Bristol Rovers manager Matt Taylor saluted veteran striker Chris Martin after he took out his “frustration” on Charlton with both goals in a 2-1 win at The Memorial Stadium.

Martin came off the bench to put the Gas ahead after 68 minutes and then had the final say four minutes into stoppage time after Manchester City loanee Slobodan Tedic had drawn Charlton level late on.

Taylor sang the 35-year-old’s praises after he revealed the Scotland international has been unhappy at having to play second-fiddle to fellow striker John Marquis in recent weeks.

He said: “Chris has probably been disappointed over the last few games not to have been starting.

“John Marquis has been leading the line well and scoring goals but tonight as the game was panning out we needed a different profile at the top end of the pitch.

“Once we got the ball into those dangerous areas he was bright and he was sharp and his first was a really good finish.

“But he has done that throughout the course of his career and I want him to keep buying into what we are trying to do in terms of work-rate and endeavour.”

Martin’s short-term Rovers contract expires in mid-January and his brace could not have come at a better time for the player and the club who ended 2023 with rare back-to-back wins.

Taylor added: “Hopefully this is another moment where a forward player can go on a bit of a run.

“Confidence is a big factor but his game is a model of consistency and he allows us to go more direct and he will get on the end of things.

“Both of his goals were classy and while they won’t go down as top goals in his overall career, they are classy finishes.

“I know he’s been frustrated over the last few games but every member of my senior group will always be frustrated if they don’t get the game time they think they deserve.

“But there’s an easy way to remedy that and that’s to perform as he did.”

For Addicks boss Michael Appleton, whose side have not won since November, the result was tough to take.

He said: “The end bit was hard to defend as a manager but what wasn’t hard to defend was the overall performance.

“We started the game really well and should have been two or three up and then we weathered the storm when we were under pressure.

“We were great in the second half and before they scored we had two or three really good opportunities

“We have done well and controlled the game and when we conceded it knocked the stuffing out of the lads.

“They showed really good character to get back into it but the second goal ruined all the good work the lads put in.

“I have to pick them up and make sure they are in the right frame of mind for New Year’s Day when we play Oxford who are a decent side.

“I have been here before and I recognise when groups need my help instead of being lambasted which is not going to help anyone.”

Bristol Rovers paid the price for their naivety according to manager Matt Taylor after they fell to a 3-1 defeat away to Sky Bet League One play-off contenders Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

John Marquis had equalised for Rovers after Ollie Norburn’s stunning opener. But second-half goals from Jake Beesley and Jordan Rhodes were enough to see Blackpool to three comfortable points.

Taylor felt it was only too obvious where the difference in the sides lay.

He said: “We were pleased to be level at half-time, but their second goal was a goal out of nothing. We showed a bit of inexperience and naivety. We didn’t quite do the basics.

“It’s happened far too often this season. We need to cut basic errors out if you want to be challenging in the top half of this league table. The basics is to defend your goal.

“It’s about a reaction to try and get back in the game, sometimes staying level for a bit longer is needed. The second goal was a real killer.

“We got into some dangerous positions, but didn’t work their keeper enough. They went a bit deeper as the game went on, but we weren’t able to force the issue enough.

“Apart from Luke Thomas, who was industrious all afternoon and a threat, we didn’t quite have it in us to beat an opposition player.”

Blackpool now sit four points adrift of the play-off places, with Norburn giving them the lead after 21 minutes with a screamer from 30 yards into the top corner.

Rovers responded when Marquis tapped home from close range, but Blackpool continued to press, Karamoko Dembele hitting the crossbar from a free-kick.

He then set up Beesley to restore the Blackpool lead a minute into the second half, with Rhodes notching his 15th of the season eight minutes from time to make the game safe, much to the satisfaction of Neil Critchley.

The Blackpool boss said: “I thought it was a positive performance. We started the game well and I thought we looked a good team.

“It was disappointing to be 1-1 at half-time.

“It was a fantastic first goal and how the goal came about was really pleasing. Ollie has shown that he can do it in training, so when he did line it up, we knew there was a chance. As soon as it left his foot it was like an arrow – a great strike.

“Up until the first goal, we were the team on the front foot playing in their half. We were disappointed to let an equaliser in, but the timing of the second and third goals were crucial. Bristol Rovers came into the game in the second half.

“It’s a good three points and a good start to the Christmas period. But we have to go to Burton now and get something.”

New boss Matt Taylor says he is still learning about his players after Bristol Rovers endured some tricky second-half moments in a 4-2 FA Cup second-round victory at Crewe.

Taylor secured his first win in his third game since taking charge of the Pirates at the beginning of the month, but what looked like an easy canter to a third-round trip to Norwich faded in a jittery closing period at Gresty Road when the home side halved a four-goal deficit.

John Marquis, James Wilson and Anthony Evans all scored in the first half and Ryan Cooney’s own goal made it 4-0 before Elliott Nevitt and Aaron Rowe got the the League Two side back into the contest.

Taylor said: “It is not about me, but about the team winning games of football.

“I am learning about this group of players and the first 70 minutes was really positive.

“Crewe have had good home form, so to be 3-0 up at half-time was excellent. We have now got to work as hard as we did for the first 70 minutes of that game.

“I’ve watched a lot of footage and that is the best I’ve seen from us. We won the ball high up the pitch when we were able to get pressure on the opposition and we have got players of a certain talent that can put the ball in the back of the net.

“But while we were excellent in parts, we were not in other parts and a few things went against us which I was not happy with. We could have been 5-0 up and probably should have been with a penalty decision and the game would have been dead and buried.

