Bristol Rovers have picked up back-to-back wins but Joey Barton says they are "not out of the woods" yet and they still have plenty to improve after Tuesday's 1-0 win at MK Dons. However, with Rovers' injury woes relenting, the manager is excited by the potential of his young squad.
The Gas delivered an authoritative performance on the road at Stadium MK, allowing just four shots and only one on target. Creating chances at the other end, though, was proving difficult but Barton's side came on strong in the second half and deservedly got a winner from the penalty spot, with substitute Antony Evans scoring from 12 yards after Ryan Loft was fouled.
Rovers have won three successive games in all competitions and have taken seven points from a possible nine in League One in the past fortnight, rising to 15th in the table. After a chastening start to the season stemming from a defensive injury crisis, Barton's Gas have established a footing in the third tier, but he is under no illusions – they are not yet the finished article.
"We knew we were going to get reinforcements back and the quality of our group would come through," he said. "We’re not out of the woods, we’ve got a lot of work to do for sure, but certainly the last-minute equaliser at Exeter was a boost, but also the level of performance at Exeter.
"We would have been disappointed had we not taken anything out of that game and that then built into a solid performance again in the league in another tough encounter against Cambridge. Today, even though it was 1-0 and it seemed relatively close, in terms of weight of territory and chances of scoring, you never felt they were going to lay a glove on us.
"We all want a bit more quality and a bit more care, but to come away from home to a side that was challenging for promotion last season at times – I know they’ve lost Scott Twine and Harry Darling and one or two others – but you’ve still got to come here and get the game done. We would have been disappointed had we drawn it because we were so dominant, but the lads have found a key to unlock it with Lofty’s presence and a ball into the area and, obviously, the lad fouls him."
Barton's resources are set to strengthen further in the coming weeks. The return of Lewis Gibson and James Gibbons from extended periods on the sidelines has made a big difference, and the likes of James Connolly, John Marquis and Alfie Kilgour are set to be back in the fold soon.
Several hundred travelling fans made the journey to Buckinghamshire on Tuesday and Barton was delighted to reward them with a second away win of the season. He believes supporters can see the emergence of an exciting young team.
The average age of Rovers' starting XI on Tuesday was 24.6, inflated somewhat by James Belshaw, who turns 32 today, and 34-year-old Paul Coutts. The back four, in particular, is youthful with James Gibbons the oldest at 24.
"Delighted, mainly for the Gasheads," Barton said. "On a Tuesday night, you have to take your hat off to them. They travelled all the way across to support the boys again and that is a massive reason we got the three points. It’s nice again to score at that end and for the lads to go and celebrate with them.
"I think they’re aware of the young group we’re building and we’re going to have some highs and lows, but I said to you a while back that even though we weren’t getting the results we wanted, we’ve got a really good young group emerging and it would just take a bit of time to knit it in. Nothing knits it in quicker than positive performances and positive results."
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