Joe Sbarra on business-end traits as Doncaster Rovers aim to learn quick lessons amid crunch League Two run-in

The midfielder netted twice in the Conference play-offs for the Midlands outfit last year and back in 2021-22, another campaign where Moors reached the end of season lottery, seven of his 18 goals in that eye-catching season came from mid-March onwards.

After waiting a fair while for his maiden league goal in Doncaster Rovers colours, which finally arrived in Saturday’s League Two draw with Swindon Town, he is aiming to rewind the clock.

Sbarra became Rovers’ 13th different league scorer to put Rovers’ 2-0 up inside 22 minutes, a crisp first-time finish after typically classy wing-play down the right from Luke Molyneux.

Team-wise, there was understandable frustration on a see-saw afternoon which saw Rovers let a two-goal lead slip, but some personal solace at least for Sbarra, whose 18 league appearances so far in 2024-25 have featured just five starts.

Sbarra said: “Last year, I scored in the semi and the final. I take a goal wherever it comes to be honest. I don’t care when it is in a season.

“It is part of my game, creating and scoring goals and that’s what I am in the team to do and essentially I am doing my job and I am delighted to finally get the league goal under my belt and hopefully I can kick on now.”

Rovers’ result contributed to a few unexpected scores at the top end of the table last weekend, which also saw Walsall and Bradford City lose.

Amid an intriguing battle for automatic promotion, further twists and turns are nailed on, more especially with several sides having to play each other.

For Rovers, it was a remainder of the importance of game management on their own patch.

Grant McCann’s side still have to welcome Walsall, Wimbledon and Bradford before the end of the regular season.

On results elsewhere on the day, Sbarra added: “I don’t know whether that is a good thing. The lads don’t really focus on it and we just focus on ourselves.

“The overwhelming emotion was frustration about our result. I saw the other results, but we don't come in and look at them straight away because we haven’t done our jobs and we don't want to rely on other people. We need to make sure we do the business and get us up. Every team is fighting for something and there's no team who are just going to lie down for you.”

Rovers’ bench on Saturday was noteworthy for the presence of senior duo Billy Sharp and Joe Ironside, who have won many a match over the course of their careers at this stage of proceedings.

They compliment the likes of Molyneux, another big-game player capable of turning any fourth-tier match on his day.

McCann said: “We feel like we have match-winners through the group who have seen it and done it with good experience as well who know what it takes to win promotion.

“We also have a few young and naive players who maybe don’t, so it's our job to keep reminding them of what it takes to be successful.”