Steve Evans still awaiting first Bristol Rovers win after defeat to Barnet

Steve Evans’ agonising wait for his first win as relegation-threatened Bristol Rovers manager continued as Adam Senior and Ryan Glover goals proved enough to earn a 2-0 victory for Barnet.

Rovers’ fears of the drop deepened when Barnet took control of a scrappy contest after 45 minutes when Senior knocked the ball in from close-range following a goalmouth scramble after Mark Shelton’s free-kick was headed on to the crossbar.

It should have gone from bad to worse for the home side when Ben Winterburn was fouled in the penalty box, but goalkeeper Luke Southwood came to the rescue to save Shelton’s tame spot-kick just after the hour.

The hosts rallied and almost levelled, but Bees goalkeeper Cieran Slicker pushed over skipper Alfie Kilgour’s header following Jack Sparkes’ free-kick as the hosts looked to avoid

Glover doubled the advantage when he thumped in a loose ball in the 86th minute as the home side failed to clear their lines following a corner.

Evans, who has seen Rovers gain just one point from three games since he succeeded Darrell Clarke, looked crestfallen at full-time, which left the hosts a point off bottom spot and was greeted by boos by some home supporters after a seventh successive home league defeat.