Joey Barton says promotion-chasing Pirates ‘will take some stopping from here’
Posted Sunday, March 13, 2022 by PA
Joey Barton sounded a warning to Bristol Rovers’ rival League Two promotion candidates after his side continued their drive up the League Two table.
The Pirates, who began the season slowly, are now within two points of the automatic promotion places after seeing off Harrogate 3-0 at the Memorial Stadium.
Aaron Collins fired Rovers ahead against the run of play with a long-range shot after 33 minutes and Elliot Anderson doubled the advantage after a mazy dribble six minutes later.
Collins capitalised on a poor pass from Rory McArdle to chip home Rovers’ third goal in the 55th minute and the home side ended up comfortable winners.
Barton was shown a yellow card in the first half for dissent to the fourth official, but ended up delighted with a result that put his men in the thick of the promotion race.
He said: “We will take some stopping from here. I wouldn’t swap my squad with anyone.
“What I know is that we have done things right going right back to last summer in terms of eating, sleeping, training, thinking and all the rest.
“No group of players will be fitter and better prepared for the final stages of the season. Momentum is incredibly important in football and we have it.”
Rovers have lost just two of their last 16 matches to climb up the League Two standings.
Barton added: “Every game is a cup final for us from now on and no one will be getting carried away.
“We know how hard we have to work to keep our good run going, but it is nothing more than we have been doing, so my lads are used to it.
“Today we needed the first goal to settle us down. Once we got it, my only complaint was that we might have scored a couple more to boost our goal difference.”
Harrogate boss Simon Weaver felt his side could have done more to help their cause.
He said: “We were the better side early on, without making the most of our pressure.
“But we are consistently being punished for mistakes at this level and that has been the story too often over the second half of the season.
“They defended their box properly, while we conceded three poor goals. Even though the first was a great finish, we had lots of time to close down the shot.
“Players have gone to ground to allow the second goal and the third resulted from an individual error.
“The crowd influenced the officials, but that is what we have to expect when we come to grounds like this.
“We have to be able to handle the atmosphere, as well as the opposition, and hopefully that will come with experience.
“While our league position is okay, we are always striving to be better and will never be satisfied with where we are.”
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