Doncaster Rovers fighter Joseph Olowu strikes the right note in response to Gary McSheffrey criticisms

After three straight league defeats, Rovers have hit what manager McSheffrey calls "a bump in the road" following an excellent start to the League Two campaign.

His words after last Saturday's defeat at home to Swindon Town were typically calm, yet cutting – mentioning a lack of desire and structure, a fear of failure, and called for bravery.

The response started with Tuesday's Football League Trophy win at Lincoln City, but group games in front of 2,200 supporters are not the acid test. At home to Crawley on Saturday we will see much more of what Rovers are made of.

Centre-back Olowu, making his first appearance on Tuesday since a mid-August groin injury, speaks as if following a script written to show the qualities McSheffrey is looking for. He is definitely not.

If you want an insight into the 22-year-old, you only need ask his favourite game of the season. It was the only one of four he has not been on the winning side for.

"That first game against Bradford (a 0-0 draw), we enjoyed that," he smiles. "When the board went up saying seven (added) minutes we wanted ten. It's just that mentality of keeping throwing it at us, we're going to keep soaking it up and give some back.

"Off the back of last season, if we'd had an easy-osey game it wouldn't have been a reality check about what we were going to be up against.

"As the game went on with the leg break (for Bradford's Levi Sutton), the sending off (of Lee Tomlin) and being down to ten men for as long as we were, it showed we'd got it within us. I think it sent a message out to the rest of the league that they're not going to just lie down and fold."

As for fear of failure, memories of last season's relegation drive on Olowu, despite going out of his way to provide "bubbly bounce energy".

"Going home after some games thinking you've put in a great performance but the result hasn't fallen your way wasn't nice,” he recalls. “It's a constant uphill battle.

"I use it as inspiration to say that's where I was last season, now put it right this season. When we’re under the cosh you don't want last season to happen again so you push that extra yard.

"Fighting for survival you're always up against the wall whereas this (season) you've got to take a few steps forward and face the fight."You've got to be comfortable being in uncomfortable positions."If you want to be a name in the game and do something great, be at the top level, you've got to get used to being in uncomfortable positions and that's what I put myself in. That's just how it is."

McSheffrey expects a reaction to defeats to Mansfield Town, Barrow and Swindon, and Oluwu thinks they may have come at a good time.

"There's probably just been a bit of that mentality, that hunger, that bite, just a tad – half a yard – off," he admits."We all know we've got a great squad here and it's about doing the ugly side of the game that people don't see as much but we appreciate massively amongst ourselves."You want to remain in touch with reality, it (this winless league run) keeps you grounded and level-headed. If we take our foot off the gas a tad, we will get punished.

"We're not going to let it happen."

Tommy Rowe and Jon Taylor are set to miss the game with injury but neither Olowu, Ben Close or Aidy Barlow reported any reaction to their midweek returns to fitness.