Inigo Calderon makes admission on Bristol Rovers' survival chances after falling into drop zone

Bristol Rovers fell into the League One relegation zone on Saturday with just four games remaining this seasonSport

Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter

11:18, 14 Apr 2025

Bristol Rovers head coach Inigo Calderon cuts a dejected figure on the touchline(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)

Inigo Calderon has insisted that he “has full confidence” in his players to ensure Bristol Rovers avoid relegation to League Two after dropping into the League One relegation zone for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon.

A 2-1 defeat at home to Exeter City was Rovers’ sixth consecutive loss and, with Burton Albion beating Huddersfield Town 3-0, saw them drop into the bottom four.

The Gas are level on points (42) with the Brewers but have four games left to play compared to their five while Burton also boast a far superior goal difference.

For the first time this term, Rovers are more likely to finish the season in the relegation zone than out of it and, speaking post-match Calderon declared that he still maintains confidence that his team will be able to finish above the dreaded dotted line as opposed to below it.

“Well, I’m confident because I have full confidence in the boys,” the Gas head coach told Bristol Live when asked how confident he is that the club can still avoid relegation. “Especially in the way we train and the way we prepare the games and the fact I’ve been there and I have great experiences escaping regulation in the last minute, and that happened to me as a player.

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“As I say before, it is going to be until the last minute. Now, it has to be in the last minute because we have to avoid the relegation. But listen, the way that, even in the chat we have, people care and the way we approach the sessions and even today that gives me the confidence that we are gonna be able to come back again on Monday with enough energy to go to Wrexham to beat them.”

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Calderon held his players and staff behind for almost an hour after the full-time whistle on Saturday as they held crisis talks in the changing room, a discussion that will hopefully be used as a catalyst to end the campaign strongly.

Rovers’ next task is particularly tough, having to go to automatic promotion chasers Wrexham on Good Friday while the Gas still maintain the worst away record in League One with just 11 points picked up on their travels.

Home matches against Stevenage and Reading will be seen as must wins while a final day trip to Blackpool will almost certainly require a result to give them hope of staying up.

Inigo Calderon makes admission on Bristol Rovers’ survival chances after falling into drop zone

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