Doncaster Rovers 0 Millwall 0: Dramatic year ends on flat note but it’s a point in right direction

The final chapter of a memorable, compelling and certainly dramatic year – both on and off the pitch – was played out at the Keepmoat in front of the club’s smallest home league crowd of the season, with the dark denouement many secretly feared thankfully avoided.

After the chastening defeat to Ipswich Town three days earlier, when irate sections of the club’s supporters called on major shareholder Terry Bramall to leave the club and ex-chairman John Ryan to return, a similar showing against the Lions would have been akin to letting off a powderkeg.

In the event, there wasn’t exactly a storybook ending with Rovers failing to claim a priceless three points to stop the rot after conceding 12 goals in defeats to Ipswich Town, Derby County, Leeds United and Bolton Wanderers.

But at least they avoided further rancour and recriminations with Rovers’ securing their first clean sheet since the derby stalemate at Oakwell on November 9, the day when Ryan announced his resignation as both club chairman and director.

With a whole host of players out, including their entire first-choice back four and with three teenagers in their starting line-up including a full debut for lone striker Alex Peterson, Rovers were forced to do things the hard way.

But they survived their character examination, laid to rest a ghost or two after their Boxing Day no-show against Ipswich and at least proved they have the stomach for a survival fight, which many pragmatists believe they will be pitched into between now and May.

It was epitomised by the likes of Paul Quinn, handed a leadership role in the centre of the back four, with it perhaps no coincidence that central defensive partner Luke McCullough looked more assured with a senior hand next to him, with Liam Wakefield switched to right-back.

And on another day, Rovers might have won it, had substitute Federico Macheda’s exquisite 85th-minute curler crept into the far corner instead of hitting the outside of the post.

Yet while Rovers didn’t get the rub of the green – with boss Paul Dickov also scathing of the decision not to dismiss Mark Beevers for bringing down Theo Robinson when he was about to race clear late on – it could yet turn out to be a vital point come mid-spring, on a day which saw Barnsley and Yeovil both lose.

It wasn’t pretty over the course of the piece, and perhaps it was never going to be with both sides having plumbed the depths in a desperate December.

But perhaps the majority of the brownie points were deserving of Doncaster – still on target, just, to achieve their seasonal aim of Championship survival with the half-term report largely a positive one.

Dickov said: “Our aim at the start (of the season) was to be in a position where we are out of the bottom three.

“We have done that now, but I still feel and believe we should have got the three points here.

“We wanted to make sure in this period that we stayed away from the bottom three. Hopefully in the next two or three weeks, we’ll have quite a few more players back as well.

“We are pleased because we are meeting our targets and objectives. But I still feel a little bit disappointed as we should have more points on the board.

“I believe we are a decent team who can compete at this level. At the halfway point, to be sat where we are – albeit a little bit too close for comfort to the bottom – is something that the whole group and club can take a lot of credit for.”

The fact that Rovers managed to keep a clean sheet was also a minor victory in itself, given their defensive ineptitude against Ipswich when the game was effectively over at half-time.

Despite one of two hairy moments, the makeshift back-line of Wakefield, Quinn, McCullough and Enda Stevens weren’t breached or indeed troubled too often, while at the other end, Rovers managed to conjure concerted spells of pressure to end both halves firmly in the ascendancy. All that was missing was a winner.

Substantive chances were largely at a premium, although Rovers were indebted to an alert clearance on the goalline from David Cotterill on 24 minutes after Shane Lowry’s header arrowed towards goal following Richard Chaplow’s corner.

Just after the half-hour, Martyn Woolford then seized on a weak header from McCullough to drill a volley just wide as the visitors suddenly scented an opener.

Despite creating little in the first period, Rovers didn’t lose heart and they were rewarded with a couple of decent chances before the break.

First, Wakefield headed over at the far post following Mark Duffy’s inviting cross before Lions skipper David Forde turned away a low shot from Dean Furman, with Rovers captain Richie Wellens tellingly involved in both moves.

On the restart, Millwall, with just one away win this term, went into their shells – especially in the final quarter – and seemed happy enough to sit back in their attempts to chisel out a point.

It was Rovers who asked the pertinent questions, with the hosts a whisker away when Macheda’s late effort struck the post, with Forde also having to make a smart save to tip over a free-kick from Mark Duffy before the end.

Dickov added: “The back five have got to take a lot of credit for keeping a clean sheet. Millwall are down there with us, but they have a lot of experience for this division and I thought we handled it well.

“We had a long chat on the 27th and sorted a few things out and told a few home truths on what we expect and we got a reaction.

“Especially from the three young kids, who I thought were fantastic.”