Doncaster Rovers urged not get too far ahead of themselves

Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann is urging his players to not take their foot off the gas after this derby win maintained their push for a play-off place.
Celebration: James Coppinger congratulates Herbie Kane, right, for scoring Doncasters second against Scunthorpe. (Picture: Marie Caley)Celebration: James Coppinger congratulates Herbie Kane, right, for scoring Doncasters second against Scunthorpe. (Picture: Marie Caley)
Celebration: James Coppinger congratulates Herbie Kane, right, for scoring Doncasters second against Scunthorpe. (Picture: Marie Caley)

McCann’s men are unbeaten in six league games, winning their last four without conceding a goal.

This triumph over their local rivals from along the M180 was relatively comfortable and pushed them up to fifth place in League One before results in the afternoon returned them to sixth spot.

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And Rovers fans would be forgiven for getting excited with a more straightforward run of games coming up over the next month and a half.

Of their next seven opponents until the end of January, Rovers play only two teams in the top 10, and that is a trip to 10th-placed Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day followed by a visit to ninth-placed Wycombe on January 12.

But McCann said: “We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. We’ve got a tough run of games, we really have.

“I know people are probably looking and thinking we’ve got a lot of teams coming up that are down at the bottom of the table but they’re the toughest games, both mentally and physically.

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“But we’ve got a very good changing room that don’t look and think any game is an easy one.

Doncaster Rovers goalscorer Herbie Kane (Picture: Marie Caley)Doncaster Rovers goalscorer Herbie Kane (Picture: Marie Caley)
Doncaster Rovers goalscorer Herbie Kane (Picture: Marie Caley)

“We’ll let other people think that. We’ll make sure we keep our mindset right to go and win those games.”

Ben Whiteman and Herbie Kane scored in the opening ten minutes against Scunthorpe to set Rovers on their way to a sixth win in seven games.

John Marquis sealed a comfortable victory with his 15th goal of the season during the closing stages.

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McCann added: “I thought it was a scrappy game really but I think we showed today that when we’re not at our best, we can still win. I think it’s the sign of a good team.

Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann (Picture: Marie Caley)Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann (Picture: Marie Caley)
Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann (Picture: Marie Caley)

“I thought we were clinical when we got the chances. There weren’t many chances for us and maybe Scunthorpe had more.

“But when we got them we were clinical and I think that is why we got the win.

“It probably wasn’t a day for us to be expansive in our play.”

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Doncaster Rovers: Lawlor, Cummings, T Anderson, Butler, Andrew, Crawford (Rowe 76), Whiteman, Kane, Coppinger (Blair 86), Marquis, Wilks (May 76). Unused substitutes: Marosi, Taylor, J Anderson, Amos.

Scunthorpe United: Alnwick, Clarke, Goode, McArdle, Borthwick-Jackson, Lund, Perch, Dales, Thomas (El-Mhanni 17), Morris (Ugbo 73), Novak (Wootton 87). Unused substitutes: Horsfield ,Lewis, Burgess, Flatt.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northamptonshire).