Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton has described the last nine games as Cup finals and has likened it to the Grand National as they approach the final straight of the season.
The Gas during the first part of the campaign looked nothing like promotion contenders with the team languishing in the lower-half of the League Two table.
After an impressive start to 2022, picking up 10 wins in the 16 games they’ve played since the turn of the New Year. It’s form that has come at the right time with the league standings taking shape though there is still time for all that to change and another team to emerge from the pack.
One thing that Barton’s men can take pride from is that for all the teams they face in their remaining fixtures, they have only lost to two of them, so there’s no reason why they can’t believe they can take more points off of their opponents.
With there being an uneven amount of games left, they find themselves with more games on the road than they do at the Memorial Stadium.
Rovers have picked up 12 points more in front of their home fans than on their travels this season, so ironing out any deficiencies at this stage would go along way to them achieving their goal.
Below are the final NINE fixtures of the season for Bristol Rovers with a couple of games that could be described as six pointers in there. From the 27 points on offer, let us know what you think they’ll get from these games and where they’ll end up.
1. March 19: Northampton Town (A)
The Gas already have the Cobblers’ number after an early season victory back in November, so a win against one of their rivals would give Gasheads reason to believe they were capable of more than just the play-offs. Northampton are second, five places and three points ahead of Rovers. Photo: Pete Norton/Getty Images
2. March 26: Carlisle United (A)
Played during the international break, the Gas make their longest away trip of the season to Carlisle, who are just above the relegation zone. Carlisle are managed by former Bristol City coach Paul Simpson, so it’d be best to hope that there’s nothing the Robins can’t laud over the Gas. Rovers won 3-0 in the reverse fixture back in October 2021. Twenty points and 11 places separate Carlisle and Rovers. Photo: Pete Norton/Getty Images
3. April 2: Bradford City (H)
Former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes brings his mid-table Bantams to the Mem in early April. In the earlier part of the season the Gas picked up a point in a 2-2 draw at Valley Parade with Brett Pitman scoring a stoppage time equaliser. 14 points and six places separate Rovers and Bradford. Photo: George Wood/Getty Images
4. April 9: Tranmere Rovers (A)
This could be a crunch match depending on how both teams navigate through their next fixtures. Micky Mellons’ side are statistically the best home team in the division whilst the Gas have struggled on the road against teams above them. After going 2-0 ahead, Rovers surrendered their two-goal lead when Paul Glatzel equalised. Two points and two places ahead of the Gas. Photo: Lewis Storey/Getty Images