Doncaster Rovers 1 Charlton Athletic 2: Late strike ‘keeps us firmly in it’ – Grant McCann

The visiting Addicks afforded themselves a comfortable two-goal buffer at the Keepmoat Stadium thanks to two goals in two minutes just after the half-hour mark from Lyle Taylor and Joe Aribi only for Rovers to provide themselves with an invaluable late lifeline courtesy of Blair’s close-range effort.

McCann feels it could represent a big psychological moment ahead of the pivotal second instalment at The Valley on Friday evening.

Rovers’ chief said: “It keeps us firmly in it, it certainly does. We are right in this tie and we know what we have got to do at The Valley.

“I thought we were outstanding in the second half and we passed and we probed. We maybe lacked a cutting edge at times, but played our game and could have had a couple more goals.”

McCann said that he had no issue with Charlton’s opener, with home supporters initially believing that Josh Cullen was offside in the build-up.

Replays showed that Andy Butler had deflected the ball into the path of Cullen, who set up Taylor’s goal from close to the byline.

McCann added: “I have seen it and it took a deflection off Buts. I have no complaints.

“We conceded two sloppy goals and the boys were disappointed at half-time. We had to pick them up.

“But they felt a bit better among themselves after the game.”