In League One, Bristol Rovers faced off against Barnsley at home on 12/08/2023. Despite dominating the game, Bristol Rovers were unfortunate to come away with just one point.
The match started with Bristol Rovers enjoying large spells of possession. However, it was Barnsley who took the lead in the 7th minute through Nicky Cadden’s shot from a tight angle. Bristol Rovers immediately retaliated, with Luke Thomas providing a cross for John Marquis, but he couldn’t convert.
Marquis had another chance on goal in the 20th minute, but his header went wide. The first booking of the match came in the 23rd minute for Barnsley midfielder Barry Cotter.
Bristol Rovers applied pressure late in the first half and had two potential penalty calls waved away. The first half ended with Barnsley leading 1-0 against the run of play.
Bristol Rovers started the second half strongly, with Marquis having the first shot that went wide. In the 60th minute, Marquis struck the crossbar with another attempt. Jonathan Russell of Barnsley received a booking for a heavy tackle.
In the 73rd minute, Bristol Rovers made substitutions, bringing off Sam Finley and Lewis Gordon. Scott Sinclair, who replaced Finley, made an instant impact by winning a corner. Bristol Rovers finally equalized when Luke Thomas played Sinclair down the left side of the box, and he placed a right-footed shot into the far corner.
Sinclair continued to be a threat, but his subsequent shot went over the bar. Bristol Rovers carried the momentum and had a chance cleared off the line as they pushed for a winner. In the end, the match finished 1-1.
Bristol Rovers’ lineup Cox, Hoole, Crama, Taylor, Gordon (Grant 73), Finley (Sinclair 73), Ward, Thomas, Collins (Loft 90+3), Evans (McCormick 90+3), Marquis.
Barnsley’s lineup Roberts, Cotter (Lofthouse 90+7), Williams, Łopata, Kitching, Cadden, Russell (Chapman 90+7), Kane, Styles, Cole (Shaw 75), Watters (Dallas 59).
