Ten-man Bristol Rovers lost 3-0 to Stevenage in Iñigo Calderón’s first game in charge of the Gas.
The Gas moved the ball around nicely in the early stages, but Boro took the lead just after the half-hour mark through Elliott List's downward header into the bottom corner.
Rovers were searching for an improved second-half performance, but their task was made much more difficult in a matter of minutes. Soon after Jamie Lindsay was sent off for a second yellow card, Jordan Roberts thumped in Stevenage’s second goal from the following corner.
The hosts dominated the rest of the contest and added their third through Reid in the final stages to complete the win.
Calderón made two changes from the team that lost 3-1 to Exeter City on boxing day, with Club captain Scott Sinclair replacing Luke Thomas and the injured Kamil Conteh coming out for Luke McCormick.
The Gas started the game strongly and played the ball around neatly in tight spaces. Clever passes up the pitch earned Rovers the first opportunity of the afternoon, with Luke McCormick playing it into Promise Omochere. However, his shot on the turn went just wide of the post.
Little could separate the two teams in the opening 30 minutes, with little action occurring in either box. Nevertheless, Stevenage were causing problems with their dangerous crosses into the box. Lewis Freestone latched onto Dan Kemp’s free-kick and lifted his close-range effort over before the hosts took the lead.
Luther James-Wildin got down the right and whipped an inviting ball towards List, who planted his downward header past Griffiths.
Rovers were battling for a leveller just before the break and had an opportunity in first-half stoppage time. Sinclair got down the left and flashed a cross into Shaq Forde, whose diving header was caught by Murphy Cooper.
The Pirates were looking to respond after the break, but went down to ten men after Lindsay was shown his second yellow card for the hosts doubled their lead almost immediately after through the following free-kick. Freestone got onto the ball into the box and headed it across to Roberts, who blasted his strike in.
Luke Thomas and Gatlin O’Donkor were introduced to try and switch the momentum into the Gas’ direction, but a confident Stevenage continued to test Rovers’ goal.
Roberts looked to add his second from the edge, but his curling effort was claimed by Griffiths before the goalkeeper denied Reid’s one-on-one attempt from a tight angle.
Lino Sousa, Grant Ward and Ruel Sotiriou were then added to the mix, with Rovers missing a good chance to get back into the contest. Luke Thomas’ dropped an inviting corner into the heart of the box, but Omochere lifted his header over.
Stevenage responded with opportunities of their own and added a third five minutes from the end. Roberts rushed down the right and could have gone alone, but Roberts played a pass across for Reid to drive in his shot.
Rovers struggled throughout the second half to truly test Stevenage’s goal and fell to a disappointing defeat in their final match of 2024.
Stevenage: Cooper, James-Wildin, Butler (Freestone 17), Thompson, Piergianni, Kemp (Freeman 76), Roberts, List, Reid (Simpson 90), Phillips (White 76), Thompson (Sweeney 90)
Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Young
Goals: List 34, Roberts 53, Reid 88
Booked: Freestone 57, Roberts 71, Sousa 71
Bristol Rovers: Griffiths, Senior, Wilson, Mola (Sousa 68), Sinclair (Thomas 57), Omochere, Taylor, Hutchinson (Sotiriou 78), McCormick (Ward 68), Forde (O’Donkor 57), Lindsay
Subs not used: Moore, Martin.
Booked: Lindsay 21 (red 53), Wilson 25, McCormick 64
Referee: Edward Duckworth
