Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers have a "right chance" of bursting into League One promotion contention after making it back-to-back victories to start 2023 with a 2-1 win at Cambridge United on Saturday.
The Gas fell behind early to a fine header from Sam Smith, but they mustered a brilliant response to have the lead by half time. Josh Coburn made it nine goals for the season by scoring from Aaron Collins' through ball at the second attempt before Scott Sinclair scored what proved to be the winner, sweeping home Luca Hoole's terrific cross.
Cambridge have slipped into the relegation mix over recent weeks and they desperately searched for an equaliser after the break, but for all their pressure, Rovers limited them to very little in the way of chances and Barton's side were well worth the three points at full time.
With just four games in League One on Saturday due to the FA Cup third round, Rovers took the chance to climb to eight in the table, three points outside the top six.
Barton has not been shy in talking up Rovers' chances as "dark horses" in recent weeks, and this win only emboldened his confidence. Gasheads are starting to share it too, singing "up the Football League we go" after the final whistle.
"We feel we're in with a right chance," Barton said. "We've got to go and prove that in the next 20 games.
"We've come up with a flourish to win on the line last year to get promoted. We've started the run for the finish line a bit earlier and it's about making sure we maintain it and keep making traction.
"There are a lot of hurdles to get over like today was a tricky one and if you clip it, it can set you back a bit, but we've managed to get over it and we're onto the next now.
"I've always believed, even when we won two of the first 10 games. I know the quality I have in my training ground, I know the desire they have and we work every single moment.
"There are lots of teams in that slot as well, so we believe in taking care of our own business.
"We believe if anybody has done what we've done, fair play to them, but some hard, hard yards have gone in this season. I go back to the gaffer's day in Portugal, playing FC Porto and some moments when your team and your culture is forged.
"It is January games away at Cambridge, it's these January, February, March games where the work you've done in pre-season truly pays you back.
"We've still got 20 fixtures and we're in the mix, we're looking up and at the top end of the table, rather than over our shoulder at the bottom end of the table and I think everybody in the quartered jersey and everybody in the blue half of Bristol would have snapped your hands off if we said this would be the state of play on January 7.
"But also, we're not done. I told you long ago we're just getting started here."
Rovers had to weather tough moments at the Abbey Stadium, being caught cold early doors and being put under pressure in the closing stages.
Barton was delighted by the way his players overcame the challenges at hand.
"We know they have been in a tricky spot since October and they lost by a distance last time out, so you always knew there was going to be a response today," Barton said.
"I actually thought we acquitted ourselves quite well in the early part of the game and then one foray into our final third ended up with a goal for them. That's disappointing, but you have to give the opponent credit. It was a great run from the lad, a good ball into the box and it was a helluva header.
"Sometimes you have to take your hat off and say it was good play. For me, the key was how we responded and we are just capable of goals. We have got loads of goals in the team and you can see the assisters when you've got Finley, Coutts, Sinclair and Luca Hoole, what a ball he has put in for Scotty's goal.
"I thought they had scored too early, they don't really know how to win games in recent memory. If they score in the last five minutes, it's different, they can hang onto it.
"Then the character of our team is on show. We get back in it and we cracked on from there, get the second and get in at half time. And then I thought we managed the second half superbly.
"We had the job done and it was about keeping the back door bolted and barring a couple of long-range efforts or a free-kick at the end, I didn't think they were going to trouble Belly."
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