It was another defeat for Bristol Rovers, as they exited the FA Cup to Port Vale – here’s our verdict
Bristol Rovers manager, Darrell Clarke(Image: Will Cooper/Shutterstock)
“The strange feeling that in some way you have already experienced what is happening now.” That’s the dictionary definition of Déjà vu, which perfectly summarises how I felt at full-time as Bristol Rovers lost 1-0 to Port Vale in the second round of the FA Cup.
After Ben Waine’s 47th-minute strike at Vale Park, the Gas never really looked like equalising and were second best on another frustrating afternoon for Darrell Clarke’s side.
Rovers had chances, with the best opportunity falling to Ellis Harrison in the first-half. Apart from this, it was a case of a lot of huffing and puffing with a lack of end product for a team lacking in confidence.
Clarke was his usual honest self in his post-match interview, with some telling quotes about the squad, who could break the club’s record for consecutive league defeats, if they lose at Barnet on Tuesday night.
With that said, here are the main talking points from Vale Park.
READ MORE: Darrell Clarke frustrated with ‘Sunday League’ defending as Bristol Rovers exit the FA Cup
OPINION
A ‘Sunday League goal’ with some home truths from Clarke
The goal that Port Vale scored was incredibly soft, which Clarke quickly acknowledged in his post-match interview. He described the defending leading up to Waine’s strike as “Sunday League,” before going on to say, “That’s why he came off the pitch”.
Four minutes after the opener, Stephan Negru and Bryant Bilongo came off, so without putting words into his mouth, Clarke was probably referring to Negru, who, along with Tom Lockyer, misjudged Connor Hall’s headed through ball through the middle of the backline, which allowed Waine to run onto it and score.
Negru is a very talented centre-back, and he had a positive first-half, in keeping with his consistent displays in a back three recently. Clarke was not just frustrated with Negru and the defenders, though, revealing that he could “end up ruining careers,” if he was honest with some of the Rovers squad.
Darrell Clarke, Manager of Bristol Rovers looks dejected after losing during the Sky Bet League 2 Match between Bristol Rovers and Notts County at Memorial Stadium on 29 November 2025. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
The full quote is as follows: “I can keep killing the confidence, and sometimes it’s best just to keep your mouth shut in there because I’ll end up ruining careers if I’m honest with you, because some of them think that I think they’re better than what they are at times, and they’re not producing it.
“So produce it, produce those moments, make sure you take care of those moments, and then you start [to] become players because we’ve had enough occasions yet again to get towards their back line, to get on the back line to be able to produce effort, and we don’t.”
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A change of shape again
Clarke’s tinkering has been a feature of this season, and it was another change of shape on Saturday as Rovers switched to more of a 3-5-2, with Harrison and Fabrizio Cavegn leading the frontline. Meanwhile, Joel Cotterill, Kamil Conteh, and Luke Thomas occupied the midfield, with Conteh playing as the deepest of the three.
With Taylor Moore in an unfamiliar right wing-back role, the Gas never looked comfortable in the shape that they also utilised in the 1-0 defeat against Cheltenham Town.
The problem with this system is that heavily relies on the wing-backs for chance creation, which was highlighted when Bryant Bilongo brilliant cross found Harrison in the 32nd minute, before Rovers’ number 19 missed from close range.
Apart from this, the visitors never really tested Port Vale, despite some late pressure. Whether he sticks with this formula with a few changes in personnel at Barnet, including the likes of Josh McEachran starting from the off, remains to be seen. What is evident, though, is that Clarke is not wavering from a back three, with the back four seemingly a thing of the past.
Bilongo a real positive
Bilongo has been out of the team in the last few games, with Jack Sparkes coming in to occupy the left wing-back spot. There are concerns about the 24-year-old’s consistency, but when he’s on, he’s a hard player to stop.
In the first-half, Bilongo was excellent – defending the left channel well and also providing a significant threat at the other end of the pitch. As already mentioned, he delivered an inch-perfect cross to Harrison in the 32nd minute, and started a few counter attacks with his pace and trickery out wide.
Bryant Bilongo scored the only goal in Bristol Rovers’ friendly win at Bath City(Image: Mat Mingo/PPAUK)
It’s hard to see how Bilongo retains his place on Tuesday, given that Sparkes is a key player for Clarke, as evidenced by his performances in recent weeks. The 24-year-old showed that he can step up in his absence, though, and one of the very few positives for Rovers on another disappointing afternoon.
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A huge week ahead
Well, Clarke mentioned the trip to Barnet post-match, describing the visit to the Hive as a “big game” for his side. The home game against promotion-chasing Swindon Town next Saturday is also lingering, with a real sense that the next week could be pivotal for Clarke and Rovers in a season that looks increasingly like being a relegation battle.
Barnet’s home record is actually worse than Rovers’ in the league, with only nine points from nine games. In fact, Dean Brennan’s side haven’t won in six in all competitions. As we all know too well, though, the Gas are no strangers to helping teams end winless runs.
The league defeats to Tranmere Rovers and Gillingham are perfect examples of losing to teams that have come into the match after a disappointing set of results. Tranmere were winless in seven in the league while Gillingham were winless in seven in all competitions before they secured 4-1 and 1-0 victories at The Mem, respectively.
If Rovers lose against Barnet and Swindon, they’ll likely be in the relegation zone this time next week. That is a terrifying prospect and Clarke, more than anyone, will know how important it is to stop the rot.
READ MORE: Port Vale edge past Bristol Rovers to reach FA Cup third round
OPINION