Gary McSheffrey on Doncaster Rovers' mini-league, home comforts and Mipo Odubeko

Goals in the second half from loanee Josh Martin and defender Joseph Olowu secured victory for Rovers, who produced a gritty performance despite not being at their best and riding their luck at times. It was the embodiment of 'survival football.'

The priceless three points moved Doncaster up to third-from-bottom in League One ahead of Saturday’s game against the Dons, who are the team just outside of the relegation zone.

Mark Robinson’s side are four points ahead of Rovers, but do have two games in hand.

It is the start of a key run of games for Doncaster, who also face relegation rivals Gillingham and Fleetwood in March alongside two sides in lower mid-table in Cheltenham and Charlton,

McSheffrey, whose side claimed their fourth win in nine league matches, said: "I think they (AFC Wimbledon) have got a good couple of players back who missed the game at Bolton at the weekend and they got a positive result away from home at Gillingham (on Tuesday).

"It won't be an easy one, they have not won in a while, but we go there and will try and be organised and hard to beat with a clean-sheet mentality and we feel we have got players on the pitch who can nick a goal.

"We go there knowing we are in this mini-league and it is one of the six-pointers.

"We have some big six-pointers coming up and it is about results in games like this.

"It was just about getting a result, whoever it comes. To be fair to the lads, they put their bodies on the line (against Accrington) and got a lot of blocks on things and won a lot of second balls in the box.

"To be honest, I cannot believe that they (Accrington) did not put one in the net with the amount of crosses they put in and they have not put in any clean headers and we rode our luck a little bit.

"I think we probably earned that from the first 70 minutes on Saturday when we ran out of steam a little bit (against Sheffield Wednesday) and got punished by good players. We would have taken the win however it comes.”

McSheffrey admits that the importance of Rovers ending a run of seven successive home defeats with victory was also a huge psychological fillip after his side won their first game at the Eco-Power Stadium in 2022.

The Rivers chief also praised one particular player for his contribution from the bench - in the shape of West Ham loanee Mipo Odubeko.

McSheffrey added: "It is massive. It is not nice and enjoyable losing games, especially at home, You want to make your home ground a fortress.

"But with the way it has been going, people come here and expect a 'gimmie.' We have been playing quite well and not putting chances away and punished.

"But to keep a clean sheet and put the second away was brilliant. We have got to keep turning up and being brave and we had more brave players than those shirking responsiblities.

"We obviously want the performance level to be there and that was the benchmark for work-rate.

"I thought Mipo came on and it is the biggest shift he has done in half an hour and his pressing from the front was superb in stopping forward balls, keeping things and with decent link-play and running in behind. It was the benchmark for him in terms of work-rate."