GRANT McCANN was grateful for his Doncaster Rovers side’s set-piece prowess after Joe Ironside’s stoppage-time penalty earned them a 2-1 win at Swindon Town.

The striker scored his first league goal of the season when he hammered in from the spot after Miguel Freckleton handled in the dying seconds.

Swindon had looked good for a point after Harry Smith had levelled following Joseph Olowu’s opener from a corner, but Ironside’s spot-kick kept Rovers second in League Two.

McCann said: “All that was missing from the fantastic performance was the last bit.

WINNING STRIKE: Joe Ironside sealed all three points for Doncaster Rovers at Swindon Town. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

“We got into the final third easily but the last pass wasn’t there, the shot wasn’t there – the last little bit of quality needed to score wasn’t there.

“But we win the game off two set plays and that’s what you have to do to keep yourself in and around the top end of this division.

“You have to score in a set play if you’re not going to score from open play.”

And McCann felt the result was the right one after his players stuck to their plan.

“We were a little bit more expansive today,” he added.

“The goal Swindon scored was probably the only real big chance they had in the game, I’m not trying to be disrespectful.

“But we were really good defensively and looked organised. And I thought we played well and delivered the plan.”

Swindon Town: Barden, Sobowale, Wright, Freckleton, McGregor, Clarke (Ofoborh 64), Kilkenny, Cotterill (Tshimanga 65), Cox (Longelo 46), Butterworth, Glatzel (Smith 46). Unused substitutes: Bycroft, Delaney, Drinan.

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe, Olowu, Bailey, McGrath, Molyneux, Broadbent, Kelly (Close 80), Gibson (Sterry 85), Clifton (Maxwell 85), Ironside, Sharp (Hurst 72). Unused substitutes: Lawlor, Sbarra, Yeboah.

Referee: Craig Hicks (Surrey).

Doncaster Rovers and how their set-piece prowess came to their rescue at Swindon Town