A night off for Bristol Rovers did nothing to ease the pain for Gasheads. In fact, the knife was twisted by relegation rivals Wigan Athletic and AFC Wimbledon.
On current form, the Gas could be put out of their misery soon. Victories for the Dons and the Tics left Joey Barton's side three points from safety with just five games remaining.
Barton's fortunes from the sofa were equally as miserable as in the dugout, as Sunderland and Ipswich Town – both harbouring promotion ambitions – failed to do the Gas a favour. Lee Johnson's Black Cats gave away a lead to lose 2-1 at the DW Stadium, and half an hour later confirmation arrived that the resurgent Dons had romped to a 3-0 win over the Tractor Boys at Plough Lane.
But the harsh truth is Rovers deserve no favours. In fact, they deserve to be relegated.
They have had enough chances to save themselves, but they have turned to dust. All season, one has wanted to make excuses for these players and the turbulence they have endured, but the undeniable reality is they are a bad team deserving of little sympathy. They have had 41 games to show otherwise.
Have there been poor decisions from referees? Yes. Have there been injuries to key players? Yes. But should Rovers – both the squad and the decision-makers in the boardroom – be worthy of pity as League Two looms larger with each passing miserable Saturday.
No. After all, this is a team with just 40 goals scored, shipping 64 at the other end. They have won just two of 10 games against the five sides around them at the foot of the table and they have let more than enough points slip through their grasp due to reoccurring failures in attack and defence.
And the board ignored those warning signs in January when it was obvious Rovers were dangerously short of quality and experience.
They ran the risk of relegation by not adding more than a goalkeeper and a right-back to their ranks in the mid-season transfer window, and that risk has proved to be horribly miscalculated.
Two sackings and appointments have failed to change Rovers' fortunes, too. Instead results have worsened to the point that the Gas are on the brink of the trap door. A thorough inquest is utterly essential, even if Rovers somehow squirm free of League Two's clutches by the end of the season.
As with a lot of things in the world of Bristol Rovers, the night started brightly with optimism. Charlie Wyke's opener for Sunderland the perfect start to a night which could have made the Pirates' course to safety much less choppy.
But the live league table quickly turned against the Gas. Wigan were level before the break and Wimbledon raced into a 2-0 lead before Josh Harrop was sent off for an Ipswich side that Rovers know all too well – from their Good Friday trip to Suffolk – are bang average.
Rochdale's win over Swindon Town stopped Rovers from falling to 23rd place, but that was scant consolation. Gasheads longingly looked at their phones assuming Sunderland's big guns would heal some of the damage late on, but help was not on its way.
Rovers still have five games and a three-point deficit is not insurmountable, but their destiny is out of their hands. That privilege was wasted with the unforgivable total of points dropped against Wigan, Wimbledon Swindon Town and Northampton Town in recent weeks. Barton's may have four points from their past two games, but it was their unerring ability to chuck it away that cost them a victory at Sixfields that would have made their fight for survival much less daunting.
Survival remains mathematically feasible, but why should anyone have any faith that Rovers can help themselves out of trouble given the countless wounds self-inflicted this season? The likelier prospect is Wigan and Wimbledon will romp to safety with a game or two to spare.
With five games left, nine points – which even the most optimistic of Gasheads could not realistically expect – may not be enough. Anything less than victory against Lincoln City on Saturday would almost certainly spell the end of Rovers' five-season stint in League One.
MK Dons, Portsmouth, Crewe Alexandra and Blackpool follow, and 10-12 points from 15 available could be what is needed, given Wigan – who Rovers must leapfrog – have hit form just at the right time. The Gas have left themselves in no position to expect the tale to twist in their favour.
Last orders has been called at the last-chance saloon. Do they serve miracles there?
Because that's exactly what Rovers need.
