“There’s nothing been achieved. There is three points that’s been achieved today.’
18:32, 21 Feb 2026Updated 20:01, 21 Feb 2026
Goal celebrations for Yusuf Akhamrich of Bristol Rovers, Kane Thompson-Sommers of Bristol Rovers and Clinton Mola of Bristol Rovers during the EFL League 2 match between Bristol Rovers and Grimsby Town at Memorial Ground, Bristol on 21 February 2026 (Photo: Rachel Le Poidevin/PPAUK)
Head coach Steve Evans was full of praise for his Bristol Rovers side as they secured a crucial 3-1 victory against Grimsby Town to lift themselves four points clear of the League Two relegation zone. But he stressed that they are “not out of the woods yet”.
Kofi Balmer and Joe Quigley gave the Gas a two-goal lead after only seven minutes, before Andy Cook responded seven minutes before the break. Yusuf Akhamrich then made it 3-1 just after the hour mark, with a calm finish into the bottom left corner to secure the win after three successive defeats.
Speaking about the performance, Evans said: “Yeah, I think as a head coach, if you believe that I said last week in the press, performances bring results over a period. The performance was good today and it had to be good.”
“You know I travelled up first-hand to watch Grimsby myself on Wednesday. I went back to my family home near Cambridge at somewhere like half past one in the morning and was back in the training ground here in Bristol at 10 to 7 the same morning, so it it was tiring.
“But as I said to the players and I think Paul addressed the players with this, we had prepared, not just myself, but Paul does it. We prepared to go to those lengths to ensure that we prepare our team properly. But credit today goes to the players. We had probably four or five players that, probably four, on another day if you had a fuller squad, would have probably sat the game out, a bit like Shaq.
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“Not in terms of concussion, but different things. And then from that point of view, they went out there. They asked to go out there when I was addressing them on Thursday and I met them all separately. They wanted to play. Young Yusuf was one of them.
“And then people think that l leave him out of Oldham for a reason that he’s not good enough – get a grip. He’s so talented. But when you’re not quite right, I’m trying to find other opportunities. But really pleased with that.”
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Rovers shifted from a 4-1-2-1-2 to a 4-4-2 for the second half, with the Gas registering 13 shots to Grimsby’s three in the final 45. Evans said that this tactical tweak gave them “more control in the wide areas,” with the substitutes Promise Omochere, Luke Thomas, Fabrizio Cavegn and Mees Rijks helping the hosts keep their momentum. The head coach added: “We could have scored five or six alone in that second half on top of it.”
In midweek, Rovers saw their buffer to the relegation zone reduce to two, with Newport County and Harrogate Town both winning.
Asked about the importance of today’s victory to ease the nerves within the fanbase about a potential return to non-league, Evans said: “I could see the nervousness in the city this week because obviously I’m in the city and I’m going supermarket shopping, I’m going to get fuel and I’m seeing Gasheads and they’ll say ‘come on Steve’. It’s getting bigger and bigger in terms of how important it is.
Goal celebrations for Yusuf Akhamrich of Bristol Rovers during the EFL League 2 match between Bristol Rovers and Grimsby Town at Memorial Ground, Bristol on 21 February 2026 (Photo: Rachel Le Poidevin/PPAUK)
“We’re not out of the woods yet with this win. I think I addressed it when we beat Walsall. There’s nothing been achieved. There is three points that’s been achieved today.
“But you look around, Harrogate get a point Crawley get a point. Shrewsbury win. Not that I’ve looked.”
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It is now three wins in the last four games for Rovers at The Mem and the head coach was also keen to praise the home supporters following another victory in BS7. He said: “Yeah, and just a special mention to the fans, who it would be easy not to turn up today.
“It would be easy to turn up today and allow nervous feelings to take away a support and a noise level that we need, and I know it helps when you get two early goals, but you know 2-1, the start of the second half, I came out and I felt it here and I don’t always say that about different fans.
“You know I came out and I felt it here because they were loud and they were standing shoulder to shoulder with us and as long as I can draw breath, I’m shoulder to shoulder with every Bristol Rovers supporter.”
Next up for the Gas in an away trip to Swindon Town. The reverse fixture saw the Robins win 3-0, inflicting a 10th consecutive league defeat on Darrell Clarke, which saw him sacked.
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