Ian Holloway shows that the old songs can still be the best - final word on Doncaster Rovers' League Two draw with Swindon Town

Amid an often humourless and overly serious football industry so much better for his presence in it, the Bristolian was entitled to say something very similar when conveying his post-match thoughts on this particular see-saw game to those following back in Wiltshire. One thing is for sure, it would have made for compulsive listening.

Late on Saturday afternoon, his opposite number Grant McCann would not have seen the funny side.

His Doncaster Rovers side had been hoodwinked by those in Swindon colours – perhaps he had been as well – by an old managerial fox whose footballing mind remains as sharp as his repartee at the seasoned age of 61.

To put it in gentleman’s terms, Holloway’s side were not the best in an opening 45 minutes which saw them trail 2-0, but he found a taxi number in time for the start of the second half.

Two of his interval substitutes in Dan Butterworth and Joe Westley scored within six minutes of coming on. His third in the shape of Botan Ameen – who had a hand in both goals and caused carnage in the definitive part of the game – was his trump card.

McCann’s side were spooked and it ultimately cost them two points which may prove valuable come early May.

Yes, apologists might point to the fact that McCann’s entire back four from the previous game were absent – not just from the starting line-up, but the match-day squad.

McCann’s backline was basically assembled on Saturday morning, with the Rovers manager phoning a couple of players to tell them they were starting.

In the same breadth, McCann was not interested in excuses. He was having none of it, commendably and rightly.

And anyone who might have mentioned afterwards that the point was not too bad, given slip-ups by the likes of Walsall and Bradford City would have got short shrift as well.

This was an opportunity lost and McCann knew it. Serious sides shouldn’t blow two-goal leads when the daffodils are out.

The bottom line was that his Rovers side failed to do their due diligence for a critical spell early in the second half and allowed Holloway’s changes to reap a West Country orchard.

Taking personal responsibility too, McCann said: "It's all of us included.

"We give the boys so much. Sometimes we don’t want to give them too much information as I can frighten them a little bit sometimes. But players need to take ownership and responsibility. We had to get the job done.

"Ian will say credit to him, his team and his subs and that’s the beauty of football. It can bite you on the backside or go for you."

Rovers pushed for a late winner, with Billy Sharp netting a goal which was ruled out for offside and Jordan Gibson missing a couple of chances, but the tale of the tape was before.

McCann’s comment that he didn’t expect his side to go on and score a winner, given developments, was pertinent. It was that sort of day and the damage was done. You knew where he was coming from.

Rovers had made hay while the sun shone early on, including an opening goal after 19 seconds.

George Broadbent played a routine line ball and it caught Ryan Delaney flat-footed with the athletic Rob Street surging away before finishing with a pinpoint low strike.

It was down Swindon’s problematic left-sided defensive channel that the second goal germinated on 22 minutes.

This was all to do with the sorcery of Luke Molyneux, who had far too much cleverness for marker Miguel Freckleton.

After getting past the Sheffield United loanee with classic wing-play, his low centre gravitated to Joe Sbarra, who crowned his restoration to the starting line-up with a clinical first league goal for Rovers.

And then it changed on the resumption.

Ameen saw his dinked cross headed clear by Tom Anderson. Sbarra couldn’t complete the clearance job and Butterworth lashed a low shot home.

Moments later, it was all-square. Ameen again caused damage and his low cross found Westley, who netted from close range with Rovers again undressed again at the back.

It could and maybe should have got worse as McCann was right to point out. It didn’t, mercifully, Rovers regrouped, but a winner was not forthcoming.

It was Holloway’s half. Every dog has its day - and this was ‘woof day’ as he once famously remarked. Swindon were the ones barking and not Rovers.

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe; Nixon, Anderson, Bailey, Senior; Crew (Sharp 84), Broadbent; Molyneux, Sbarra (Clifton 71), Gibson; Street (Ironside 71). Unused substitutes: Lawlor, Wood, Ennis, Westbrooke.

Swindon Town: Ripley; McGregor (Ameen 46), Wright, Delaney, Freckleton; Ofoborh (Butterworth 46), Kilkenny; Cotterill (Sobowale 85), Nichols (Glatzel 74), Tshimanga (Westley 46); Smith. Unused substitutes: Bycroft, Cain.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancs).