Doncaster Rovers find ideal way to beat Red Devils and their own demons in 4-1 win over Crawley Town

Exactly seven days earlier, manager Gary McSheffrey made the comments through which last week had to be viewed.

"We look like a team lacking energy," he complained after his team's third consecutive League Two defeat. “I think it’s sometimes the fear of failure creeping in."

Speaking at the same ground after his side followed a 2-1 Football League Trophy win at Lincoln City with a 4-1 league success, McSheffrey struck a very different tone.

"It was a great victory, an important one to build on what we did on Tuesday," he reflected. "It was an important one to win at home.

"You like to think tough times don't last forever so you've got to dissect it, take it on the chin, swallow it and find a solution. For two games we've found a solution."

Chief executive Gavin Baldwin had ramped up the pressure by telling the Viking Supporters Co-operative AGM hours earlier: “From the finances that were made available it would be disappointing if we weren’t in contention for promotion at the end of the season."

When McSheffrey spoke of a "great victory" he was not talking about beauty or faultlessness. He acknowledged the luck behind George Miller’s second goal, Rovers’ third.

"I still want us to play better, flowing football but it was winning football," he stressed. "There's room for improvement but there's probably 15 teams in the division wish they were where we are so we're okay."

The most glaring imperfection – the goal conceded barely a minute after Joseph Olowu headed in the opener Rovers had been building towards – was what made it so satisfying. James Maxwell threw the ball to James Tilley, who was given far too much space to equalise.

"I was annoyed," admitted McSheffrey. "The three or four previous (throw-ins) we kept turning over possession. We had enough opportunities then to win the ball back and if you give Tilley that sort of space in the box, he cruises through on his left foot, he's a quality player, he'll slot it in."

Despite Rovers being sent out early for the second half – the classic manager's "naughty schoolboy" tactic – Crawley, with one league win this season, had the best chance of its early stages, miskicked by Tilley.

It made the penalty Carl Boyeson awarded when Kieran Agard headed Kyle Knoyle's cross onto Harry Ransom's hand after 58 minutes so important, especially as the taker was George Miller – singled out for McSheffrey criticism after defeat at Barrow and not the first-choice with Lee Tomlin benched so Rovers could go 4-4-2. It was also in front of the Black Bank, where Doncaster's most partisan supporters sit.

At first it looked like there was some dispute over who would take it, Miller grabbing the ball, handing it to captain Adam Clayton and only getting it back at the last moment.

"It just takes a bit of pressure off because you're not giving other teams the chance to get a message on to their keeper about which way I go," said Miller. But only a little bit.

"It was a big moment and he's a big goalkeeper," reflected McSheffrey, who took a few penalties in his day. "One-one at home, everyone's expecting you to score. We needed it to go in the net."

Miller admitted: "Your knees are trembling a bit. It isn't easy but I wouldn't want anyone else on it because I back myself.

"I waited and waited and he (goalkeeper Corey Addai) has not moved! He must have done his homework but when it's gone in the back of the net it doesn't really matter, does it?

"I've never really taken them but you see lads go from nine goals to 14 just on penalties and it looks a lot better in the Sunday paper."

Miller just about squeezed the ball between Addai's outstretched left hand and the base of his post. Just about was plenty.

But 2-1 was still perfectly cock-up-able and Rovers knew it.

"No matter how good you are at something, if someone says you're rubbish or you're getting booed (as Rovers were against Swindon Town) every now and again you are going to have confidence problems,” reasoned McSheffrey.

Miller killed them by thumping the shot Agard hit at him past Addai. This time, 67 minutes in, everyone could take a deep breath.

"It hit my inside leg and I think I just needed that good fortune," said Miller. "It dropped nicely. It was a good finish, I just took it early."

With the tension eased, Doncaster could show off a bit.

Tomlin came on to create a hat-trick chance Miller headed over, shoot wide and chip onto the roof of the net. Then Kyle Hurst scored a wonderful solo goal, bursting from ten yards inside his own half.

A goal like that to beat relegation-threatened opposition 4-1 made things look easy but they were not, and that was good.

"It was another test, another one ticked off," commented the manager.

"How do you learn from setbacks if you never have them?"

Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell; Knoyle, Williams, Olowu, Maxwell; Molyneux (Woltman 86), Clayton, Close (Biggins 75), Hurst (Seaman 86); Agard (Tomlin 73), Miller. Unused substitutes: Jones, Long, Faulkner.Crawley Town: Addai; Fellows, Ransom (Francillette 84), Craig, Tsaroulla; Tilley (Oteh 84), Hessenthaler (Wells 84), Powell, Chukwuemeka (Telford 67); Nadesan, Nicholls. Unused substitutes: Johnson, Khaleel, Greensall.Referee: C Boyeson (East Yorkshire).