Doncaster 1 Hull 1: Ryan set to loosen the purse strings for Saunders

Saunders picked up his fourth point in two games last night against Hull City as Ryan vowed to loosen the purse strings at the Keepmoat Stadium.

One-time French international defender Pascal Chimbonda is the first transfer target and watched last night’s game after discussing the possibility of a move to Rovers.

Chimbonda, 32, is a free agent after leaving Queens Parks Rangers in the summer and Rovers need a new left-back after losing Tommy Spurr with a hernia for the next three or four months.

Former Liverpool and Rangers striker El Hadji Diouf, 30, had also been linked with Rovers – who are still bottom of the table – but will not be signing for the club, according to Ryan.

“I have not given up on the play-offs yet,” said Ryan. “And we have decided to adopt a slightly different philosophy which we feel will give us a chance.

“We can’t afford to do a Leicester but, under Dean Saunders, we will tend to do things in a different way.

“We can’t throw millions at it, that’s not the way we do things,” he added. “But we have got to be a bit smarter, maybe signing quality players towards the end of their careers and up-and-coming players too.

“We are always trying to get top quality players and we are utilising every contact and bit of goodwill we have to do that,” said Ryan. “

On Diouf’s future, Ryan said: “I’ve heard he is going to Russia for a King’s Ransom. But it was a close run thing between there and here.”

Significantly, both Chimbonda and Diouf are represented by agent Willie McKay – who is also the agent of new Rovers manager Dean Saunders.

Saunders had celebrated his first game in charge with a victory three days earlier against Crystal Palace.

Not surprisingly, he kept faith with an unchanged side leaving crowd favourite Billy Sharp on the bench after his early return from injury.

Hull manager Nigel Pearson made two changes – recallingstriker Matty Fryatt and midfielder Corry Evans at the expense of Aaron Mclean and the injured Paul McKenna.

The Tigers have taken 11 points from the last 15 available and last night’s result lifted the club into the top six for the first time since Pearson took charge 15 months ago.

They were unlucky not to go ahead early on when a Martyn Waghorn shot was cleared off the line by Rovers defender James O’Connor.

Hull goalkeeper Adriano Basso was not called into action until the 17th minute when he saved low from a James Coppinger free-kick. Rovers were again playing a more direct style of football and Coppinger wasted a good opportunity after running onto a long ball out of defence by George Friend.

Saunders had swapped the suit and tie he wore against Palace at the weekend for tracksuit and trainers last night and was joined in the dug-out for the first time by his former Wrexham assistant Brian Carey.

His side conceded a goal for the first time since his arrival on 25 minutes. Striker Matty Fryatt broke away down the Hull left and pulled a dangerous ball back across goal for Waghorn. Rovers goalkeeper Neil Sullivan looked to have it covered but the ball still found Waghorn who slid home from close range.

Although Rovers are talking to Chimbonda, the team’s current left-back and captain Friend has been virtually flawless since switching from centre-back to cover for the injured Spurr.

Again last night, he was in majestic form, making several timely tackles and drawing cheers from the home crowd.

Should a new left-back join Rovers this week, it would be a major surprise if Friend was the player dropped.

With his side under pressure at the start of the second half, Saunders sent on substitute Sharp whose introduction at the same stage of the Palace game had been the catalyst for victory.

Amazingly, the trick worked again with Sharp’s mere presence seeming to lift both the home supporters and his team-mates at the same time.

This time, it took only five minutes rather than eight for the change to bring about a goal – Simon Gillett scoring with a close- range volley after Parkin headed back across goal.

Rovers controlled the majority of the second half.

Sharp got his one and only sight of the goal eight minutes from the end but his header was easily saved by Basso.

Hull substitute Nick Barmby came close to grabbing a winner at the death but was unable to reach a free-kick floated over the Rovers defence.

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; O’Connor, Naylor, Martis, Friend; Stock; Coppinger (Bennett 84), Gillett, Oster (Lalkovic 75); Parkin, Hayter (Sharp 52). Unused substitutes: G.Woods, Hird.

Hull City: Basso; Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dudgeon; Brady, Evans, Cairney, Koren (Barmby 73); Waghorn (Mclean, 67), Fryatt. Unused substitutes: Gulacsi, Adebola, Bradley.

Referee: S Rushton (Staffordshire).