JOEY Barton was pleased to see his Bristol Rovers side progress on what he felt was a 'tricky' Colchester United pitch.

Rovers were 2-1 winners at the JobServe Community Stadium, to book their place in the last-16 of the Papa Johns Trophy.

Barton felt it was important his Rovers team managed the game on a surface he felt was not suited to 'free-flowing' football.

But the Gas boss was nevertheless pleased to see his side progress, after Harvey Saunders bagged a stoppage-time winner for the visitors.

Barton told the Bristol Rovers website: "It's a tricky pitch - we were saying to the lads warming up on it, it's very, very soft and cut up quite deeply, which can affect the quality of passing.

"With the greatest respect, we've come off the Mem on Saturday which is a carpet and a fantastic pitch.

"It (Colchester) is not a bad pitch but it's certainly not conductive (sic) to playing good, free-flowing, passing football on the ground.

"Colchester won't mind that, because that's not really what they do.

"For us, it was about managing the game.

"We should have done it with a little bit more control but on the flipside of that, the name of the game in the cup is progression and we've managed to do that."

 

Colchester fell behind eight minutes after half-time when James Connolly headed in at the back post, after Bobby Thomas had nodded towards goal following a well-worked free-kick.

Substitute Freddie Sears equalised for the U's with five minutes to go and the tie looked like it was heading for penalties, until Saunders popped up with stoppage-time winner.

"It could have been safer," said former Fleetwood Town boss Barton.

"We had the game in control and we were guilty of spurning a number of really good opportunities on the counter attack, to get that second goal and put the tie beyond them.

"Credit to Colchester - they were brave and they played a lot more aggressively in terms of bodies forward, when they were one behind and then they got their rewards.

"It was a bit of a defensive mix-up and we exposed ourselves and we were a little bit unlucky with a deflection.

"But credit to the lads for picking themselves up and going on and winning the tie and not requiring penalties."

 

Saunders' goal against Colchester was his first of the season for Rovers, in 16 appearances.

Barton added: "For all forward players, you want goal involvements and goal moments.

"Harvey has been desperate for an opportunity to get on there and do what he does best, which is score goals.

"I'm pleased for him.

"It's a good ball in from Gibbo and Harv does what all good strikers do - they stay optimistic and he ends up getting the winner."