Doncaster Rovers get ideal fillip as they prepare for Blackburn Rovers

Niall Mason: Cup win has boosted Doncaster confidence.

The South Yorkshire club head to Blackburn Rovers this weekend fresh from inflicting the Bantams’ first home defeat since last November.

Beating last season’s losing play-off finalists is the ideal fillip ahead of taking on a side strongly backed to earn an instant return to the Championship under Tony Mowbray.

“A victory like the one over Bradford is good for momentum,” said Mason, who expects to be fit for the Ewood Park encounter despite needing four stitches in a head wound following Tuesday night’s 3-2 win at Valley Parade.

“We said beforehand that we really wanted to win because it was an important game going into a big one on Saturday. We were all delighted with it.

“Bradford hadn’t been beaten at home for a long time so that should give us massive confidence going into the weekend.”

Ben Whiteman struck the winner with two minutes remaining to send Rovers through to tonight’s second round draw, Alfie May and Rodney Kongolo having earlier had their own efforts cancelled out by Dominic Poleon and Alex Jones.

The victory delighted Rovers manager Darren Ferguson, who dedicated the club’s Cup win to late president Dick Watson after attending his funeral earlier in the day.

“We probably should have got one more goal,” he added. “I was just glad it didn’t go to extra-time. When playing against 10 men, you feel you have a good advantage for half-an-hour. But I wanted our first win in 90 minutes and that was important.

“Their home record was a big one and it is a hard place to go because the Bradford support is really on you. They are on top of the referee but I felt we handled that really well at times. It was a very good result, there is no underestimating that.”

Kongolo suffered a bout of cramp during the latter stages at Bradford and had to be substituted but Ferguson expects the summer loan signing from Manchester City to be fit to face Blackburn.

City manager Stuart McCall, meanwhile, is stepping up his attempts to sign a centre-half after Romain Vincelot’s straight red card against Doncaster for a lunge at Alfie May will see the club’s captain serve a three-game ban.