Bristol Rovers’ late surge for the League One play-off spots ultimately proved to be in vain last year, as the Gas narrowly missed out on a place in the top six, but manager Darrell Clarke will remain confident his side can go one better this season.

In the National League as recently as 2015, the club were seeking a triple promotion, having achieved their second successive elevation to this level only the year before.

Back-to-back promotions are a wonderful achievement, but a three times in a row is almost unprecedented.

This year has started solidly enough, but two wins and three losses from their opening five will not be the return Clarke would have hoped for at this early stage of the new campaign.

However, now that the transfer window is over and the club can finally concentrate entirely on league results, an upturn in form is expected at the Memorial Ground.

Much interest had been invested into forward Billy Bodin, with clubs from the Championship circling around the player in the latter stages of the transfer window.

Keeping the 25-year-old was essential, with the club having suffered the disappointment of losing star strikers in the past, with the loss of Matty Taylor to fierce rivals Bristol City last year still a sore topic.

Bodin already has four goals to his name this year in only five outings, and if the player continues his deadly streak in front of goal, the club could certainly have the league’s top scorer on their hands.

Deadly in the box, Bodin already has 30 goals in 79 appearances since joining the club in 2015, but his maturity is really beginning to show, and this could be the year where the player challenges for the Golden Boot.

Having Bodin on the books is exactly what Clarke needed to sustain a push for the top six, and Rovers will surely be up there by May next year.

Rovers fans, how confident are you of a top-six finish this season?