Salford City v Doncaster Rovers: Grant McCann asks players to be less 'safe' as emotions take hold in League Two promotion race

Rovers play their game in hand at Salford City on Tuesday, knowing victory will put them second with just four matches left.

Saturday’s visit of Wimbledon saw Billy Sharp sent off seconds after coming off the bench and McCann have a run-in with a fan which was caught on camera.

McCann felt his players were too "safe" in the first half but took heart from the way they turned a 1-0 deficit into a 1-1 draw.

"I completely understand it but it's the teams who have that braveness, who have the most positivity about them, who play on the front foot more and are more aggressive and assertive that do eventually go up," argued McCann.

"It's just drumming the message back into the team again to stay on the front foot, be aggressive.

"I spoke to the lads at half-time and said if you can't do that, just let us know and we'll bring you off. There was definitely a response.

"This group do respond to a wee bit of criticism or myself getting angry and agitated with them. They're a tremendous group to work with.

"I think I've made my point.

"I said it to them at half-time and again on Monday in training so I'm hoping now we can let the shackles off and play with a bit of a freedom and enjoy it.

"We've worked so hard to get to this point, I want them to play with a smile on their face and play like I know they can."

With three games in seven days – they are at Tranmere Rovers on Good Friday and welcome Colchester United on Monday – and have three players "very doubtful" with injuries, they could have done without 39-year-old Sharp's stupid reaction to Joe Lewis, and the three-match ban expected to come with it.

"Billy made a mistake, he's held his hands up, I spoke to him on Sunday again," sad McCann.

"I've been in them situations myself as a player where emotions over-ride things and you can do something silly, so we know what it's like.

"I think he's just lost his head for a split second.

"Billy plays with that edge anyway. He's taken it too far on Saturday, he knows that and he's apologised."

McCann will not try to be clever in spreading his resources this week.

"It's simply the next game, then we'll look again after that at who's fresh, who can go again," he said. "We've played Saturday-Tuesday many times over the season and the Easter games are just a day early.

"It's just making sure we get the recovery protocols right.

"We feel like every single one of our players can play in our team, we don't have any reservations or concerns over any of them.

"We've just got to try and make sure we keep that energy about them and come half five on Easter Monday we've put ourselves in a real good position."

McCann lost his cool too.

"It was at a supporter who every home game I can hear him behind us and I don't usually react but when it's a bit personal and abusive towards me, I just turned around, looked at him and said if you don't like it, just don't come back,” he said.

"I get it that fans pay their money and I totally appreciate they are allowed to vent their frustrations but when it's personal, I didn't like that.

"When things like that get personal and abusive towards me, I don't need that. I've had a tough time myself over the last month or so (with the death of his mother, Valerie) and I'm in work trying to do my best for Doncaster Rovers every single day.

"I probably shouldn't have said anything to him but when it's constant, we're all human.

"If I've offended the lad who's abused me, I apologise but I'm trying hard to get this football club to the next level."

Victory would move Doncaster above Bradford City and put pressure on them and sixth-placed Notts County ahead of Thursday's game at Valley Parade.

"We're going to go to Salford, try to win the game and that puts us second," said McCann.

"I can't really control what other people are thinking or feeling.

"All I can do is put players on the pitch to try and continue the decent run of results we've had. We probably could have won more but we feel strong at the minute and confident.

"We just want to keep continue drumming the message into the players about positivity and getting out of third or fourth gear into fifth to take the game to teams.

"That's really what my job has been the last few days."