Doncaster Rovers v Ipswich Town: Gary McSheffrey looking for first back-to-back wins of season

Even accounting for Sunderland’s recent travails, their 2-1 home defeat to a Rovers side who had previously won just one league game on the road all season – and who headed to Wearside on the back of a brutal 5-0 derby loss – was the sort of result for which the phrase ‘coupon-buster’ is reserved for.

Importantly, there were contributions across the board in front of a stunned crowd of over 38,000 fans at the Stadium of Light and the result was no fluke either.

It was an occasion notable for the sight of recent signing Reo Griffiths scoring his first goal for Doncaster for instance, while defender Ro-Shaun Williams comfortably enjoyed his best game for the club since his arrival last summer.

But the impact made by the club’s elder statesman in Tommy Rowe, 33, was simply impossible to ignore as was the classy contribution of loanee Josh Martin, 13 years younger than the Rovers midfielder.

Rowe crowned a stellar display with Rovers’ second goal and Martin – who signed on loan from Norwich City last month – set up Griffiths’s opener. It whet the appetite for more.

McSheffrey said: “He (Martin) has given some composure that we have been missing.

“Since (James) Coppinger has retired really, we have not really had that composure between the midfield and strikers and calmness on the ball that can conjure up an end product and final ball and Josh seems to have that and we want him to build on that.

“I challenged him to have a desire to assist someone in every game and score goals himself and get shots off.

“I want him to go into games with a clear goal in his head that he has got to produce and provide end product for his team-mates and himself and he has taken that on board. He was really good, especially in the first half on Saturday.

“When I met him before he signed, I said he was a breath of fresh air. He had a disappointing loan at MK Dons and could have gone back to Norwich and just played under-23s and gone into a comfort zone and feeling loved and being at home (again).

“I spoke to him and his dad and his dad was adamant he wanted to come and play for us and get as much game-time and for his son to be playing with confidence. That is what we pitched to him. It is so far, so good.”

And on the performance of Rowe, the Rovers manager continued: “He is a great lad. Having played with him at two clubs, I know what he brings.

“He is one of those who is consistent and who performs well in the majority of the time. But you could see sometimes in Tommy’s body language and face that he needed that bit of support and help (from new signings).

“You can see that he has brought another level to his game and he’s been superb.”

McSheffrey is savvy enough to accept that a fine afternoon in the north-east will not particularly count for too much if Rovers endure another bad night at the office at the Keepmoat this evening.

Doncaster have lost their last five games on home soil, with that lamentable run featuring two schoolings at the hands of Rotherham United and Sunderland and a grim setback to fellow strugglers Fleetwood.

All told, Rovers – yet to win consecutive league games this term – have lost seven of their past eight home matches and tonight face an Ipswich side who dismantled them 6-0 in the reverse fixture in Suffolk in September.

McSheffrey, who revealed that he received a few supportive phone calls from rival managers on the back of Rovers’ wretched result against Rotherham seven days ago, commented: “It is important that when you get a blip, you speak to a few people who you trust and get some stuff off your chest and put things into perspective.

“A couple got in touch who look out for our results and were checking I was okay. But you deal with setbacks in life, especially in football.

“The players need to back up (Sunderland) now and get back to back wins. If we get the performance level right again and take some chances that we have been creating, results will take care of themselves.

“We have lost too many home games. We have performed well in quite a few and then lost. It is about challenging the players to start turning performances into wins. I don’t want to have a really bad record in terms of defeats.”

Loan midfielder Ethan Galbraith will again be missing due to injury this evening, McSheffrey confirmed.

Last six games: Doncaster LLWLLW; Ipswich WLWWLW.

Referee: O Yates (Staffs).

Last time: Doncaster 4 Ipswich 1, October 20, 2020; League One.