Spirited Rovers take the Sky Blues down

DESPITE being already relegated Doncaster Rovers showed great spirit to take Coventry down with them.

Coventry went into the game relying on results elsewhere to survive but their loss against Rovers – thanks to late goals from James Hayter (penalty) and Simon Gillett – meant their fate was sealed at the Ricoh Arena.

Doncaster manager Dean Saunders said: “It’s a good win for us. I treated it like a normal game. I prepared them as if it was a cup final, like I always do.

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“They have gone out and fought like they did at Middlesbrough (a 0-0 draw on Tuesday), like they have all season really. We kept the ball out of our net which gives you a chance of getting a result.

“We should have stayed up. I know it is easy saying it but we have thrown too many games away by missing, missing and missing and then making an error at the other end.

“I am not frustrated because our fate was sealed a long time before this game but I feel a bit sorry for their manager and the club because I played against Coventry all of my career in the top league.

Portsmouth (who are also down) are a massive club and Coventry are an even bigger club, arguably, and we have to compete with them next year and it’s going to be difficult.”

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Like counterpart Saunders, Coventry’s Andy Thorn has been asked to stay on as manager next season.

Thorn, who had Richard Keogh sent off 10 minutes from time for the foul on Hayter which led to the penalty, said: “I am bitterly disappointed. I feel for the players because it has been really tough. We have stuck in there and kept having a go.

“I am gutted because we put a hell of a lot of effort in and, regardless of not having players, we have had chances to climb out of it.

“The club has asked me if I will stay and I have asked for assurance that they will give me some help with some good players coming in.”

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Coventry City: Murphy, Clarke, Keogh, Cranie, Hussey, Norwood, Thomas (Baker 68), Bigirimana, McSheffrey, McDonald, Platt. Unused substitutes: Dunn, Jeffers, Willis, Roberts.

Doncaster Rovers: Woods, O’Connor, Lockwood, Friend, Husband, Coppinger (M Woods 89), Gillett, Hird, Oster, Robert (Bennett 52), Brown (Hayter 41). Unused substitutes: Dumbuya, Bamogo.

Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).

Man of the match: James O’Connor.

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