It's always fascinating when a team experiences a stark contrast in fortunes from one half of the campaign to the other.
A club record 10 consecutive losses prompted Bristol Rovers to wield the axe on head coach Darrell Clarke in December with relegation to the National League an ominous threat heading into 2026.
The Pirates scored just three and conceded 27 in their losing run, had plummeted into the League Two relegation zone and posssesed the worst goal difference in the division. Injuries had mounted in the latter stages of Clarke's tenure, and confidence was significantly depleted.
Perhaps more disconcerting than Rovers' wretched run of form was the underlying feeling that the club's problems were too deep rooted for a managerial change to solve.
The Gas were searching for their fifth head coach in two years and yet despite the flurry of changes, no figure was unable to alter the club's sinking trajectory.
Step forth Steve Evans, the astute Glaswegian who's carved success stories across the Football League.
It was far from plain-sailing to begin with for Evans, who didn't have a magic wand to rectify the prevalent issues at the Memorial Ground.
Drawing 1-1 against 10-man Crewe Alexandra in his opening match, Evans was dealt a tough hand with fixtures against in-form Bromley and Barnet during the festive period.
The Gas did record their first win under the 63-year-old on New Year's Day as they triumphed 3-0 away at floundering Shrewsbury Town courtesy of a second half hat-trick from Swiss striker Fabrizio Cavegn, but the rest of January offered little reprieve as they suffered three consecutive losses against Colchester United, Salford City and MK Dons.
Thankfully for Rovers, the teams around them at the bottom were also struggling to accrue points. A 3-0 win against Newport County at the end of the month was pivotal, and the inspiration on that day was January recruit Yusuf Akhamrich, who joined on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
Recruitment had stifled Rovers in the past, so the winter window was a defining moment in the club's recent history. Evans was able to bolster his defence with the captures of Riley Harbottle from AFC Wimbledon and Kofi Balmer on loan from Motherwell, while his midfield was replenished with the acquisitions of Ryan De Havilland, Kane Thompson-Sommers and the experienced Richie Smallwood.
In attack, the additions of Joe Quigley and Mees Rijks heightened competition within the forward department.
A reshaped Rovers won again versus Walsall, and although three consecutive defeats followed, there were encouraging signs to suggest Evans' side will soon transform positive performances into consistent results.
Adamant of an upturn in fortune, Evans' belief soon filtered onto the pitch. The Pirates conquered Grimsby Town 3-1 at the Memorial Ground on 21st February; they've only lost one match since.
Across the last two months, Rovers are the form team in League Two with 10 wins from 12 matches, accruing 31 points from a possible 36. They've scored 23 goals and conceded eight in that period, climbing up to 14th with 61 points.
It's testament to the remarkable work Evans has undertaken that Bristol Rovers are now closer to the play-off places than the relegation zone. In the same season, the club have gone from losing 10 consecutive matches to winning eight matches in a row.
If the campaign started when Evans was appointed, Rovers would currently be occupying a play-off berth. The form table since the 1st January places the Gas in fourth, level on points with Cambridge United.
It's been a tremendous end to the season, but Evans is not one to rest on his laurels. The ambition for next season has already been discussed, and the former Leeds United and Rotherham United boss has his eyes on promotion.
"That objective set by the board and our chair is very clear, to produce a promotion campaign next season, a challenge," Evans told BBC Radio Bristol.
"If we don't win promotion will I leave the football club? In the words of our chairman, no, but if we're not challenging that would be an issue for all of us because we have to somehow get this club into a position where it can't be in League Two for much longer."
League Two table since Steve Evans' appointment
Table since 16th December 2025:
Played: | Won: | Drawn: | Lost: | GD: | Points: | |
| 25 | 15 | 7 | 3 | +27 | 52 |
| 25 | 14 | 8 | 3 | +29 | 50 |
| 25 | 15 | 5 | 5 | +19 | 50 |
| 25 | 13 | 9 | 3 | +14 | 48 |
| 25 | 15 | 2 | 8 | +10 | 47 |
| 25 | 13 | 6 | 6 | +11 | 45 |
| 25 | 14 | 2 | 9 | +14 | 44 |
*Correct as of 27/04/2026
