INCONSISTENCY has been a hallmark of Rovers’ season and they followed up Saturday’s stunning win over promotion-chasing Millwall with a disappointing defeat on Tuesday against a Brighton side, who may now have just about done enough to stay up.
Yet Paul Trollope’s side were well in command for the first half-hour as Albion looked almost inept at times. Chances came and went, with a Rickie Lambert close-range effort deflected for a corner, a Darryl Duffy header somehow miraculously headed off the goalline by skipper Adam Virgo and Duffy again close with a stooping header. But the breakthrough came on 28 minutes, Craig Disley supplying a cross from the right for Lambert to smash home goal number 28 of the campaign.
Brighton actually contrived to outshoot Rovers in the first half, though there was little to trouble goalkeeper Steve Phillips. Then a defensive slip by Byron Anthony allowed Gary Hart to set up Lloyd Owusu for a telling equaliser two minutes before the break.
And Hart was the provider again after 52 minutes, this time down the right, for substitute Calvin Andrew to power in an unstoppable header. Now Brighton were a different side and Rovers struggled to make any impact against some no nonsense defending, Disley skying the ball over from eight yards with the best chance of the half.
Trollope said: “A poor bit of defending getting towards half-time meant they went in with their tails up. We tried to rally the troops. But it was poor defending again by us that led to their eventual winner. We huffed and puffed after that but we lacked a lot of quality to get back into the game despite a number of players showing good drive and energy.”
Brighton boss Russell Slade, in charge since early March until at least the end of the season, has seen his side win four of their last five games to haul themselves out of the bottom four. He said: “I can’t tell you how important those three points will be because we still have two very difficult games to come. Even loyal Bristol Rovers fans would have seen the spirit our players put in and on reflection we probably just about deserved to win.”
Rovers: Phillips; Pipe, Hinton, Anthony, Hughes; Disley, Campbell, Lines, Duffy; Kuffour, Lambert. Subs not used: St Louis-Hamilton, Hunt, Rigg, Kite, Reece. Attendance: 6,193.
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