Ben Purrington said individual errors cost Bristol Rovers as their winning run ended with a 2-0 defeat at Grimsby Town. The loss at Blundell Park on Saturday halted a sequence of four consecutive league victories that had taken Steve Evans's side to the top of the table.
Purrington, the defender, gave his assessment in comments published by Bristol Rovers Football Club. "Individual mistakes have probably cost us today," he said. The 30-year-old added that the manner of the defeat was particularly hard to take. "It hurts over the weekend. Everyone's down."
How the game unfolded
Grimsby scored twice in the first half to secure the points. Kieran Green opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before Géza Dávid Turi doubled the advantage just before the break, finishing from a Charles Vernam assist. Bristol Rovers' task became harder when Tommy Leigh was shown a red card, reducing them to ten men. The visitors managed only three shots in total across the 90 minutes.
The result means Bristol Rovers drop to second place in Sky Bet League Two. They have 12 points from six matches, with a record of four wins and two losses. Their goal difference stands at plus four, having scored 12 and conceded eight.
The context of the defeat
This defeat followed a strong start to the campaign. The recent form guide, reading LWWWD from the last five games, shows three wins, one draw and this latest loss. Prior to the Grimsby trip, Rovers had beaten Rotherham United 1-0 at home, with Leigh scoring the winner in the 32nd minute. They also recorded victories over Colchester United and Crawley Town, alongside a draw with Chelsea's under-21 side in the EFL Trophy.
The red card for Leigh, who had been the match-winner the previous week, compounded a difficult afternoon. Manager Steve Evans will now have to plan for the midfielder's suspension. The squad depth will be tested, and fans can check the latest available players on the club's squad page.
Looking ahead
Attention now turns to another away fixture this coming Saturday. Purrington emphasised the need for a quick response from the group to get their promotion push back on track. The 46-game season offers plenty of time to recover, but the defender acknowledged the immediate disappointment in the camp.
Bristol Rovers will aim to bounce back and regain the momentum they had built during their early-season streak. The next match is a key opportunity to do just that. The team travels again next weekend looking for three points to stays near the summit of League Two.
