Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton has warned Bolton Wanderers that if his side reach their level of performance they're "more than a match for anybody in this division" ahead of this weekend's League One clash.
The Gas were knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league side Boreham Wood last weekend but will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they travel up to the UniBol to take on play-off chasing Bolton.
Ian Evatt's side are fifth in the League One table – 10 places and seven points above Rovers – but Saturday's visitors have produced some eye-catching results since their return to the third tier.
They beat Peterborough United 1-0 earlier this month and held promotion frontrunners Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday to draws back in October.
Barton will be hoping his side can create another upset when they travel to the North West this weekend and, speaking to Bristol Live, has warned they're capable of doing so as long as they can reach top gear.
He explained: "I don’t tend to focus on opposition teams. If we reach our level of performance, we’re more than a match for anybody in this division, which I think we’ve shown in the opening two or three months of the season.
"If we don’t reach the level of performance, which has been shown against Crawley and Boreham Wood and a couple of other games, we’ll get our backsides handed to us. The focus this week is about us, what we’re going to do, how we’re going to do things better."
19 games into their first season back in League One, the Gas are 15th with 24 points.
The Verdict
Barton is never a coach short in confidence and his press conferences usually reflect that.
His team have produced some impressive results against the division's bigger clubs this term, however, and will be looking to do so against Bolton tomorrow.
They may have been beaten by Boreham Wood last weekend but just like Barton, this current Gas side appear to find it easier to get up for games against bigger opposition.
They'll no doubt be relishing the opportunity to go to the UniBol and cause an upset tomorrow.
It's now about following up their manager's warning with action.