Southam-Hales stunner seals Gas’ first away win of the season

What a difference a week makes. After a frustrating start to the campaign, Bristol Rovers finally gave their travelling supporters something to cheer about with a 1-0 victory at Grimsby — their first away league win since January.

The Mariners had been riding a wave of confidence after their midweek heroics knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup, but Darrell Clarke’s side showed resilience, discipline and just enough cutting edge to bring them back down to earth.

The game began with a scare as Reece Staunton’s free-kick clipped the post, but Rovers soon found their rhythm. The decisive moment came in the 27th minute when a Grimsby clearance from a corner dropped to Macauley Southam-Hales. Without hesitation, the wing-back unleashed a stunning low volley from outside the box that arrowed past Christy Pym and into the bottom corner. Gasheads behind the goal went wild — a moment of pure quality in an otherwise scrappy encounter.

From there, it was all about hard work. Promise Omochere nearly wrapped things up on the hour mark when he raced through, only to be denied by Pym’s brave stop. Grimsby piled forward late on, with Staunton and Khouri both going close, but the Gas dug deep. Clarke’s men threw bodies on the line, defended their box superbly, and refused to buckle.

When the whistle went, the relief and pride in the away end said it all. A long trip north, a battling performance, and three huge points to take back to Bristol.

This wasn’t free-flowing football, but it was exactly what we needed: fight, determination, and a reminder that this group can grind out results. More of the same, and suddenly the season looks very different.

Up the Gas! 💙🤍