Doncaster Rovers v Crawley Town: Grant McCann's men need prolonged purple patch for League Two catapult

It appeared Doncaster Rovers had found some, bouncing back from a dire start to the season with back-to-back league wins.

There was even a Papa John’s Trophy triumph wedged between the victories over Forest Green Rovers and Gillingham.

However, the run proved to be brief as Grant McCann’s men were stopped in their tracks by Barrow at the weekend.

Momentum can very quickly change a club’s situation, such is the competitive nature of League Two.

With Doncaster hovering above the relegation zone, it will take more than the occasional spurt to put them among promotion contenders.

Speaking after the 3-2 defeat in Cumbria, Rovers boss McCann said: “We got what we deserved. We weren’t hungry enough in front of goal, not dynamic enough at the top end of the pitch.

“We simply weren’t good enough and deserved to lose, even though we showed a bit of a fight to try to get the leveller at the end.

“I like to be honest with people and I felt when we scored to go 2-1, we just went route one and stopped doing what we were doing it and passing the ball.

“It’s not the way that I want to play and I really didn’t enjoy the last 25 or 30 minutes of the game. It’s a really disappointing day for us.”

In Crawley, Rovers will face a side currently oozing confidence.

Twelve points separate the sides, a reminder of how slowly Doncaster have crawled out of the traps this season.

The season may be in its infancy, but Rovers cannot wait too much longer for an upturn in form.