Grant McCann loves seeing Doncaster Rovers' plan come together - and instantly calls for a weekend repeat

Now he wants them to build on their snowballing momentum with victory away to another – Stockport County – at the weekend.

Crawley Town came to South Yorkshire joint top of League Two and unbeaten in five matches in all competitions but Rovers were deserving 2-0 winners with goals from Mo Faal and a Joe Ironside penalty.

After a slow start to the season it was a third win in four for McCann's side, who beat promotion challengers Gillingham in their last home match, only to slip up 3-2 at Barrow on the weekend.

Hull played in a similar way to when they knocked Championship side Hull City out of the League Cup in August, and McCann was delighted with their tactical discipline in a game the visitors started well without overworking Louis Jones.

"The boys have implemented the gameplan really, really well tonight – the bite, the energy, the centre-havles stepping in against their 10s and being really aggressive, we didn't give them any way to get out," said McCann.

"They kept the ball a bit at times but didn't really hurt us.

"I'm pleased the boys have shown a resilient attitude about them to keep the ball out of the net and take the chances we had.

"It was very much deserved. They wanted to play, they're a possession-based team, so our press had to be good.

"I thought our energy was excellent and we nicked the ball so many times. I thought we were good playing over their press when we had to."

No one epitomised Doncaster's workrate more than right-sided centre-back Tom Nixon, who regularly overlapped in the second half and had a hand in the second goal by doing so.

Faal was fouled as a Nixon cross came in, and Ironside put the spot kick away.

Nixon ran so hard, he cramped up at the end of the game and had to be substituted.

"It was a big shift needed," said McCann, admiringly. "They try to suck you in to play through you so we had to be really aggressive and good in our duels.

"Tom showed that with his running power for the second goal."