Joey Barton admits a 17th-place finish feels like "failure" for Bristol Rovers in the wake of a 3-2 defeat to Bolton Wanderers at the Mem on the final day of the League One season, but he believes the Gas can replicate their opponents' success if they follow the same "blueprint".
Rovers made it seven games without a win to round off a season that saw them comfortably avoid relegation, but a disappointing second half of the campaign well short of contending in the top half of the division.
Sunday's defeat to the Trotters encapsulated some of the flaws that have hampered the Gas across the season, with poor defending from set plays and long balls giving Bolton the upper hand as they cemented a fifth-place finish in the third tier, setting up a play-off semi-final against Barnsley.
They opened the scoring after 24 minutes when Manchester United loanee Shola Shoretire prodded home from a corner, but Luca Hoole produced a quick response, heading into an open net after Sam Finley's cross rebounded off the post.
Josh Coburn hit the crossbar on the verge of half time and the Gas were the team in the ascendancy at the start of the second half, but fine strikes from Dan Nlundulu and Aaron Morley seemingly put the game beyond Rovers' reach. There was time for late drama, though, with John Marquis prodding home from close range to narrow the deficit but Scott Sinclair crashed the crossbar deep into stoppage time as Wanderers headed into the play-offs with a victory under their belt.
Barton believes Rovers' performance in the 46th and final game summed up where they are in their development, showing they are good enough to compete with the league's top teams but committing too many mistakes to be consistent.
He feels the Gas are on a similar path to Bolton having followed them out of League Two 12 months later than the Trotters' promotion in 2020. Having consolidated their place in the third tier, he says Rovers can look at Bolton's example as inspiration.
"In spells (we played well), certainly towards the end of the first half, their keeper has made a great save and tips Josh’s header onto the bar and gets up to save the rebound," Barton said of his team's performance.
"In the midst of that, Josh bangs his head on the post and gets a concussion. If it goes in, we go in 2-1 up and we’re in the ascendency and the fans are at it or you go in at 1-1 and you have to make a substitution because your centre forward’s got concussion.
"We adjusted from that and I thought we were the team in the second period, certainly probing and trying to get a goal and then, as has been the Achilles heel all season, one long punt up the pitch and we don’t deal with it or the second phase and their lad puts it in the back of the net.
"I think that has been the real difference for us this year. You look at them, their front two don’t really fire for them. They work hard but they don’t really fire and the next change is two more seniors that they’ve brought on.
"I think Cameron Jerome and (Victor) Adeboyejo were bought in January and just having Shola Shoretire on loan from Manchester United and you look at the other players they haven’t had here as well, Conor Bradley, Kyle Dempsey etc. They are clearly ahead of us at this moment in time as the league table shows.
"But they were in a similar position to us. They had a slow start in League Two under Ian (Evatt) when he first left Barrow. They managed to close that space really quickly and get promoted.
"They then consolidated last year and they finished a bit higher than we did and they have kicked on again and got in the play-offs. With Plymouth and them, there is a route map, a blueprint for us to follow, but we’ve got a lot of work to do in the off-season and today we’ve seen the small margins that decide games and their players, in my opinion, are just that little bit ahead of ours and we’ve got to work hard to close that gap in the next period."
A steady season may have been what Rovers needed after two chaotic years in succession with a dismal relegation in 2021 followed by a remarkable promotion 12 months ago to the day.
But it is not the campaign that Barton wanted and he is motivated to put it right next year.
"It feels like failure this season, it feels like we’ve failed because we’re not getting promoted," he added. "I know that is probably not rational to think that way, but it does feel that way.
"It feels like the season has petered out in the last few games since January and Christmas, and I don’t like that. I’d rather be playing golf than having nothing to play for in the second half of the season. I get that the alternative to that is looking over your shoulder or having to win today to stay up, which none of us wants.
"It feels so good when you get a promotion and you do it because it’s not easy and it’s not straightforward and you have to work tirelessly to get there. This season is done now and we have to get cracking and we’ve already made a fist of getting started with next season.
"My promise to the Gasheads is building a team that’s capable of getting them in the Championship in a short period of time. This season, your ambition is to get out of it and I do feel like I’ve failed not getting out, but also I want to be getting promoted next season.
"This season’s done and next season has already begun."
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