Bristol Rovers 2-0 loss to Oldham Athletic last night has seen them drop down to 22nd in League Two.
Their hard-fought wins against Walsall and Newport seem irrelevant now as the Gas sit only two points above the dreaded dotted line.
Steve Evan’s men were hit by a sucker punch in the first minute of the match. Latics’ keeper Matthew Hudson lobbing the ball long to Mike Fondop-Talum.
The striker headed the ball set up Kane Drummond who rifled the ball into the back of the net from outside the box.
However, The Gas showed some fight after going 1-0 down with Joe Quigley failing to find the target from a yard out and Luke Thomas unable to find the back of the net.
With most relegation rivals winning, it was going to be a big half for the Gas.
The Pirates could not rise to the challenge giving away a penalty in the 59th minute as a cross struck the arm of Joel Senior.
Brad Young saved Fondop-Talun’s penalty, although the rebound was dispatched by the taker as the ball diverted into his path.
The Gas’ seven point gap on the dotted line has diminished with Newport, Harrogate, Shrewsbury and Crawley all getting points to sink the Pirates down the table.
Bristol Rovers are clearly struggling and it’s hard not to see similarities with last season, Gasheads’ had hope after impressive wins that their League One place would be secured for the season.
However, the team collapsed, only managing to get one point from their final 30. Burton took their place in League One after overcoming their nine point difference to overtake the Gas by three.
One thing you can say is Rovers fixture list will not have helped their confidence. In six of their last eight games Bristol Rovers have played top half teams.
It’s clear that March and April will be a month of paramount importance after their difficult fixtures. They play six of the bottom seven in nine weeks
Next up for Bristol Rovers is a return to the West Country to take on Grimsby town. The mariners sit undefeated in nine in the League and recently lost Rob Edwards’ Wolves in the FA Cup.
