ROVERS suffered the frustration of not playing on Saturday after the game at Bury was postponed.

The Shakers and referee deserve credit for getting the contest called off early to save Gasheads planning to make the long journey a wasted trip.

After securing four points from a possible six from the previous two games, it was a shame the Pirates could not continue that momentum and try to build on their more promising form.

Although the performances in the draw against Oxford and the win against Cheltenham were not convincing, we had risen to a more respectable position in the table with a bit of breathing space between us and the bottom two. We are also reaching the point in the season where results are more important than performances as the priority is to avoid the threat of relegation and the disastrous repercussions that would entail.

With the recent arrival of a few new faces to freshen up the front line, especially the lively Gow, hopefully the points will come sooner rather than later and we will not be facing an anxious final few games of the season desperate for points.

The players had a weekend off instead of being involved in competitive action, but fortunately other results went for us on Saturday, with Northampton and Torquay both losing.

The Pirates remain on 34 points, five points off the drop zone and 16 points off the magic 50 point marker that should be enough to ensure we are playing League Two football again next season.

Five wins and a draw out of the remaining 16 games is certainly achievable and let’s hope the target can be reached quickly.

The next two games are sure to provide a stiff test for the Gas as we play teams who are chasing promotion.

First up are Burton Albion under the Memorial Stadium floodlights tomorrow night, followed by a trip to Scunthorpe on Tuesday night.

We need to make home advantage count against the Brewers before embarking on the tougher looking fixture at Glanford Park to retain a gap between us and the bottom two.