Rare 'disappointment' for Grant McCann as Doncaster Rovers fail to fire

Grant McCann cut a disconsolate figure when addressing the media post-match following Doncaster Rovers' latest slip-up.

A cursory glance at the League Two table may suggest to some that the South Yorkshire side are about where they should be: sitting in a play-off spot, just a point off the pace of the current top three.

But scratch beneath the surface and there are certain issues for McCann to iron out ahead of a stacked festive schedule. Top of that in-tray is undoubtedly addressing their erratic nature in front of goal.

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They failed to register a shot on target in the capital, with a meek surrender to a well-drilled if limited Wimbledon side.

Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)
Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

They arguably should have been in the box-seat here, with Luke Molyneux and Kyle Hurst both guilty of missing golden early chances. Molyneux produced a poor attempt at a lob when put through and with the home stopper rapidly advancing out of his goal, before Hurst fired wide shortly after having had an age to pick his spot following a clever lofted pass from Molyneux.

That profligacy was duly punished when Matty Stevens applied a precise header to a Josh Kelly centre after George Broadbent's unforced error just outside his own penalty box.

McCann threw on all his attacking players in a bid to try and find some sort of response but it failed to arrive.

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"I don't think I've said we're disappointed too many times this season, but today was one aside from the first 20 minutes," said the Northern Irishman.

"There's been games where we've been good for halves or 70 minutes but today we were ok the first 20 but then as soon as we conceded we were way off where we know we can be.

"It's hard to pinpoint. It's not like we're telling or coaching the team to be defensive. We want the boys to take the game, individually and collectively, by the scruff of the neck. Go and be positive.

"We've lost two glorious opportunities to score, then we concede and you want to get back to how we know we can be but we don't. We looked rushed. But credit to Wimbledon, they worked hard and kept us honest.

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Their front three worked their knackers off and we didn't have the calmness to play through them today." Rovers begin a slog of five games in 15 days when Tranmere Rovers visit the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm).

AFC Wimbledon: Goodman, Ogundere, O'Toole, Johnson, Neufville, Smith, Hutchinson (Harbottle 62), Tilley, Stevens, Kelly (Furlong 85), Bugiel. Unused substitutes: Ward,Biler,Sawyers,Williams,Pigott.

Doncaster: Sharman-Lowe, Olowu (Gibson 75), Anderson, McGrath, Emmanuel (Ironside 61), Bailey, Broadbent (Clifton 61), Senior, Molyneux, Sharp, Hurst (Sbarra 62). Unused substitutes: Lawlor, Maxwell, Kelly.

Referee: D Rock (Hertfordshire).

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