In their fourth game of the 2021/22 League Two season, Bristol Rovers conceded four goals in 24 first-half minutes at St James Park to Exeter City.
Five months later, in the reverse fixture at a sold-out Mem, the Gas matched the Grecians in every department and secured what could be a valuable point for their promotion ambitions.
Exeter and Rovers were two of the form teams in the division coming into Saturday’s game, with the former on a four-game winning run and the Gas having lost just once in their last 11 games.
The intrigue of their clash, along with some considering the fixture a local derby, prompted ticket sales to fly through the roof with the Mem reaching a sold-out attendance of 9,689, with 1,128 of those from Devon.
The Gas had conceded nine goals in the first 45 minutes of their two meetings with Exeter this season, so it was abundantly clear a fast start for the hosts was needed and Gasheads were certainly given exactly that.
After a period of sustained pressure, Luca Hoole diverted Antony Evans’ corner into the back of the net in the 10th minute for his first senior goal and a late commemoration of his recent two-year contract.
Matt Taylor’s side fought back into the contest though and deservedly equalised 14 minutes later when Jevani Brown turned home from close-range after great work on the left from Jake Caprice.
The second-half saw spells of control and chances for both sides but neither could find a winner, meaning the points were shared in BS7. Here are a few moments you may have missed:
Eyes on Taylor
Mile Jedinak’s presence in the complimentary seating at the Mem was hard to miss during Rovers’ 3-0 win over Carlisle United in October. The Villa loan development coach was in attendance to watch Brad Young, but on Saturday it was a different promising youngster being watched, this time of a Rovers persuasion.
Connor Taylor has starred at the heart of the Gas defence after joining on a season-long loan from Championship side Stoke City and his most recent performance was watched by Potters Academy Director Gareth Owen.
Just before Christmas there was talk of Stoke potentially recalling Taylor after a defensive injury crisis left Michael O’Neill’s side with few first-team defenders, but the Potters instead opted to bring in Manchester City’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan.
The 20-year-old has made 28 appearances in League Two this season keeping nine clean sheets in the process, and while Exeter was able to break Rovers’ four-game clean sheet streak, Taylor put forward another impressive defensive display keeping Exeter striker Sam Nombe and his 69th-minute replacement Kieran Phillips predominantly quiet.
Belshaw & Jaakkola’s warm-up excitement
Before Anssi Jaakkola and James Belshaw ramped up the intensity of their warm-ups, the duo combined with goalkeeping coach Tony Ward to play an exciting game of two-touch which had some eye-catching moments.
As opposed to nonchalantly flicking the ball up with one foot and laying it off to either Jaakkola or Ward, Belshaw placed his right foot behind his left leg in a rabona-like control before passing it off with ease.
The ball hadn’t touched the floor by the time it came back to Belshaw via a slightly under-hit pass from Ward, but again Belshaw followed the format of his last action in the mini-game, manoeuvring his right foot around his standing leg, cushioning the ball and flicking it over to Jaakkola.
The former Harrogate Town keeper is no stranger to moments of magic in his warm ups though. Before the December defeat to Port Vale, Belshaw fired efforts, that were supposed to be warming the hands of Jed Ward, into the stanchion.
And in a more glamourous example of his warm-up rabona touches, ahead of the goalless draw with Mansfield Town a fortnight ago, Belshaw kept his eyes glued on a long punt from the halfway line before bringing his right leg behind his left and controlling the ball with such ease he was able to keep the ball from touching the floor in a moment that would have been hard to believe, had it not been captured on video by the club.
Mascots reveal their favourite player…
Aaron Collins’ wonder strike in the extraordinary FA Cup comeback against Oxford in November will likely go down in Gas folk law. However, with that being his first Rovers goal, it would have been difficult to convince many Gasheads he would be their top scorer three months on.
But such has been his development amidst Rovers turning the fortunes of their season round, Collins is now one of the most popular players in blue and white quarters which was further highlighted by the mascots at the weekend.
As stadium announcer Lance Cook placed the microphone in front of three jubilant Gasheads waiting for their answer regarding their favourite player, you’d have been forgiven for thinking there was a solemn echo reverberating around the Mem, but instead George, Oliver and Rosie, all said without any real hesitation “Collins”.
At that age of course it’s difficult to appreciate the technical brilliance of Sam Finley, Antony Evans or Elliot Anderson. However, it’s hard to argue that Collins hasn’t been deserving of that praise for his performances and goals.
Of his 11 strikes in all competitions this season, that includes the goal at Swindon which is still being claimed by three Rovers players, eight of those have come at the Mem, with only one not being scored in front of the Thatchers terrace.
Anderton passes on advice to Hoole
As Exeter’s Cheick Diabate was receiving treatment for a rib injury, it gave both sets of players an opportunity to get some fluids on board and receive some tactical advice from their respective manager. However, first half goal scorer Luca Hoole went elsewhere to receive some words of wisdom.
The teenager picked up his drinks bottle from Nick Anderton who was named on the bench after missing the win over Leyton Orient through illness, despite initially being chosen in the starting XI.
With Mark Hughes having departed the club in January, Anderton, despite only being 25 himself has become the club’s most experienced defender, minus Junior Brown, but his future seems to lie elsewhere.
And perhaps knowing this Anderton has taken on the responsibilities of that role with it seeming as though he was trying to explain to Hoole how best to thwart Jake Caprice's runs forward from left-wing back.
Ex-teammates reunite
Another noticeable action while Cheick Diabate was down injured was Jonathan Grounds, his eventual replacement, entering a conversation with Rovers first team coach Kevin Bond prompting a rapid google search to find out if they’d crossed paths before.
However, that search was surprisingly unsuccessful, and instead it was a subtle gesture right before the second half which highlighted two people who have come across each other before.
As Exeter manager Matt Taylor was making his way over to the dugout for the second half he fist-bumped his former Newport teammate and Gas top scorer Collins and the pair also briefly chatted before kick off in the reverse fixture in August.
It is worth noting though that Grounds and Bond do somewhat have a shared history having both played for Exeter, just unlike Taylor and Collins it wasn’t at the same time, with a minor 27 years between their respective spells for the Grecians.
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