The opening day of the League One season did not go to plan for Bristol Rovers. A mix of suspension, injuries and a slow-moving transfer market meant Joey Barton was short of resources against Forest Green Rovers.
A disjointed performance was the result, but the Gas still battled hard and will have felt hard done by that they lost out to a sublime winner from Regan Hendry in the penultimate minute of normal time.
It was an afternoon when the manager learned little. The starting XI that took to the pitch at the Mem on Saturday, he hopes, will be much changed by the time the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Still, there were plenty of interesting events to keep an eye on at the Mem, and here are some of the moments you may have missed...
Danny's first day
A few weeks back, we were writing about changes to the warm-up structure with Barton taking a more prominent role, but the expansion of his coaching staff with the addition of Glenn Whelan and Danny Ventre was designed to allow the manager to take a broader view of proceedings.
With Whelan required in the squad for Saturday's game, it remains to be seen what sort of role he takes up in the hour before kick-off, but Ventre's brief was with the defence on his first matchday since leaving his role as Blackpool's development squad manager.
Typically in the past, Kevin Bond would take charge, taking the back four aside and lobbing balls for them to head before knocking it over their head to chase and clear.
But a new pair of hands brought a slightly different approach. Instead of a three or four-man group working on their defensive basics, Ventre – who turned out for Accrington Stanley and Sligo Rovers in his playing days – took just two players aside: centre-backs James Connolly and Luca Hoole.
The drill was the same, but lighter on numbers, and perhaps an indication of how Barton wants his full-backs to play this season as James Gibbons and Trevor Clarke joined in with the more attacking players as kick-off approached.
Occasionally in the past, particularly when Harry Anderson or Josh Grant have played in defence, one of the full-backs has warmed up with the attack, but on Saturday there was a more forward-thinking approach.
Coutts and Finley stay involved
Saturday must have made for a painful afternoon for Paul Coutts and Sam Finley. It certainly was for Barton, who was without his two midfield generals for the opening game of a season that has started without the desired amount of transfer business being completed.
Captain Coutts and vice-captain Finley would have been desperate to be on their pitch as their teammates came up short against Forest Green. Their absence in the engine room was apparent, with Forest Green allowed too many free runs at a new-look back four, and their return from suspension and injury respectively cannot come soon enough for Barton.
Both men stayed involved on Saturday, despite their unavailability. With Andy Mangan taking charge of a possession drill, Coutts and Finley were watching closely.
Coutts, in particular, was vocal, barking messages to his teammates. We all agree the 34-year-old is a manager in the making, right?
Anssi's double time
Anssi Jaakkola has more on his plate this season with the Finn taking on goalkeeping coach duties on an interim basis, in addition to backing up number one James Belshaw.
Both sides of Jaakkola were on show on Saturday, starting the afternoon as a coach before getting his playing head on as kick-off approached.
Rovers have three keepers in situ at the moment, with highly-rated prospect Jed Ward likely to be loaned out soon so he can taste regular first-team action, and Jaakkola made sure the teenager got his work in on Saturday.
Before the team news emerged, Ward and Jaakkola, aged 19 and 35 respectively, made their way onto the pitch and got stuck into some handling drills.
After the team news came out at 2pm and the turnstiles were opened, it was Belshaw's turn to practice, working with the fellow members of the goalkeeping union until it was time to head back down the tunnel for kick-off.
Did he mean it?
The Mem was roaring on Saturday, but there was a moment of silence as Hendry's 89th-minute shot hung in the air and crept out of the reach of Belshaw and into the top corner.
Normally, you'd hear the collective intake of breath and the mutterings of "go on" as someone prepares to shoot, but Hendry's curler truly came out of nowhere. There was a sense of surprise from his teammates when it landed in the net.
Barton was not sure if he meant it exactly how it happen, but said it was a great area Hendry was targeting regardless with a teammate charging in at the back stick.
FGR boss Ian Burchnall insisted it was a moment of pure skill.
"I'm going to say yeah, because he's got moments of magic like that. It's a fantastic switch of play from him and he goes and follows it and he plays that reverse. It was a great finish, in real time it looked great."
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