Scott Sinclair speaks out on Bristol Rovers’ 2-1 win v Cheltenham Town | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers closed the gap between themselves and the play-off places in League One to just four points with a 2-1 victory over Cheltenham Town on New Year’s Day.

Goals from Aaron Collins and Josh Coburn saw the Gas head into half time two goals to the good, but Alfie May halved the deficit in the second half to give the Robins hope of taking something back to Gloucestershire.

The win saw Rovers bounce back from consecutive defeats at the hands of Wycombe Wanderers and Exeter City during the festive period, keeping their distant top six hopes alive.

Scott Sinclair has emerged as an important player for Rovers in the last couple of months, and the former Manchester City winger sent a message to supporters, via Instagram, after the game.

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The 33-year-old, who came through the youth system at Bristol Rovers before being picked up by Chelsea, made 27 appearances in all competitions for Preston North End last term.

However, Sinclair found himself unattached from the end of last term until mid October, and he has been a key part of Joey Barton’s first team plans ever since.

The Verdict

The big Xmas Day Bristol Rovers quiz – Can you score 18/18?

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When did Bristol Rovers move to the Memorial Stadium?

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On his day, Sinclair is still comfortably capable of playing in the Championship, but his fitness has deteriorated over the last year or so, leading to dropping down to League One level.

With exciting aspiring forward players in the ranks like Collins, Coburn and Antony Evans, it is good to have someone around like Sinclair, who has experience of playing at such a high level.

The play-off race is fairly open in the third tier with the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United dropping off in the last couple of months.

It remains an uphill task for the Gas in just their first season since winning promotion from League Two, but Barton and the squad will be optimistic about their chances.