Doncaster Rovers assistant Steve Eyre enjoys brief satisfaction from win against former club Rochdale

KEY MOMENT: Doncaster Rovers' Rovers George Miller scored the winning goal at Rochdale. Picture: Tony Johnson

Eyre was disappointed not to be given more time when he was sacked just six months into his tenure at Spotland in 2011 after a run of just four wins out of 21 games when the club was in League One.

Over a decade later he returned as assistant manager to Gary McSheffrey with Doncaster and helped orchestrate a victory which saw Dale return to the bottom of the table.

“It’s not really about getting one over on my former team – maybe for five minutes as the referee blew the final whistle it felt great – but it was about the team. I thought it was a really hard-working team performance,” said Eyre.

Doncaster Rovers Assistant manager Steve Eyre Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images

“Coming into the game the obvious thing was that Rochdale were bottom of the Football League, what was less obvious was why.

“We had to do a lot of research into their weaknesses and our manager did that superbly through the week. The lads executed the gameplan superbly and we could have been 2-0 up after five minutes and 4-1 up by half time.

“It’s a great win for us because we believe Rochdale will improve. Jim Bentley is a great, experienced manager – a lad I’ve know since he was a teenager as an apprentice at Manchester City.

“So I expect Rochdale to improve and to get them today and win was good for us.”

Rovers had two great chances in the opening five minutes, Dale fullback Femi Seriki blocking George Miller’s shot and then Miller firing wide when presented with an empty net after a hashed clearance from goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell.

Kieran Agard fired the visitors in front when he converted Kyle Knoyle’s cross on 38 minutes, but Dale levelled on 44 minutes when Scott Quigley headed home Liam Kelly’s cross.

Dale started the second half on top and went close with an Abraham Odoh header. But Miller clinched the win for Rovers on 69 minutes, collecting Knoyle’s delivery and slipping a neat finish between O’Donnell’s legs.

Rochdale boss Jim Bentley said: “When you’re coming into the game off the back of two wins and you’re looking to build a bit of momentum and confidence, from the first whistle today we looked shaky, nervy.

“I’ve said to the players, there’s no place in football for feeling sorry for yourself.”Rochdale: O'Donnell, Seriki (Tulloch 85), Graham, McNulty (Ebanks-Landell 85), Keohane, Liam Kelly, Diagouraga (Malley 74), Sinclair (Odoh 63), Ball (Henderson 74), Rodney, Quigley.Unused substitutes: Brierley, B Kelly.Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell, Knoyle, Williams, Olowu (Faulkner 10), Maxwell, Molyneux (Seaman 89), Clayton, Close, Hurst (Griffiths 72), Agard (Biggins 73), Miller. Unused substitutes: Jones, Long, Woltman.Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire).