Bristol Rovers gained their first point of the season home to Wycombe last Saturday then followed it up with a resounding victory against Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday to kick-start the club’s 2019-20 campaign, writes Steve Knowlson.

After a disappointing opening loss at Blackpool, Gasheads were hoping for a more resolute performance from the boys in blue and white quarters when the club hosted Wycombe Wanderers at the Memorial Stadium. In truth, it was a game with little to excite fans of attacking football with both defences firmly on top throughout.

Rovers had the better of the first half, with Barnsley loanee Adeboyejo striking a post and Sercombe forcing a good save from the Chairboys keeper just before half time, but there was precious little goalmouth action to entertain the fans.

The second 45 followed a similar pattern, although the visitors edged it in terms of chances and Rovers were indebted to centre back Tom Davies who cleared a goalbound shot from his former Coventry City colleague, Jack Grimmer, off the line in the dying moments of the match.

Davies was definitely Rovers’ stand-out performer, putting in an assured display at the back and handling the threat from the muscular and experienced Adebayo Akinfenwa well.

It was a solid point from a goalless draw which will not live long in the memory.

If Gasheads were worried about the team’s lack of goal threat from the opening two games of the season, the team addressed those concerns in confident style with a convincing 3-0 victory against local rivals Cheltenham in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

Tyler Smith, on loan from Premier League Sheffield United, was the star of the show, scoring a brace and setting up the third for returning Gas talisman Jonson Clarke-Harris. A more fluid attacking display saw Smith open the scoring on 38 minutes, reacting fastest when the visiting keeper spilled Kyle Bennett’s fierce volley, before doubling his tally early in the second half and unselfishly setting up Clarke-Harris for a tap-in the secure the victory.

The win sets up a tasty tie with Premier League Brighton on 27 August, but before that Rovers travel to Birmingham to play Coventry in League One this Saturday.