Doncaster Rovers interim boss Gary McSheffrey on Omar Bogle and job hopes

The high-flying U’s looked like paying the price for indifferent finishing after a second goal in successive games from young Rovers defender Branden Horton 16 minutes from time cancelled out Mark Sykes’s 16th-minute opener.

But a strike three minutes from time from James Henry secured three points for the U’s, with Crewe’s win at home to Lincoln City dumping Rovers to the bottom of the division in another blow in a tough 2021-22.

One positive on the night saw Bogle - totally frozen out of the first-team picture by former manager Richie Wellens - make his return from the bench for his first appearance for the club since August 17.

His previous outing on home soil had come on the opening day of the campaign on August 7.

McSheffrey said: “It was nice for him and he can only gain confidence from that. He has not been on a football pitch for a while.

“You could see he was almost trying too hard and he was running around and his physical presence (meant) he was a nuisance to defenders and there were a couple of opportunities where he tried to get it onto his left (foot) too early, instead of just keeping hold of the ball.

“But that is to be expected when he got a second chance to get on the pitch and impress. He could have been a little bit calmer when he got the ball. But his physical presence made an impact for us.”

On his side’s display, he continued: “The lads are a little bit gutted. They have dealt a bit of a bad hand this year. There is no secret behind that and a lot of them have played some high-pressure football on their young shoulders.

“We have got another body (player) back on Saturday in Joseph (Olowu) and we are slowly getting some numbers back from psycho table as well, I saw enough in the second half to know with a bit of belief and a few players back that, I think there’s enough games to turn this around.”

The deadline for applicants to apply for the full-time manager’s position is on Friday and McSheffrey says he has no plans to throw in his hat into the ring.

He said: “I have made no plans to put in. The club asked me to put in, but I think they feel obliged to say that; whether or not it is what they actually want, I wouldn’t know.

“I obviously think to get a (full-time) role like this that in an interim role, you need points and wins to get a role and jobs. But like I said, I have not chased it and don’t really have any intention on chasing it. I have just said I will try and steady the ship a bit.”