Doncaster boss accuses his players of 'hiding' during timid loss at Kenilworth Road

A bitterly disappointed Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann accused his players of ‘hiding’ during their 1-0 defeat against Luton on Saturday.

The visitors, who were League One champions last term, turned up at Kenilworth Road having their first real downturn in form this term, as after winning eight out of their first 10 matches in all competitions, had suffered three straight defeats going into the fixture, beaten by Wigan Athletic and AFC Wimbledon in the league, plus a 3-0 Carabao Cup reverse to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, they didn’t really get going in a first half in which Town took the lead through Kal Naismith’s 40th minute header from a George Saville free kick which McCann felt his side didn’t defend as they had been drilled beforehand. Although keeper Ian Lawlor then excellently saved Nahki Wells’ penalty before the break, after the interval, Rovers became slightly more of an attacking threat, but they only really came close when Toyosi Olusanya’s poor touch allowed Josh Keeley to smother at his feet, while Luke Molyneux blazed wide in stoppage time.

Speaking about the clash, a disappointed McCann said: “First half was really, really poor, probably the poorest we’ve been since the first few months I was at the football club. I know we’re playing against a better team, but no direction, no zip about us, just kept smashing balls in behind and kicking them out of play, that’s not what we’re about.

"Not brave enough to get on the ball, didn’t take the ball, quite a few of us were hiding, hiding and that really hurts me to say that, but I’m not telling you any different from what I’ve said to the players, that’s the most frustrating element. We conceded off a set-play again, that’s four games in a row where set-plays have cost us games. We don’t get the organisation right, that’s not something we had planned, it should have been a different set-up. We’ve done our own thing so that’s really frustrating and then we nearly conceded again straight afterwards.

"We adjusted, we got in at one-nil, Lawsy makes an unbelievable save from a penalty and we improved a bit in the second half, but I’m just really, really frustrated as we’ve come to a team that’s obviously under pressure themselves a little bit in terms of results and we haven’t really laid a glove on them. Maybe apart from the second half when we had a couple of half chances, but when we did have those half chances, we had heavy touches too many times, slicing at things when we should be calmer.

"We didn’t cross the ball when we should, so all in all, ultimately we’ve got what we deserved, albeit we should have had a penalty in the first half with the handball (on Zack Nelson) that was rewarded with a free kick which was two or three yards inside the area. I just said to the players in there, that I think there’s a lack of belief there at the moment in time and I don’t know why.”

Rovers opted to make Town shoot towards the Kenny End in the first half, which was a call that backfired in McCann’s eyes, as he added: “We made a decision in the changing room to turn them and play down the hill first half, but in hindsight it probably didn’t work as every pass we played in behind just went out for a goal kick, for a throw-in, which didn’t really help us. There wasn’t enough of us that wanted the ball in the first half, that’s the thing that really irked me and when you come to a team like Luton, who want to be on top of you, you need to be brave enough to take it and play through it and we didn’t do enough.”