Joey Barton claimed Bristol Rovers goalkeeper James Belshaw was directly responsible for all four goals conceded against Exeter City as he bemoaned his side’s inability to keep clean sheets, a statistic he believes is holding the team back.
Rovers scored three goals in the space of 17 second-half minutes to recover from a 2-0 deficit at half-time and looked set to close out 2022 with a sensational comeback victory.
But Exeter crafted two goals of their own, amid a Gas defence lacking authority and the necessary aggression, while Belshaw completely lost his bearings as he left his line to try and clear Jamal Blackman’s long ball forward, allowing Sam Nombe to head the winner into an empty net.
Rovers’ No1 had made some crucial saves over the course of the game but Barton also felt the Gas’ reigning Player of the Year was culpable for the first two goals conceded, as they were both from range and within comfortable saving distance.
Although Barton’s side remain an encouraging 12th in League One, the statistic that eats away at the manager as they enter the transfer window is the fact only two teams - Burton Albion and Forest Green Rovers - have conceded more than their 41 goals against.
“Really disappointed, certainly with the first-half showing. I didn’t think we actually played that bad but we somehow found ourselves 2-0 down, two kind of long-range efforts so instantly you put them at the goalkeeper’s door - shouldn’t be getting beat from there,” Barton said,
“We made a few alterations and get right back in it; Azza (Aaron Collins), a moment of quality, firstly for the goal, secondly for the cross he puts in for Josh Coburn and then he wins a penalty, which gets us pretty much in the ascendancy. And then, as has been the case all season, when you look at it: 24 games, 41 conceded in the league, unfortunately the buck has to stop at somebody’s door.
“Unfortunately tonight it’s the keeper, he’s cost us four goals; kicks the ball into the middle of the field for the third goal and then gets caught out (for the fourth).
"He’s been wonderful, Belly - he’s been a fantastic addition to the group in the last 18 months, and we need the goalkeeper to start keeping clean sheets. But that’s a team effort, that’s a team commitment and defenders in front of him, certainly tonight, and at Wycombe the other day, they’ve got to make better decisions.”
As well as the volume of goals conceded has the Gas towards the foot of the League One table in that particular metric, so too is their number of clean sheets - just five all campaign, 18th in the division and something which further emphasises the importance of their attack. With the January window a few days away, Barton admits he will be looking to improve his defence.
“We’ve got to score more than one goal to win a game, at this moment in time,” Barton added. “If you don’t keep clean sheets, you have to score multiple goals. The front side of our team, the attacking part, is certainly capable of getting promoted. The back side of our team, at this moment in time, is capable of getting relegated because of the amount of goals we ship.
“The Jekyll and Hyde of our group is the most annoying thing at the minute. You fix one thing, another thing doesn't go quite right but luckily in a couple of days the transfer window will open and I think we need to improve the defence, and if we improve the defence then we have a chance of getting involved in the glory at the end of the season.
“But if we keep defending the way we are, we’re just going to be huffing and puffing like we were in the first period. It was exciting if you’re a neutral, but once you get yourself 3-2 in the lead, you’ve got to have a bit of nous and a bit of savvy and some of our decisions at key moments is what cost us.”
SIGN UP: To receive our free Rovers newsletter, bringing you the latest from the Mem
