Another priceless goal and another priceless win as Wanderers inched nearer a play-off finish, writes Pete Oliver.
A single last-gasp strike had been enough to win at Wigan in mid-week and while this one didn’t come quite as late, Aaron Collins goal against his former club 15 minutes from the end of normal time was just as important.
Once again it was tense, high-stakes stuff and once again Steven Schumacher’s men came up with the goods as they made it back-to-back wins at a critical time to move back into the play-off spots.
With six games to go, Wanderers still have their destiny in their own hands and if this was a taste of things to come it may well go down to the wire.
But just when they needed it Wanderers again showed the guile to fashion a fine headed goal from Collins and then the grit to make sure it was the winner as they dug in to repel a late bout of pressure from the’ Gas with a second successive clean sheet.
On the back of the derby success over the Latics, Wanderers showed two changes to their starting line-up to accommodate the return from suspension of Aaron Morley and just a second start of the season for Carlos Mendes Gomes.
George Thomason and Joel Randall dropped to the bench alongside Kyle Dempsey as the fit-again midfielder made a welcome return to the 18 for the first time since October.
But Schumacher’s plans faced an early tweak as an injury to Will Forrester after just a quarter of an hour brought a rapid re-introduction for Thomason as a make-shift left-back.
The re-shuffle did little to help a dis-jointed start from the Whites, who had dropped out of the play-off zone before kick-off thanks to Reading’s lunch-time win.
Schumacher’s men lacked fluidity as Rovers, fighting against the drop after losing four games since beating the Whites less than a month ago, played with little risk in a listless first half in which the nearest either side came to scoring was a corner from Morley flicked onto his own bar by Rovers’ defender Connor Taylor.
Wanderers did their best to lift the intensity after the break without making the most of a couple of opportunities to threaten the target and with just under half an hour to go Schumacher sent on the first fresh legs in the shape of Gethin Jones.
The visitors did little to raise their tempo in pursuit of a point to add to their tally and as Wanderers continued to try and force the pace, Collins tested goalkeeper Jed Ward for the first time with a volley the Rovers’ keeper kept out at full stretch.
It was energy-sapping stuff in the circumstances and with 20 minutes to go Schumacher made a further double switch as Matete and Dempsey were added to the engine room.
The Whites were gradually ramping it up and finally the big moment came. Matete made an instant impact with probing pass and from Jones’ perfect cross Collins rose unattended to plant a firm header into the bottom corner of the net to move to 18 goals for the season.
Almost immediately there was a chance to make it two on the break but Dempsey couldn’t make the most of an opening provided by John McAtee and with nothing to lose Rovers then made their first chance of the game and forced Nathan Baxter into a superb save to keep out a header from substitute Luke Thomas.
Wanderers were now the ones doing the defending as the nerves began to set in and the visitors peppered the penalty area. But with every one in a white shirt and Baxter behind them determined to let nothing pass there were no further alarms. And with three more points in the bag, the Whites continue to look up and on track for a big finish.
Wanderers: Baxter; Dacres-Cogley (Jones 64), Forrester (Thomason 17), Forino, Johnston; Sheehan, Morley (Matete 72); Mendes Gomes (Dempsey 72), McAtee, Osei-Tutu; Collins. Substitutes: Southwood, Etete, Randall.
Booked: None
Bristol Rovers: Ward; Moore (Hunt 80), Wilson, C Taylor, Swinkels; Sawyers (Ward 65); Forde (Sinclair 65), Shaw (Hutchinson 75), Butcher, Sotiriou; O’Donkor (Thomas 75). Substitutes: Hall, Hutchinson, Reinfdorf.
Booked: Butcher
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 22,422 (451 Bristol)