Doncaster Rovers 2 - 0 Coventry City

Andy Turner dissects a disappointing day at the Keepmoat Stadium



Coventry’s theoretical play-off chances were extinguished at the Keepmoat Stadium as Rovers claimed the win they needed to keep their survival hopes alive.

Two first-half headers did the damage, the first teed up by a corner from Coventry City old boy Gary McSheffrey before he limped out of the game.

After experimenting with 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 in recent games, Tony Mowbray reverted to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, midweek hero Andy Rose flanked by Jodi Jones and Jacob Murphy in the attacking trio.

Coventry City made a bright start, using Rose’s aerial ability to probe for gaps in a nervous-looking Rovers defence, but it was the home side who struck first.

McSheffrey curled the flag-kick to the near-post where Tommy Rowe timed his run perfectly to glide home a glancing header.

The ex-City man limped off midway through the half, to a warm ovation from the block of Sky Blues fans, but it took substitute less than five minute to make an impact as he sprinted down the left and, from deep in the corner, hoisted in a cross that found Andy Williams rising highest at the far post.

City were almost handed a way back into the game when keeper Matthews slid outside his box as he cut off Armstrong’s run but Murphy’s driven free-kick was hacked away but Rovers were looking full of confidence by this stage, looking dangerous every time they got the ball in wide positions.

They carried that momentum into the second period, forcing a succession of corners, as the Sky Blues midfield struggled to string two passes together.

Mowbray tried to liven things up by sending on Tudgay and Gadzhev – the Bulgarian making his debut – and that sparked an improvement that saw Murphy curl a 20-yarder over the bar and Armstrong get in a header that was too close to Matthews to cause any in convenience.

Maddison was pitched on 20 minutes from time, making an instant impression as his cross was nodded wide by Armstrong, but it took a good Charles-Cook save from Tyson’s header to deny Rovers a third.

Maddison cut inside from the right to fire off a left-footer that was well saved by Matthews and the substitute’s low cross then evaded Fleck and Tudgay as City summoned up a late flurry but Rovers only real worry was the news that relegation rivals Shrewsbury had claimed an unlikely win at Gillingham.