Matt Butcher admitted Bristol Rovers' defeat to Northampton was ‘tough to take’ after the Gas lost 2-1 at Sixfields Stadium.
Rovers started the day two points and one place above the Cobblers and were looking to extend the distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
After a goalless first half, Scott Sinclair’s composed finish soon after the restart put Rovers into the lead, but the Pirates could not hold onto their advantage, with Dara Costelloe and Nesta Guinness-Walker scoring for the hosts to complete the comeback.
Analysing the defeat, Butcher confessed Rovers dropped off after netting the opener and insisted his team must focus on the upsides after plenty of positive results recently.
“I’ll be honest, it’s a really tough one to take,” he said. ‘We started the second half exactly the way we wanted to and then just dropped off on the back of it. We’re going to find ourselves in tough situations, whether that be within games or off the back of games.
“It’s just really important that we all stick together and all keep believing, especially after the last few results. We just need to focus on the positives, and we’ll try and move on from that as quickly as possible.”
The game was in the balance after Costelloe cancelled out Sinclair’s opener. Stung by a late leveller against Burton Albion last Saturday, the Gas came through the fixture after a brilliant reaction, with Luke Thomas and Isaac Hutchinson scoring in the final minutes to confirm a massive win at The Memorial Stadium.
However, Rovers could not make their opportunities count against the Cobblers and fell to a defeat, with Guinness-Walker scoring with his first touch to secure all the points for his side.
Butcher stated the Gas could not capitalise on opportunities in a tight contest and believes everyone must keep their standards high to move in the right direction.
“They made it really difficult for us, and in the main, we dealt with it quite well,” said Butcher. “We got into some really good areas. Maybe we didn’t quite capitalise on the final pass or a couple of two-versus-one situations we didn’t quite capitalise on.
“But then it just goes back to moments in the game. There’s probably not too much to decide on that fixture today other than the goals, and that’s split-seconds, that’s organising, that’s everything to do with a team performance. Certain scenarios just let us down today. So, from now until the end of the season, we’ve got to be bang on it when it comes to that in terms of standards day in and day out in training.
“It’s been really positive since I’ve come in. So, we’ve just got to keep working how we believe we’re going to win games.
“There’s going to be disappointments from here until the end of the season. That’s natural if we’re the top of the league or bottom of the league. We’re always going to have ups and downs; it’s how you respond to them.
“For me, it’s staying positive and trying to come in on Monday with a smile on your face and work hard and enjoy working with each other because if we’re going to finish the season how we want to finish and believe we can finish then we’ve got to come in and enjoy working together. So, that has to start again on Monday.”
Butcher has been an integral part of Rovers’ midfield since joining on loan from Wycombe in January, playing in every game apart from the fixture against his parent club and registering two assists.
The 27-year-old has already made himself popular amongst Gasheads and confessed he has loved his time at the club so far.
“I’ve loved it,” he said. “I’ve settled in really quickly to the group. Obviously, the fans have been amazing. The three home games really helped that to start. So, we have to do it for them, do it for the people that love this club more than anything, and we can all resonate with that, wherever we’re from or who you supported as a kid. I’ve loved it so far, but I think the enjoyment comes from winning games of football. So, from here on out, that’s all I want to do.”
