Doncaster Rovers complete 351-day mission while Bradford City hail wonderful, wonderful Accrington - final word

Shortly after, celestial forces also had the back of Bradford City in this most emotional of League Two seasons.

Rovers’ voyage had begun 351 days earlier in the same spot. Amid play-off desolation against Crewe at the end of 2023-24 at the Eco-Power Stadium, McCann made a promotion vow which was realised just shy of a year later.

Yes, there remains title talk. A mere bauble, the main element of Rovers’ work in 2024-25 is done. They are secure in the knowledge that whatever happens at Meadow Lane next weekend, the ‘p’ of promotion is next to their name.

For City, their fates go to a 46th - and hopefully final - game. Beat Fleetwood on Saturday and they are also promoted.

Forty years on from May 1985, it would understandably be a poignant moment for generations of Bradfordians as they gather to remember. As they do each year.

The prospects of City finishing in the top three didn’t look so good in mid-afternoon on Saturday. Amid a frankly bonkers race for automatic promotion, it really should not come as too much of a surprise that there was a twist.

Danny Kaye may have sung about wonderful Copenhagen, but what about wonderful Accrington?

Down in the nether regions of the fourth tier, but essentially safe, they looked handy opposition for a Walsall side handed a pick-me-up by early events in Doncaster. A win or even a draw on Black Country soil and they would be in the box seat on May 3. Alas..

But above all else, this was Donny’s day.

There were self-inflicted wounds for Bradford, a penalty miss and a brainless sending off for sure, but the better side won.

Where most sides have lost their heads - and City defender Aden Baldwin definitely lost his - Rovers kept theirs.

Ahead of the reverse fixture, the talk was of Bradford recording a perfect 10 in terms of successive home wins, which Rovers scuppered.

Here, Doncaster had their own tens. A tenth game without defeat, a tenth goal of a superb loan spell for Rob Street and a ninth goal in 10 games against Bradford for the masterful Billy Sharp.

Booth had to share star billing with Teddy Sharman-Lowe. The Rovers keeper had two things to do, but did them magnificently.

His positioning and reactions to keep out Alex Pattison’s first-half drive was impressive, while his late penalty save to thwart Tyreik Wright was outstanding.

With planning now able to begin in earnest for 2025-26, retaining the services of Chelsea loanee Sharman-Lowe and Lincoln frontman Street would be a good start. Certainly if Rovers are to finish in the top half of League One next term as McCann envisages.

He said: "Teddy has been exceptional. He’s got better all season; you have got to remember it’s his first loan in the EFL and he produced two magnificent saves.

"He’s had a tremendous loan and will benefit so much from his first loan.

"I made a point in January of saying there’s a player coming in who I feel is too good for this football club in this division and I think you have seen that, we are lucky to have him (Street) and the lad has been exceptional.”

On the prospects of retaining the pair, McCann added: "It’s early to say yet. I don’t know what the plans are with Rob and I haven’t spoken with Lincoln.

"I know he’s got three years left on his contract, so it certainly wouldn’t be permanent as we haven’t got that sort of money to be splashing.

"Terry (Bramall), our owner, made a really good point when he said the impact of our loans this season have been really good and benefited what we have at the club in terms of contracted players.”

Jordan Gibson went perilously close to silencing the City hecklers when he hit the post early, but it was left to Street to open it up, nodding in after Tom Anderson won the air miles above Niall Byrne from Luke Molyneux’s corner.

City’s rearguard looked after Molyneux well, but then Baldwin had a brainstorm after the half-time whistle. Following a bit of noise, he was cautioned by Ross Joyce. Despite the best efforts of Sam Walker to usher him away, he continued, stupidly. And was off.

Graham Alexander, no doubt livid, had to think on his feet. City were decent in a 4-4-1, but Wright fluffed their big moment from the spot when James Maxwell felled George Lapslie. Sharp then had his before Romoney Crichlow’s riposte. And then it was over to the Midlands.

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe; Sterry, Bailey, Anderson, Maxwell; Crew (Westbrooke 80), Broadbent; Molyneux (Ennis 69), Clifton (Sbarra 69), Gibson (McGrath 90); Street (Sharp 69). Substitutes unused: Lawlor, Nixon.

Bradford City: S Walker, Byrne, Baldwin, Crichlow; Halliday, Pattison, Khela (Lapslie 46), Adaramola; Sarcevic (Leigh 78), Pointon (Wright 46); Kavanagh (Mellon 77). Substitutes unused: Hilton, Huntington, Johnson.

Referee: R Joyce (Cleveland).