Nine games remain in the League One campaign for Bristol Rovers and while it may seem there is not a great deal to play for beyond making absolutely sure of their third-tier status for next season, several individuals face an important final few weeks.
After Accrington Stanley's thumping 5-0 defeat at Exeter City on Saturday, Joey Barton's Gas are 10 points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand and a vastly superior goal difference. So Rovers remain seven points adrift of their manager's 52-point target, but it would take something equally remarkable and disastrous for them to be clawed into the basement battle.
But momentum matters in football, both from an individual perspective as well as the team, and it is important that Rovers and their players do not let the campaign fizzle out to ensure they are starting from a solid foundation when they return for their second season back in the third tier.
With that in mind, here are some of the players who need to make the most of the remaining games...
Aaron Collins
Rovers' star man has enjoyed a brilliant season in League One, backing up his heroic efforts in the run-in a year ago as the Gas clinched promotion from League Two, but things have soured a little bit in recent weeks with some fierce criticism from his manager before being overlooked for Wales' Euro 2024 qualifiers taking place in this international break.
With 15 goals and 12 assists, he remains among the elite players in the division, but the goal contributions have dried up; he has scored three times in 13 games since the turn of the year, with two assists in that time. To be clear, that is far from a terrible return, but he himself would admit that his influence on games has dipped. Perhaps that has been influenced by teams becoming more aware of his skillset and doubling up accordingly, but it is a challenge he will need to overcome in time.
When assessing the Wales squad and some of the options picked ahead of by manager Rob Page, Collins can feel justifiably frustrated. Of course, he is playing at third-tier level, but Page has called on League One and League Two players in this squad and previous camps, and no one with Welsh connections in the EFL can compare to Collins' 26 goal involvements.
Anyway, that's in the past now and Collins can only look forward. Refreshed after the best part of three weeks without a game, he will hope to return win renewed vigour when he wears the blue and white quarters again for the visit of Charlton Athletic on Good Friday.
A late burst of goals will not only apply the fitting exclamation mark that his campaign deserves, but it could also open up a whole host of possibilities in the summer, both for his domestic and international future.
James Connolly
It is so easy to forget that Connolly is just 21 years old, such is the maturity he has played with and the seniority that has been placed on him at times. His arrival as an unknown loanee from Cardiff City 14 months ago was among the best signings of the Barton era so far, as he paired brilliantly with Connor Taylor to give the Gas the solid defence they needed to climb the table in the closing weeks of the campaign.
This year, the Wales under-21 has not enjoyed the same stability around him since signing a permanent deal in the summer. The cast around him has rotated and in the midst of the upheaval – caused by injuries and departures – his own form and confidence have dipped. He also had his own spell out with injury, missing 10 games in the autumn with a back injury.
There are many parallels between his situation and Luca Hoole's earlier this season. Both young defenders have encountered a spot of second-season syndrome at times and in Hoole's case, Barton managed it well. He took him out of the firing line and built him back up slowly. Now, he is among Rovers' most in-form players.
The manager is undergoing the same process with centre-back Connolly, who has scored once in 23 appearances. He has started just one of the past five games as Barton looks to refresh the player's mind and body, but he will be needed back in the starting XI when Rovers return from the international break.
Jarell Quansah's three-match ban after being sent off against Portsmouth last time out leaves a vacancy in the back four that Connolly is likely to fill, and he has a chance to find some momentum and confidence heading into the summer and ahead of next season.
Luke McCormick
Barton coveted the return of McCormick a year after the end of a fine loan spell and the Gas – and the player – were thrilled when drawn-out negotiations with AFC Wimbledon ended with a positive conclusion in August, but it has been a difficult year for the 24-year-old midfielder.
After two fruitful seasons with a collective 24 goal contributions, McCormick has struggled for a place in the starting XI with just a single assist to his name in 20 League One appearances this term, and he had to face the embarrassment of being substituted less than 10 minutes after coming on in his last outing at Forest Green Rovers. With the Gas protecting a 3-1 lead, Barton was furious that McCormick had picked up a cheap booking for an off-the-ball incident before giving away a soft penalty.
James Belshaw's save to deny Corey O'Keeffe from 12 yards prevented an uncomfortable conclusion at The New Lawn and meant McCormick's mistakes were not costly, but he has not featured in the two games since and he has some work to do to force his way back into contention.
With two years remaining on his contract and a strong track record behind him, Barton remains confident McCormick will come good, although recent events have undoubtedly started to chip away at that belief. It must be said, McCormick has been hampered by the lack of a pre-season after he was exiled by his former club when he made clear his desire to leave, so a fresh start and a full summer with Rovers will do him good.
But to ensure he remains part of the long-term plan at the Mem, he could do with finding a bit of form between now and the end of the campaign. By all accounts, he acquitted himself well in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Aston Villa on Friday; he will hope that is something to build on.
Calum Macdonald
After joining at the eleventh hour in the January transfer window, left-back Macdonald has made just a couple of appearances in the blue and white quarters, and although he has been at the club for just a few weeks, the end of his contract looms.
The former Stockport and Tranmere Rovers defender signed a short-term deal until the end of the campaign and his future looks uncertain, with the 25-year-old yet to find a regular place in Barton's XI.
If Macdonald is to earn a new contract at the Mem, he is going to need to finish the season strongly and show what he can offer in the long run. Two appearances totalling 106 minutes have given him little chance to do that.
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