Matt Taylor has declared that he was pleased with his Bristol Rovers team’s intent throughout their 1-1 draw at home to Lincoln City but confessed that the game had few quality moments.
After an opening half-hour of few stand out moments in which both teams were figuring the other out, the contest got the burst of quality it so desperately needed when Shaq Forde knicked the ball off of a Lincoln defender before driving at goal and curling home a cracking finish.
Rovers took their lead into the break, with Connor Taylor helping out at the back to produce an outstanding challenge on Jovon Makama who looked set to bury the ball into the net after getting past Josh Griffiths. However, they couldn’t find the crucial second goal in the second half and were made to pay as substitute Jack Moylan fired home a decent finish just minutes after coming on for the Imps.
Both sides tried to find a late winner but ultimately reduced the other to limited openings as they settled for a hard-earned point.
Reflecting on the draw, Taylor said: “Pleased with the constant intent and the way the team approached the game. I have to give credit to Lincoln, I thought two teams were so, so honest in their structure, in their system, in their responsibility, that it almost cancelled out any quality moments in the game.
“I think it’s fair to say, bar Shaq’s goal and their lad’s goal, both very similar in terms of shift and shoot in a one v one moment, there’s few of those moments throughout the course of the game and neither goalkeeper really has had a save to make. Josh [Griffiths] just before half time but it’s a foul on Chrissy before it even gets to the foul on Willo.
“So, it was that type of game where it was so tight and such fine margins but if we have that approach and intent throughout our time together, we’ll be absolutely fine because I do believe the quality and the control aspects will come on top of that.
“Very good goal,” the Rovers manager added on Forde’s strike. “Like I say, in a game where, as much as neither team created and had a quality moment, I think neither team allowed quality moments from attacking players, if that makes sense? Shaq certainly showed that.
“The best thing about it from my point of view, as the way I am, back tackle, won the ball back, working hard for the team and he got his reward with a really classy finish. Such a great moment and as with us at the moment, you’re looking for that second one to give us that breathing space.
“Their goal came out of absolutely nothing. It was a ricochet in the middle of the park and it’s landed to the lad one pass and we didn’t quite get tight enough in around our 18 yard box and that lad will constantly do that. He’s done that recently. He’s done that in the past. He’s a classy player in terms of those one v one situations.
“So, yeah, that was a frustrating moment and then we didn’t lose our way in any way, but we lost our real control of the game. We seemed to be a little bit backwards as opposed to forwards, but we still had enough forward actions to make their ‘keeper work, but I have to give credit to both sets of team. You can say both sets of defences, but in terms of both sets of team, they were so diligent and that’s credit to Lincoln and ourselves.”
Rovers have taken 13 of their 17 points so far in League One from home fixtures and have another clash on their own turf next weekend when they host relegation-threatened Crawley Town.