“But they broke away and put the ball into the back of the net and we had a little bit of a stagger in the second half. There’s a little bit of learning we have to take from that, but considering Crewe got two goals back with a bit of time left I am pleased it didn’t materialise into something else.”

Crewe manager Lee Bell was frustrated with how his side started the game.

“We have too good a group of players to allow things like that to happen,” he said.

“There’s a lot to learn from as the goals we conceded were unacceptable and if we continue that trend then we are not going to be successful.

“Bristol sat deep and we got in behind a number of times in the first half, but the decisions we took were the wrong ones.

“We have got to get better and get better, but we have got players who are coming back to fitness and hopefully we’ll have a full squad to pick from in the next week or two.

“Our crowd have been brilliant and we wanted to make it as exciting as we could for them – I thought we could have pinched one more as well – and hopefully they won’t see too many performances like that or see us let goals like that in again.”

New manager Matt Taylor savoured his first win since taking charge of Bristol Rovers as his side held off Crewe’s second-half fightback to win their FA Cup second-round replay 4-2.

John Marquis, James Wilson and Anthony Evans all scored to give the League One side a 3-0 half-time lead.

Ryan Cooney’s own goal made it four before Elliott Nevitt and Aaron Rowe struck to get the League Two side back into the contest, but they could not pull off the comeback.

Marquis handed the visitors an 18th-minute lead with a superb solo strike. He intercepted a loose pass, weaved into the box, slipped past two defenders and fired into the far corner.

Rovers made the most of some poor set-piece defending by Crewe to double their lead in the 24th minute. Evans’ corner was allowed to slip through to Wilson and the centre-backhooked a low finish into the corner.

Marquis headed a good chance straight into the arms of goalkeeper Harvey Davies but Rovers soon extended their lead when former Crewe loanee Evans cut in from the right flank and drove an effort high into the far corner.

Crewe’s hopes of getting back into the tie faded soon after the interval when substitute Cooney guided Evans’ cross into his own net at the far post for Rovers’ fourth.

The Railwaymen responded spiritedly. Substitute Nevitt cut in and curled a neat finish into the far corner in the 65th minute.

And the deficit was reduced further when Rowe bundled the ball in at the far post after Joe White’s shot fell into the winger’s path.

But Rovers negotiated the remaining 17 minutes, albeit with some jitters, to book a third-round trip to Norwich.

Interim manager Andy Mangan felt Bristol Rovers could have scored more as they eased into the second round of the FA Cup with a 7-2 victory over Northern Premier League side Whitby.

First-half goals from John Marquis, Luke Thomas, Jevani Brown and Antony Evans were added to by substitutes Harvey Vale and Aaron Collins after the break, following Harrison Beeden’s own goal.

“It was one for the neutrals I suppose, but can we take more chances? Absolutely,” said Mangan.

“Can we add more phases of play in their half? Yes. But it’s 7-2 and the last time we scored seven was against Scunthorpe when we got promoted, so there are good omens.

“We’ve got really good players in there, lads who can open you up, lads who can keep the ball and create one-v-one opportunities.

“I thought LT (Luke Thomas) was excellent in his first game back (from injury) and also John Marquis with his endeavour.

“There are loads of positives but as a coach you’re always looking to improve,” said Mangan.

Rovers continue to search for a successor to Joey Barton and Mangan has now won two games from two since taking temporary charge.

Barton’s former assistant also praised 15-year-old Rovers substitute Ollie Dewsbury, who came off the bench with three minutes remaining to become the Pirates’ youngest-ever player in the FA Cup and second youngest in all competitions.

“It’s amazing isn’t it? He did really well with the Under-18s. What a day for him, so proud for him,” said Mangan.

“Can you imagine him going into school on Monday morning, how happy he will be? It will be great.”

Whitby Town manager Nathan Haslam was proud of his side’s efforts against a professional team playing four leagues above them.

“I’m really proud. First half we were a little like rabbits in the headlights, the occasion got to us, which is gutting because we spoke about it a lot,” said Haslam.

“But we’ve just got to take a step back and you know we’re playing a team who are four levels higher. You can see the gulf in class. It’s crazy really.

“We showed them too much respect. We didn’t do our basics well, which I hoped we would, and they punished us. I think they were clinical.

“When you need that bit of luck, there were questions about that first goal being offside. Just to stay in the game, we were on the back foot, and I think that changed the complexion of the game for us really.”

Haslam said of Connor Simpson’s 59th-minute curler into the top corner – the goal of the game: “That one will be played for a long time by Whitby.”

Chris Martin scored his first goal for Bristol Rovers as he chipped in from 35 yards to earn a point for the home side in a 1-1 draw with Stevenage.

The 34-year-old elegantly lobbed over stranded goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond with seven minutes remaining when John Marquis fed the ball to the Pirates’ September free transfer signing.

Stevenage striker Jamie Reid had netted his ninth goal of the League One season before that as the visitors took the lead in the 40th minute.

Kane Hemmings, Connor Taylor and goalkeeper Matthew Cox all collided in the area trying to meet Jordan Roberts’ looping cross, and while the home supporters awaited a whistle from referee Matthew Donohue, it never came. Instead Reid gathered the loose ball and calmly slotted into the open goal.

Rovers forward Jevani Brown saw a good effort blocked in the second half, while Carl Piergianni headed a Jake Forster-Caskey free-kick against the post with half an hour to play but Stevenage came no closer to scoring.