The Kassam Stadium Saturday 25th February 2023
Oxford United 0
Bristol Rovers 3
Sinclair (pen), 22), Collins (28), Hoole (76)
Referee: Charles Breakspear Attendance: 8,437
Both sides went into the game on the crest of a slump and desperately in need of three points to stabilise their respective league positions.
Rovers boss Joe Barton made six changes to his starting lineup, perhaps the most significant being the return of goalkeeper James Belshaw, while there were returns also for Lewis Gibson, Luca Hoole, Sam Finely, Paul Coutts and Lewis Gordon.
Always a happy hunting ground for Rovers, the three sided Kassam Stadium didn’t disappoint once again. After two early scares, that saw Finley’s misplaced defensive header came back into play off his own upright and a Yanic Wildschut effort drift just past the upright, Barton’s side gradually assumed control of proceedings.
They opened the scoring with 22 minutes on the clock when Bogarde went down in the area under a challenge from home skipper Cameron Brannagan.
Scott Sinclair, who missed the last spot kick he was entrusted with, up at Morecambe, again took responsibility from 12 yards and on this occasion he despatched a firmly struck effort to Simon Eastwood’s left while the keeper dived to his right.
It was tempting, at that point, to say game over because after their initial flurry Oxford seemed devoid of attacking ideas and the returning Belshaw had very little to do.
As if to emphasise the point Rovers scored again just six minutes later with a goal started in the middle of the park by John Marquis. The striker found Sinclair in space out on the right and his low cross found Aaron Collins who scored from close range to register his 15th league goal of what is already an impressive campaign for him.
The home side were booed off at the half time whistle and below the press box a banner which, in no uncertain terms, told manager Karl Robinson that it was time for him to go was unfurled for all to see.
There was a little more urgency shown by Robinson’s side immediately after the game restarted Kyle Joseph hit a shot wide of the upright while Brannagan fired a free kick into Rovers’ defensive wall.
Joseph also headed over while half time substitute James Henry managed to force Belshaw into making a save, an unlikely scenario given what had gone before!
However Rovers, seemingly tired of toying with the home side, struck with a decisive third goal in the 75th minute, by which time Barton had already made a triple substitution. Antony Evans, who had just seen a corner cleared by the U’s at the expense of another, floated his second towards Luca Hoole.
The erstwhile defender rose, unchallenged, like a salmon, and planted a firm header beyond Eastood for the third goal of his fledgling Rovers career.
It was the signal for prolonged, toxic, comments from the Oxford faithful in the stands and soon many of them began to drift away. It wasn’t nice to hear, and credit to Robinson for continuing to stand motionless in his technical area.
There were no more goals and Rovers returned to winning ways with a hard working performance, yet there was always the feeling they could have stepped up a gear and won even more convincingly.
As for Oxford, their fans got their way and Robinson was dismissed 24 hours later.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Hoole, Quansah, Gibson (Gibbons, 77), Gordon, Coutts (Ward, 71), Bogarde (Evans, 71), Finley, Sinclair (Anderson, 77), Marquis (Coburn, 71), Collins.
Substitutes: Balcombe, Connolly.
Oxford United: Eastwood, Long, Elliott, Moore, Findlay, Brown, Bate (Goodrham, 69), Brannagan, Browne (Konata, 69), Wildschut (Henry, 46), Baldock (O’Donkor, 20).
Substitutes: Fleming, McGinty, Smyth.
ALSO
Neither of Oxford’s two current former Rovers players, Billy Bodin and Tyler Smith. A third, Matty Taylor, is now on loan at Port Vale
Yellow cards were awarded to Aaron Collins and Jarell Quansah
Paul Coutts was skipper
Having seen his last Rovers penalty saved, against Morecambe, Scott Sinclair successfully converted one in this game
Five substitutes used
Five added minutes
(photos courtesy of JMP)
Keith Brookman