Matt Butcher believes Bristol Rovers' fixture against Mansfield Town gives them a great chance to continue their ‘momentum’ at The Memorial Stadium.
Despite back-to-back defeats on the road to Lincoln City and Crawley Town, the Gas will be looking forward to returning to The Mem, where they have been so strong under Iñigo Calderón. The Gas have won their last two fixtures on home soil against promotion hopefuls Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers and will be supported by a packed crowd on Saturday.
With eight games left to play this season, five are at home, meaning form at The Mem will be crucial in Rovers’ battle to remain in the third tier. The Pirates are one place and six points above the relegation zone but will be aware of Burton Albion, who have played one fewer game in the position below.
Butcher stated his side has reacted well in training to the frustrating 1-0 loss to Crawley Town and wants to continue the momentum in BS7.
“It's been a really positive start to the week off the back of two games where we have not been good enough, to be honest,” he said. “Away from home, obviously we’ve struggled throughout the season and the reaction of these two days have been positive, but going into Saturday, that means nothing, how we train.
“The positives we can take from it is the home form has been night and day. So, we can’t lose that feeling and that momentum that we have at home. We’ve got to try and keep that in the forefront of our minds going into the next eight games of the season.”
Rovers would have hoped to bounce back from their 5-0 loss to Lincoln with a first victory in eight away outings in all competitions against a struggling Crawley side. However, Kamari Doyle netted the only goal to help the Red Devils to a massive win.
Reflecting on the recent results, Butcher stressed the importance of using the ‘pain’ to return to winnings ways and admitted the game against Mansfield gives the team a chance of doing exactly that.
“We have to use that pain and the results in a positive way,” said Butcher. “We understand that we weren't at our best for the last couple off the back of two really good results. Now, it’s obviously looking forward and looking to implement ourselves at home, which is what we’ve been really good at this season.
“It hurts us to have them results but now we’ve got to look forward to what’s to come. I think we’ve got a great chance of getting that momentum straight back with a positive result on Saturday.”
By the time Mansfield plays the Gas on Saturday, it will be two weeks since they ended their 13 games winless run in the third tier with a 2-1 victory over Barnsley at One Call Stadium. It helped the Stags stretch the gap between themselves and the drop zone to eight points, with manager Nigel Clough hoping it is a sign of their form turning in the right direction.
Butcher knows the problems Mansfield will bring to The Mem on the weekend and has urged his side to stand up to the challenge.
“They are going to cause threats,” said the midfielder. “I have played them a couple of times this year for Wycombe, and they were really tough games. They are a physical outfit, so first and foremost, we’ve got to stand up to that. They can hurt you and the last couple of games, we’ve not been as good as we’ve liked in creating chances away from home but we’re going to have to be at our best to affect them.”
Butcher joined the Gas on loan from Wycombe Wanderers in the January transfer window and has started every game that he has been available for. The 27-year-old is one of the most experienced players in the group after playing over 150 games in League One and confessed he is trying to offer his support to the younger players during a difficult period in the campaign.
“I think that’s something a few of us can bring to the group,” he said. “I think whether we like it or not in our careers, we’re probably going to go through similar situations again. So, it’s almost bringing to light that this is going to happen. It’s not about making it not happen; it’s how you react. You’re going to go through bad points in a season. It’s natural. Especially the position we’re in.
“We’re not going to win every game. That’s probably not going to be possible until the end of the season. We would love to of course, but it’s how we react to setbacks. I think off the back of a few results previously away, we have come back to The Mem and really performed. So, it’s just focusing and reminding people that we’ve done it before, so there’s nothing to be afraid of going into Saturday.”
Rovers have won five of their eight games at The Mem under Calderón, with the Gas scoring in every fixture under his leadership at home. The return to BS7 has given an immediate boost to the squad, with Butcher excited to play in front of the home fans again.
“We can reflect as much as we like, but at the end of the day, this is why we play football, to play in front of a set of fans that give us the energy and give us the feeling in a game,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s up to us to repay that, and I think at home, that’s something we’ve done this season, and we’ve got to continue that if we want to finish it how we want to finish it.”
