Danny Wilson sen his team out in a 4-3-3 formation, and with a lot of pace up front, they always looked the more likely team to score at the Memorial Stadium.
On a better surace, they might have turned one point into three, but the pitch was a mess and even though Pools managed to play some good passing football at times, they never really got into their stride.
But there were positive signs there as the three forwards got amongst the home defence and with Danny Wilson always insisting that his squad's strength lies in the attack, perhaps he'll consider playing 4-3-3 more often next season.
At all levels of football, defenders don't like to cope with pace, and in Jorle Porter, David Foley and Matty Robson (left), Pools had it in bundles on Saturday.
With injured James Brown to add to the mix and Michael Mackay - the fastest of the lot - on the bench at Bristol, it's obvious Pools have a few flyers on their books.
So why not use them?
As for the pitch - well, with cash always tight, clubs have to take every opportunity to save and make money.
But isn't it time somebody came up with a solution to this pitch-chasing problem. Rugby, by its very nature, chews up pitches when the grass is cut short - as it has to be for football - and that means ground staff have to use sand etc to get the surface looking anything like.
The Memorial Stadium isn't the only place ruined by rugby - Watford, Reading, Wigan, Wycombe are all in the same boat.
For a team like Pools, used to playing their home games on one of the best pitches in the country, going to a beach like Bristol's is a big drawback.
Rovers might prefer things that way, of course, but they don't appear to have any choice - their plans to redevelop the ground include using it for both sports because the rent from Bristol RFC is needed. 
At least Pools only have to go there once a season, and with four games left now they can use them to try a few things out before next season.

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