Doncaster Rovers’ home finale leaves Gary McSheffrey with hint of what might have been

Rovers are not yet relegated from the third tier but they require a 29-goal swing as well as results to go their way over the final week of the season in order to survive.

Joe Dodoo and Josh Martin ensured they live to fight another day as they picked up the goals in victory over the Brewers.

The result and performance pleased McSheffrey, who had challenged his players to give the Doncaster supporters something to cheer on their final home outing of the season.

“We’ve picked up some momentum now and that is five games where I’m happy with how the lads have played,” reflected McSheffrey.

“They’ve got on the ball and been brave. They showed the ugly side of it in this game, winning second balls and digging in.

“The momentum has picked up and it’s just unfortunate that we’ve run out of games with it.

“It’s just important for us to finish the season as strongly as we can and keep this momentum going.

“We want to give the fans something to be optimistic about coming back to this stadium next season.

“I think they can probably see how we want to play with the performance level of late.

“I told them to go out and win the last game here because they’re not here for a while and they’ve done that.”

It did not look set to be Doncaster’s day when Kyle Knoyle was judged to have hauled down John Brayford inside the box. But Jonathan Mitchell got a strong hand to Gassan Ahadme’s penalty to keep it out.

Burton enjoyed the better of the first-half chances in a low-key affair with Ahadme powering a header narrowly wide.

But Rovers took the lead on 37 minutes when Dodoo met Knoyle’s deep cross and headed home at the far post. They doubled the advantage on 75 minutes when Martin latched onto a well-weighted through ball from Reo Griffiths, rounded the keeper and slotted into an empty net.

Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell; Knoyle, Williams, Olowu (Younger 73) Jackson (John 86); Clayton, Bostock, Smith; Martin, Dodoo, Griffiths (Gardner 83). Unused substitutes: Jones, Galbraith, Barlow, Hiwula.

Burton Albion: Kovar; Brayford, Hughes, Oshilaja; Borthwick-Jackson, Mancienne (Saydee 62), Powell, Hamer; Kokolo (Lakin 87), Ahadme (Niasse 62), Chapman. Unused subs: Garratt, Shaughnessy, Maddox, Moult.

Referee: W Finnie (Bedfordshire).