Steve Evans impressed by Kane Thompson-Sommers’ equaliser for Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers boss Steve Evans hailed Kane Thompson-Sommers after his brilliant effort helped grab a vital point for the strugglers at local rivals Swindon.

The MK Dons loanee drove in from the right flank, held off challengers and expertly curled into the far corner two minutes before the break.

But Ollie Palmer ensured the Sky Bet League Two game finished 1-1 with an equaliser for the high-flying Robins.

Evans said: “Kane’s getting more confident every week. He’s such a quiet boy. I don’t think I heard him speak twice.

“But he’s a wonderful kid. And when he drove up the right, I thought, ‘Do what you’ve done many times for MK Dons, chop it in (on to) your left and just bend it in’. And I could not have wished for any more, because he did it.”

But despite Rovers’ lowly position Evans was disappointed not to bag all the points.

He said: “We’re attacking, we’re getting our fans excited, and then we just individually switch off at a set-piece.

“I don’t remember them having another chance, really, in the entire game.

“We go in the dressing room and every one, to a man, was coming in hugely disappointed. The vocal ones are making comments.

“Everyone knows that’s a game we could and should have won.

“This isn’t the Bristol Rovers of 10 weeks ago. And anyone at Swindon Town will know that.”

Swindon dominated but heroics from Brad Young kept the visitors in the contest.

He had to scramble to tip over Jake Batty’s inswinging corner and from that set-piece impressively clawed away Will Wright‘s point-blank header.

The keeper then clawed away Aaron Drinan’s half-volley on the run after Junior Hoilett had picked him out with a sweeping crossfield ball.

Thompson-Sommers then delighted the 2,315 travelling Rovers fans with his exquisite strike just before the interval.

Robins boss Ian Holloway was red-carded in the 52nd minute for a comment made from the bench.

Palmer nearly foiled Young with a delicate close-range lob but a defender got back to nod the ball over.

But he levelled with his next effort by sidefooting into the far corner in the 58th minute from Jake Batty’s free-kick.

The former Wrexham man then tried another lob from 25 yards but Young was able to rush back and punch over as the Pirates held on.

Swindon assistant boss Marcus Bignot said he was unaware why Holloway was carded.

He added: “We are disappointed not to come away with three points, especially after our second-half performance.

“We had enough chances to score more than just the one. We looked a constant threat on set-plays.”

He was pleased to see Palmer, 34, roll back the years, with an eye-catching second-half display.

Bignot said: “There was just a period where you looked and say, ‘yeah, that’s the old Ollie Palmer’.”