Doncaster Rovers boss Gary McSheffrey frustrated by errors and bad decision-making in loss to Cheltenham Town

Former Rovers’ striker Alfie May netted twice to help Cheltenham to a comfortable 4-0 home win, the visitors reduced to 10 men early in the second half after the controversial sending off of Adam Clayton.

May continued his recent run of free-scoring form with a well-struck free-kick from 20 yards in the 16th minute.

And it was no surprise when the hosts’ doubled their lead through Ben Williams’s first goal for the club in the 38th minute.

Kyle Knoyle was close to pulling one back for the visitors but chances were fea and far between before May, who joined Cheltenham from Doncaster in January 2020, made it 3-0 in the 75th minute with a shot into the top left corner for his 10th goal in seven games.

Defender Mattie Pollock completed the scoring with a diving header from Charlie Colkett’s cross six minutes from the end.

“Our sharpness wasn’t at it and you could sense that they were really up for it,” said McSheffrey.

“We gave away far too many free kicks but it was because we weren’t sharp enough and getting close enough to them.

“The damage was done in the first half, to be honest, when we were poor and it was our own individual errors and poor decision making.

“I went with a few technical players over physicality and it probably wasn’t the game for that.”

Cheltenham Town: Evans, Raglan, Pollock, Boyle, Blair, Wright, Bonds (Colkett 73), Ramsey (Sercombe 73), Ben Williams, May, Etete (Andy Williams 77). Unused substitutes: Long, Freestone, Flinders, Soule.

Doncaster Rovers: Mitchell, Knoyle, Younger, Olowu, Jackson, Smith, Clayton, Gardner (Galbraith 46), Rowe, Odubeko (Agard 78), Martin (Griffiths 46). Unused substitutes: Jones, Ro-Shaun Williams, Barlow, Dodoo.

Referee: Peter Wright (Merseyside).