After the Lord Mayor's Show

ON THE ATTACK . . . Ryan Flynn tries to get a cross into the Rovers box

WITH one foot tentatively hovering over a sandy beach, Athletic hustled and harried here but were found wanting on two crucial occasions.

Backing up the monumental effort in beating Bolton two days earlier with 10 men, a side featuring three changes succumbed to a defeat when Ellis Harrison ran laterally across the box, fashioned room, to fire in the winner after 75 minutes.

The hard-running striker should have been closed down; earlier, Athletic speed merchant Tope Obadeyi did brilliantly to race into the box before taking a touch too many to try to place the ball on his favoured left foot for a strike at goal.

On such trigger-shy moments, matches as tight as this one at the Memorial Stadium are won and lost.

The holiday flip-flops cannot yet be packed with a worry-free mind. Athletic probably won't be caught, thanks to three points against Bolton that took the tally to 51. But nothing is certain and odds of 200-1 against the drop offered by bookies are far lower than the 5,000-1 offered on Leicester becoming Premier League champions.

INSPIRATION

With a lack of real inspiration and finesse among a side containing three changes (one enforced by Michael Ngoo's suspension) it meant that despite a 9-0 corner count, John Sheridan's side failed to land a meaningful attempt at Joe Lumley's goal other than Lee Erwin's right-footed effort from a tight angle the Rovers custodian kept out with his legs.

Chief midfield string-puller Ollie Banks was at the fore in the first half, before Darrell Clarke's side - possibly inspired by helpful results around them, knowing that a win could keep alive theoretical play-off hopes - upped the ante.

Stuart Sinclair arrowed a shot towards Connor Ripley's near post and the goalkeeper clawed it out superbly in the 74th minute. Athletic's terrific goalkeeper might have thought he had done enough to equal Les Pogliacomi's club record of 18 clean sheets in a season by then, only for as failure to deal with a low cross and then Harrison's movement soon after to scupper that idea.

Jamie Stott was solid again as John Sheridan kept faith with a 3-5-2 formation, drafting in the rusty Ryan Flynn and Aiden O'Neill to hand a rest to midfield pair Ousmane Fane and Paul Green.

Up against a Rovers side unbeaten in the league at their charmingly atmospheric and slightly ramshackle home ground since November, the tricky Billy Bodin gave Ripley the hurry-up with a low shot from 20 yards he had to get down sharply to after only 22 seconds.

Bodin went high in the 21st minute and again found Ripley his equal, before Obadeyi - playing up front, where he was so effective late on against Bolton - spun his man 45 yards out, searing into the box and feinting past two players before trying unwisely to beat a third before shooting.

STICK

Cristian Montano, visibly riled by some understandable stick delivered his way by Athletic's travelling support, slashed an effort wide and team-mate Harrison again forced Ripley to repel an effort struck towards him at a kind height.

Heading in fairly comfortable if uninspiring at half-time, Athletic needed more mental agility in the final third for the second 45 minutes.

It didn't quite happen, though.

Bodin slipped Luke James into a worrying amount of space 12 yards out two minutes into the second period and the visitors were relieved to see the ex-Peterborough forward completely scuff the ball as he turned and shot in a single motion.

A rare flowing move at the other end ended with Flynn's centre almost causing havoc, while on the hour, Ripley caused a few jitters by appearing to travel outside the box after collecting a tough ball.

Referee Christopher Sarginson helpfully waved play on.

With Obadeyi taken off, Flynn was pushed up front alongside Erwin.

It was Rovers who turned up the heat, though, taking the lead through Harrison's ninth goal of the campaign.

Lee Erwin drove in with his right foot three minutes after the opener as the ball landed nicely for him. Lumley's near-post save with his legs wasn't quite absolutely fabulous, but it was more than decisive enough.

Peter Clarke almost profited when a cleared corner was directed back into the box, only for Harrison to block his path to goal well just outside the six-yard box when primed to pull the trigger.

POINT

And with Athletic pushing hard to try to snatch a point, Bodin failed to control a lovely cross by young substitute Ryan Broom with the goal at his mercy in the 84th minute.

Flynn flashed wildly wide in the closing stages and that was that, on the penultimate away-day of a season that still looks like ending more than satisfactorily despite this minor setback.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic were not quite at the races.