Grant McCann enjoys Doncaster Rovers' fighting spirit - but wishes they had not needed it

Rovers were the better side against the Gills, who until kick-off had made the best start to the League Two season, but had only Billy Sharp's brilliant goal to show for it.

So it meant that as Gillingham threw on every bigger and stronger substitutes in the second half, Doncaster had to dig in deep for their fourth league win of a campaign only five games old.

"It's nice to see the boys fighting," said McCann. "I could see them organising and fighting for second balls – (Harry) Cifton, (Owen) Bailey, (Zain) Westbrooke, it was really big shifts from them in front of the back four.

"Joe (Ironside) and Mols (Luke Molyneux) put in a massive shift.

"They're very dangerous on their right-hand side, probably second best in the division to us on the right-hand side and I thought we were good against him."

He did, however, point out that it should not have come to that.

"I thought the first half we were really good and probably should have been out of sight," he complained. "If we had have shown more calmness and control at the top end, the last bit was just missing. Billy Sharp is the predator in the box which is really pleasing but we should have had more because we were really controlling it.

"We started the second half well and then it became scrappy and they made changes but all in all, when we had to defend and put bodies in our box it was a really good performance and a good win."

Sharp, ultimately, was the difference on the scoreboard.

"He's been doing that all his career. You give him half a sniff, he'll score. He's up against two big centre-halves, two of the biggest in the division," said McCann. "Jordan (Gibson) did really well to work it at the back-post and it ends up at Billy and he scores. But there were so many opportunities we didn't take."

The victory equalled a club record for 11 consecutive home league wins, a run stretching back to February.

"It's not the record yet, that's what I'd say," commented McCann, whose side are at Harrogate Town on Thursday. "Let's get one more and crack on."