ROVERS ended their season with a tame goalless draw at Southend on Saturday.

The contest was typical end-of-season fare, with neither side threatening the play-off places or in danger of relegation.

The main talking point of the first half was the dismissal of Gas midfielder Ollie Clarke. He had already been booked when the referee waved another yellow card in his direction following a seemingly harmless challenge.

The ref had clearly forgotten he had already booked him until it was brought to his attention by some Southend players, so he then had no option but to send him off in the 42nd minute.

The farce summed up the midfielder’s season, as he failed to match the heights he had set himself the previous year with his form being inconsistent to say the least. His performances have improved in the last couple of months so hopefully he will show fans he can reach the required levels on his return.

Rovers had the better of long spells of the fixture and went close with efforts from Harrison and Craig.

The Shrimpers also posed a threat with an effort that hit the crossbar but the Pirates did well to emerge with a point after playing over half the match with 10 men, showing the character of the players.

We only mustered six shots, two of which were on target, highlighting the need for manager Darrell Clarke to bolster his strikeforce for next season.

The result left Rovers in 13th place in the table, a satisfactory mid-table finish. Successful recruitment over the summer will be key to our chances next season and Clarke revealed last week, as he announced his retained list, what areas he needs to strengthen.

The squad does not need wholesale changes but improving on what we have will be the priority.

A left back to replace Lee Brown, more steel and creativity in midfield and enhanced striking options would certainly increase our prospects of challenging the play-off positions.

The owners also need to update the fans on much-needed improvements to the club’s infrastructure, as we eagerly await news of progress with the new training site at Almondsbury and long-awaited plans for the stadium redevelopment