Joey Barton admitted he felt a tinge of "disappointment" despite a stoppage-time equaliser for Bristol Rovers against Derby County at the Mem on Saturday after giving the Rams a "footballing lesson".
The Gas fell behind inside five minutes with David McGoldrick afforded too much time and space to size up a shot from 12 yards and he finished ruthlessly beyond James Belshaw. Yet from that moment, the play-off-chasing Rams were on the back foot, with Rovers pushing hard for an equaliser.
Rovers finished the game with 70 per cent of possession and more than 600 passes, more than double what seventh-place Derby mustered, and but it took until deep into added time for the leveller to arrive. With Derby clinging on in the closing stages, Harvey White was deemed to have tripped Antony Evans as he closed in on Lewis Gibson's ball into the box.
Substitute Evans picked himself off the deck and blasted his spot kick into the top corner to delight a lively Mem crowd and strike a significant blow to Derby's promotion chances.
"I think we were much the better side," Barton said. "Obviously, they have got some good players and they are a good team, but I thought we made them look distinctly average, certainly from a pressing perspective today.
"The fact we’ve managed to get a draw is good because of the state of play and their goal and them trying to see the game out and run the clock down, but I think when I watch it back tonight, I’ll be disappointed we haven’t won the game.
"I thought we were much the better side and that is really pleasing. I think we have made huge progress since we went to Pride Park earlier in the season and I think that was evident today.
"We had to be patient and keep plugging away. You are frustrated coming off that game and losing 1-0 due to how much control and ball we’ve had, but again those final bits are what we’ve got to work on, that final delivery into the box or the composure and calmness when we get in there.
"But there is so much as a coach to be pleased with in terms of moving it between the phases against a really good team, but I will be disappointed we haven’t won that game.
"If you landed here from Mars today and said ‘Who’s going for promotion and who is just happy to stay in the division?’, I think even the most ardent Derby fan today would accept we were light years ahead of them in terms of control of the football."
Derby manager Paul Warne was furious that the penalty had been awarded, but Barton believes a late equaliser was the least the Gas deserved for an impressive performance.
"I see two players coming together and I’m not sure," he added. "I think we’ve had penalties this season that haven’t been given when there has been more contact than that.
"Antony thinks the boy goes down early and pulls him down and ultimately the referee and the linesman have given us a decision.
"I’m not going to say we didn’t deserve it because on the balance of play, if Derby had won the game 1-0, that was a smash-and-grab raid from them because they weren’t the better team here today.
"Warney knows and accepts that coming off the pitch. We’ve given them a little bit of a footballing lesson.
"From our perspective, it’s nice to draw and not get beaten, but also we have got to a bit more clinical if we want to challenge and compete with those types of teams on a consistent basis.
"They always say if you don’t play well – and I don’t think Derby played well – don’t lose the game and that’s the sign of a good team. That’s why they are still there seven or eight games to go and they have a chance of promotion and we haven’t."
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