Bristol Rovers lost 3-2 against Bromley in Steve Evans’ first home game as head coach – here’s how we rated the players
19:25, 26 Dec 2025Updated 19:29, 26 Dec 2025
Ollie Dewsbury of Bristol Rovers shows a look of dejection after Bristol Rovers concede a goal to make it 2-3 during the Sky Bet League 2 Match between Bristol Rovers and Bromley at Memorial Stadium on 26 December 2025. Photo: Will Cooper/PPAUK(Image: Will Cooper/PPAUK)
Bristol Rovers lost their sixth consecutive home league game, seeing their two-goal lead vanish after the break, with Shaq Forde receiving a red card for a second yellow in the 53rd minute.
Bromley came back from 2-0 down at The Mem to secure a last-ditch 3-2 victory to move to second in League Two. Jack Sparkes and Fabrizio Cavegn put the Gas into a two-goal lead at half-time, but Forde’s red led to an onslaught from the visitors, with the second-half substitutes Nicke Kabamba and Ben Thompson scoring for the Ravens.
Bristol Live’s Bristol Rovers writer Will Murray gives his verdict and ratings on the Gas players…
READ MORE: Boxing Day nightmare for Bristol Rovers as Gas beaten from 2-0 upREAD MORE: ‘Atrocious’ – Steve Evans on Shaq Forde red card and Bristol Rovers Boxing Day defeatLuke Southwood – 6
Luke Southwood nearly got to Kabamba’s goal, which snuck into the bottom right corner. The Northern Ireland international was unable to claw it away, though, and failed to do anything about Thompson’s two strikes. He is far from the problem right now and will be needed in this relegation battle.
Taylor Moore – 6.5
Given he is out of position, Taylor Moore had another solid game at right-back, getting forward well on a couple of occasions and defending the wide threat of the likes of Mitch Pinnock.
Alfie Kilgour – (off for Tom Lockyer, 75′) – 6.5
Like Clinton Mola, Alfie Kilgour was involved in a tussle for large spells of the game due to Bromley’s direct approach to physical attackers. When he was substituted off in the 75th minute, it was 2-1 to Rovers, and his absence was certainly felt in the last 15.
Clinton Mola – 6
Clinton Mola was impressive in the first-half, combining well with Jack Sparkes and dealing comfortably with Bromley’s top scorer Michael Cheek. He might be slightly annoyed with the first goal when he watches it back, as Kabamba was able to sneak in front of him and poke past Southwood.
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Jack Sparkes – 8
My man of the match. I thought he’d be a key player under Steve Evans due to his crossing ability and threat on the left-hand side. He was impressive against Crewe and continued that form today with a deserved goal in the first-half. He received a perfectly-weighted through ball from Josh McEachran and smashed home brilliantly into the top right corner past Grant Smith.
Josh McEachran – 7
McEachran was another impressive performer today, creating Sparkes’ goal and should have had a second assist when his through ball found Cavegn just before the hour mark, with the score at 2-0. A must-start right now for a struggling team.
(Image: Will Cooper/PPAUK)Kamil Conteh – 6.5
Kamil Conteh looked comfortable next to McEachran and Joel Cotterill in a midfield three. He did well to hold off the defender and set up Cavegn, who lashed home to make it 2-0 just before half-time. After the red, it was hard for everyone in a blue and white shirt, and Conteh will be aggrieved that the performance of him and his fellow midfielders, especially in the first-half, didn’t result in a much-needed point.
Joel Cotterill – (off for Bryant Bilongo, 62′) – 6.5
It was a surprise to see Cotterill not in the starting eleven against Crewe, but Evans ensured he was in from the beginning against the Ravens. It was a typical Cotterill performance, with a lot of driving runs at the opposition defence, before having to switch to right-midfielder in a 4-4-1 shape after Forde’s red card.
Luke Thomas – (off for Ollie Dewsbury, 75′) – 7
Luke Thomas looked lively in the first-half, combining well with Sparkes again on the left. He started a move in the first-half, playing a lovely through ball to the full-back, who cut it back to Forde, but the right-winger was off target from inside the box. In the 75 minutes he played, Thomas was one of Rovers’ best players on the afternoon.
Shaq Forde – 3
The moment that changed the game. After picking up a yellow in the first half, Forde dived in recklessly in the 53rd-minute – receiving a second yellow and, as a result, a red card. His 15th-minute chance could have put the Gas ahead as well, but ultimately, his moment of madness has had a significant impact on today’s result.
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Fabrizio Cavegn – 6
It was great to see Cavegn back on the scoresheet with a well-taken goal in the first-half to put Rovers in the lead. He could have had a hat-trick, though, with two one-on-ones in the early stages of the first and second halves. The Swiss striker was unable to add to his 40th-minute strike, though, which Evans will hope is a confidence booster for the number 29 given the club’s attacking injuries currently.
(Image: Will Cooper/PPAUK)Substitutes:Bryant Bilongo – 5
It was a tough ask for Bilongo to come on in the second-half, when Rovers were down to ten-men. He struggled to make an impact as Bromley piled on the pressure continually.
Ollie Dewsbury – 5
It was a difficult task for Ollie Dewsbury, who came up against a pair of physical Bromley defenders, with Rovers pinned in for the majority of the 21 minutes he played.
Tom Lockyer – 5
Tom Lockyer has still not picked up a league point since re-joining the club in October. The second goal for Bromley was a bizarre one, with Thompson finding space in the middle of Lockyer and Mola, who were both marking opposition attackers. It would be fascinating to see the breakdown of that goal in future team meetings ahead of the visit of Barnet.
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