Doncaster Rovers: Ferguson interested in points not position

Last Saturday’s eventful 4-3 win at Stevenage took Rovers top ahead of this weekend’s trip to Plymouth Argyle, who led the way for a ten-week stint which ended a fortnight ago.

While admitting he was pleased for his players to reach the summit, Ferguson says he is far more concerned with the number of points on the board.

“There’s no getting away from it, it was nice for the players to be top of the league,” he told the Free Press.

“But for me I was looking beneath us - not anywhere else.

“We’re eight points ahead of fourth now and really that, and the points it got us onto, is more important. It wasn’t about anything else.

“It’s always been about the points because you look at the stats over the years, you know you get to a certain amount of points and you’re very unlucky not to be successful.

“It’s not been about the places, it’s been about the points.

“That’s what I’ve focused on and the team knows that.”

Rovers established a 3-0 lead at Stevenage but endured a nervy second half as the hosts fought back, before eventually they got over the line.

Ferguson - nominated for the League Two manager of the month award - believes the fact victory would take his side top took its toll.

He said: “Because there was no one else playing last weekend and it was a game in hand, I think there was a real desperate need to win the game.

“Maybe that affected us a bit in the second half.”

Ferguson has a selection dilemma up front after Andy Williams made a scoring return against Blackpool on Tuesday night, in his first start since early October.

Liam Mandeville, with six goals from his last seven games, is in pole position to retain his place up front alongside John Marquis.

Marquis, Craig Alcock, Andy Butler, Matty Blair, Tommy Rowe and James Coppinger will all return to the side after sitting out the Blackpool game.