Doncaster Rovers must learn how to break down opponents

Namely, their inability on the night to move the ball quickly in the second half and take Shrewsbury out of their comfort zone after grabbing a shock opener and then building the equivalent of two brick walls as they successfully repelled the hosts’ quest to fight back at the Keepmoat Stadium.

The net result was that Rovers’ run of four consecutive victories ended on a night when the tantalising prize for a win would have been topping League One at Christmas Day.

The busy itinerary means that Doncaster will move on quickly, with Darren Moore’s side welcoming the division’s other surprise packages in Accrington Stanley on Boxing Day.

On the defeat to Steve Cotterill’s Shrews, Anderson said: “It was frustrating. The performance was there, but the result wasn’t.

“Shrewsbury are well-drilled and Steve Cotterill has gone in and they are doing very well at it. But we have got to be more creative and move it quicker.

“In the first half we did that well and they did a few tactical changes in the second half and made it more difficult for us. It is still down to us to break that down.

“They worked hard and got across the pitch well and when the striker drops in, it was two blocks of five. But we should have taken something from the game.

“We have to dust ourselves down, not get too down about it and focus on the next game.

“Sometimes, it does not happen in football and we should have kept the back door shut and conceded from a set-piece and for myself, I am not happy with it.

“We cannot be too down about it, we have been on a good run and one bad result won’t change us and we will get ourselves going again.”