Bristol Rovers Head Coach Iñigo Calderón has made clear that his side must maintain momentum at home ahead of their clash with Burton Albion. Daniel Wales reports.
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00:00The confidence gained from maintaining a recent unbeaten home record for Bristol Rovers cannot be understated in times such as these.
00:08The Gas remain embroiled in a relegation battle, but know that they have the capability of lifting themselves out of danger if they continue to pick up points at home in the league.
00:18Burt and Albion visit the Memorial Stadium on Saturday, six points adrift from their hosts, but will also sense an opportunity to cut that deficit to just three by Saturday evening.
00:28Bristol Rovers, however, will go into the game with the backing of their supporters, which of late has been their biggest asset in the league.
00:38Head coach Inigo Calderon certainly understood the importance of maintaining the momentum they currently have at the Memorial Stadium.
00:46Yeah, I think it's important to stay in that momentum as long as possible, even not winning the game, but still fighting until the end and getting the result.
00:57It's really, really important, because especially being at home, that gives us, you know, next time that we are losing, we're still thinking, OK, we can do it.
01:05Because it's not easy when you are down in the score to get back.
01:10So I think it was important to be at the very last minute of the game because, as I say, the games, they are so long and you have to stay in the game somehow.
01:19And as well, finding the way in a set piece, I think is something that we were missing before. It was good for the boys.
01:25Calderon admitted that the draw against Stockport was a game in which Rovers would have lost only a handful of weeks ago.
01:32Such has been their development in the last few games.
01:35Well, probably, yes. Probably, yes. I think we have the samples not that long.
01:41I would say even the game against Wigan, the game against Charlton, when we conceded, we collapsed a little bit.
01:47And it's normal as well, because I've been saying probably too much already.
01:51When you are down, it's not an easy sport to play. Mentally, you know, it affects you more than when you are in a good run.
02:00But yesterday, as I say, even just after we conceded the goal, I think we had a chance.
02:06So the reaction was there from the team.
02:08As I say, yesterday, probably there was a moment in the game that was not great for us because probably they were doing the things they wanted.
02:14But listen, it's going to be long, this thing.
02:17The funny thing, I am happy with the team, but we are still there.
02:22I've been saying that for a long time, that we are going to be there for a while.
02:26But we have to make sure that we don't lose the focus on staying things right.
02:31Calderon was also hugely pleased for new striker Syll Swinkles, who scored on his debut against Stockport to rescue the point at the death.
02:39When you are a defender, sometimes you don't have a minute or sometimes you are even out of the squad.
02:44But the next game, you can be starting 11.
02:47For defenders, it's a bit different to other ones.
02:50For Syll, I think it's important for him that the goal yesterday was always good for a player coming new to a club.
02:56So happy for him.