Helpless Doncaster Rovers slip even closer to League One relegation

Rovers’ 2-0 loss at Wycombe Wanderers, coupled with Fleetwood Town’s 3-1 win at Crewe Alexandra, left McSheffrey’s men needing to overhaul a seven-point gap to safety with just five games remaining.

Garath McCleary and Anis Mehmeti both scored for Wanderers as they prevailed over relegation-threatened Rovers to boost their League One play-off chances.

Rovers task is made all the more difficult by the fact that three of the four sides above them have played fewer games.

“It’s a disappointing result for us. We’ve come here trying to get something out of the game, but it wasn’t to be in the end,” he said.

“They started quite slowly and unfortunately we couldn’t take advantage of that. The first goal is so important in games of football. They got the first goal and then we have to try and get back into the game.

“It’s disappointing to concede fairly early in the game. If we can just hang in games a little while longer then we might get something from it.

“Once we concede the second we’ve got a mountain to climb then really.

“We have to start picking up points, we understand the situation we’re in.”

Rovers return to action on Saturday afternoon as they host bottom-side Crewe in a must-win fixture if they want to keep their slim survival hopes alive.

Wycombe: Stockdale, McCarthy, Stewart, Tafazolli, Jacobson (Obita 77), Wing, Scowen, McCleary (Wheeler 76), Horgan, Mehmeti, Vokes (Akinfenwa 85). Unused substitutes: Young, Hanlan, Dickinson, Joseph.

Doncaster: Mitchell, Knoyle (Galbraith 86), Younger, Ro-Shaun Williams, Olowu, Bostock, Clayton (Odubeko 71), Smith, Rowe (Horton 77), Martin, Griffiths. Unused substitutes: Jones, Barlow, Dodoo, Gardner.

Referee: J Busby (Oxfordshire).