Luke Thomas stated that Bristol Rovers' defeat to Stevenage was ‘very disappointing’ after the Gas lost 1-0 to Boro in Sky Bet League One.
The Pirates fell to their seventh defeat in eight outings in the third tier, with Jamie Reid’s first-half strike enough to help the visitors to all three points. Rovers were looking to build on their draw with Wrexham on Friday but could not truly test Taye Ashby-Hammond in Stevenage’s net.
Rovers' fourth straight loss at The Memorial Stadium means they are in the relegation zone on goal difference with two fixtures left to play. However, Burton Albion in the position above have the additional bonus of having a game in hand.
Thomas said his team can have ‘no complaints’ after the defeat but emphasised that they still have a chance of retaining their League One status.
“It was very disappointing,” said the winger. “I don’t think we can have any complaints. We were poor all over the pitch, especially myself. No complaints, but luckily, we’ve still got a chance with two games left.
“We’re very lucky to have a big chance with two games left. If we’re talking about the whole season, we’ve been pretty poor. So, it’s not just this game, the last 40-odd games. So, luckily, we’ve still got a chance, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure we can do it.”
He later added: “It was very frustrating. It’s been the story of our season. We’ve lacked quality in the most important areas of the pitch. Whether it’s finishing or creating a chance. Sadly, we just didn’t have any quality chances today.”
Iñigo Calderón looked to replicate Rovers’ great performance against Wrexham two days prior by naming the same side that drew with the Red Dragons but struggled to get a foothold in the contest.
The Gas had the majority of the possession and spent a lot of time in Stevenage's half in the second half. However, they struggled to find a way through Boro’s defence, with Thomas admitting they have found things difficult against teams lower down the League One table.
“It’s just the same story, isn’t it,” he said. “We’ve always done well against the so-called better opposition. There were plenty of positives on Friday, and we’ve let everyone down today.”
Rovers have conceded first in their previous seven defeats in League One, with the Gas getting punished by early goals on several occasions. Thomas knows the importance of scoring first and suggested it is a problem his team have had for some time.
“I think it’s big in any division, but especially us,” said Thomas. “I think we’ve really struggled over the last couple of years to come from behind. I think we’ve only done it on a handful of occasions, if that. The first goal for us is absolutely massive and we didn’t get it today.”
Rovers host Reading on Saturday before travelling to Blackpool for the final fixture of the season. The Gas can put themselves in a good position and put pressure on Burton in the place above if they beat the Royals in the early kick off on the weekend, with Thomas refusing to give up.
“We’re in last chance saloon,” he said. “We’re not giving up. We’re still going to give it our best shot, and we’re going to rally and see where the next two games take us.”
