Luca Hoole goes from strength to strength in front of Bristol Rovers’ sold out crowd

Bristol Rovers had to settle for a draw against one of the in-form teams in the division, Exeter City.
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Bristol Rovers and Exeter City shared the spoils as a goal apiece for either side resulted in a 1-1 draw at the Memorial Stadium.

Teenage right-back Luca Hoole scored his first goal for the club but an equaliser from Jevani Brown meant he’d only be able to celebrate a point, rather than a win.

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The draw, which prolongs their four game unbeaten run, saw them drop a place and the gap on the top seven widen, but they are still in with a shout of a playoff spot.

Here’s our key takeaways from Bristol Rovers’ draw with Exeter City in front of a packed out Mem.

Joey Barton gets what he wants

"I was sitting in my office before the teams came out and were back in for the warm-ups. I turned the lights and TV off and just sat and listened from the belly of the beast."

Those were the words of manager Joey Barton, who took in the pre-game atmosphere from the bowels of the Memorial Stadium.

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A crowd of just under 10,000 were at today’s match including the away end with the Grecians selling their allocation out quickly.

The atmosphere and the full crowd is something that he has been longing for and now it feels like the tide has turned.

As long as the crowds continue to come at the Mem, it’s they who could play a key role in whether the Gas reach the playoffs or not. Home form has drastically improved and they’ve not lost on their own soil since early December.

Barton has created a match day feel where if you’re a fan of the club, you don’t want to miss out on any of their games, so more days like this could follow.

Big week ahead

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It’s easily said but next week is another one where Rovers will have to be at the top of their game.

Arriving on Tuesday are struggling Barrow, ranked 20th in the table, two points above safety and will be without manager Mark Cooper, who is serving a touchline.

This match is a potential banana skin given the contrast in form between the two teams and the league placing.

Given the home form Rovers have it should be enough but they can’t afford to take any teams lightly.

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Then it’s the short trip across the Severn Bridge to face Newport County at Rodney Parade. Newport themselves are on a quest for a play-off spot and there’s always an added bit of spice given the England vs Wales factor.

Out of these two fixtures you’d want maximum points but you’d take a win on Tuesday and perhaps a draw on the weekend.

Luca Hoole keeps getting better

The change in mood around the club right now is being supported by the fact that an academy graduate is not only just playing in the first-team but is coming out as one of their best performing players.

Right-back Hoole added another layer to his game today by scoring his first senior goal.

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It’s a moment that plenty of young players dream of, scoring a goal for the club you’ve been at since you were a young lad.

Hoole has coped with the demands of League Two and remains one of the flag bearers of the revival of the season.

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