Grant McCann on Doncaster Rovers: 'We lacked any sort of poise, purpose, swagger' in Stockport County defeat
Grant McCann laid into his Doncaster Rovers players for lacking belief and poise in a 2-0 defeat at home to Stockport County.
The hosts went into the game on the back of three straight wins, the visitors six matches without a win, but you would never have known it from the way Doncaster in particular played.
Stockport were nothing special, but they showed a killer edge when it mattered, pouncing on two mistakes by James Maxwell.
Ben Osborn's goal was a wonderful finish, Kyle Wootton's good centre-forward play.
"We were deservedly beaten, we lacked any conviction, lacked any belief to beat Stockport from minute one," fumed McCann. "We lacked any sort of poise, purpose, swagger at the top end of the pitch. Deservedly beaten.
"We never had a shot (on target), we didn't test their goalkeeper. We got into attacking areas a lot of times in the game but didn't test them.
"It's not what I like to see of the team, just a lack of intensity, lack of conviction.
"It's probably the worst I've seen us on the ball, we just kept giving the ball away - everybody.
"We didn't work hard enough to get on it, we kept giving it away, we were sloppy. We give them the wo goals.
"(For the first), we clear it, smash it straight into one of our players and it drops to Osborn. It's a great finish from the boy but we've given that shot.
"The second one we just give them the ball. Stockport, we just give them the ball and we invite a cross into the box and then we don't grip up.
"We were well beaten, we don't deserve anything from the game. We huff and puff but with no real intensity."
Rovers are now three points above the relegation zone having played a game more than Exeter City and Peterborough United, who both won on Tuesday.