distance of the play-offs.
Fans travelling to Charlton deserved an early Christmas treat given all the challenges and uncertainty surrounding the fixture, and all 1,339 returning back along the M4 on Saturday night had the chance to reflect on a day – and a few weeks – to remember.
Maintaining the current position until the end of the season would not come with any rewards beyond League One status, but it would amount to a very satisfactory return to the third tier.
However, the Gas are now in a position of possibilities much greater than just a satisfactory finish.
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