Doncaster Rovers assistant boss Noel Hunt out to get strikers firing

A former striker himself, Hunt has taken a hands-on role in seeking to get Rovers firing and says no stone is being left unturned in the quest for goals.

“I work with our strikers hitting the net between 60 and 80 times a week before they play a game on a Saturday,” he said.

“We work on different runs, different styles.

“Joe [Dodoo] was disappointed that he rounded the keeper on Saturday and took a heavy touch, and the one where he came across the front post but needed to adjust himself more.

“We’ve got to keep just adding things and finding that way to score.

“There’s no other way. We can’t down tools.

“We tell the boys the chances will come but they always have to expect they will and be ready.

“No matter if none come for 95 minutes, one might come in the 96th.

“You need the mindset and mental capacity to keep going and waiting for it to come.”

Hunt admits it has been difficult keeping the club’s strikers fresh due to the lengthy injury list, which has meant the likes of Joe Dodoo have shouldered the responsibility alone for long stretches.

But he says goalscoring is a team effort and will involve the correct decisions being made across the pitch.

“You want to keep boys as fresh as you can but we haven’t been able to do that over the last few weeks and months,” Hunt said.

“We just have to keep working on everything - crosses into the box, the runs into the box and for them and us to find a way to score.

“We do loads of finishing exercises, loads of drills.

“We’ve spoken at great length about set plays. When we’ve got one, we expect there to be a cross, even if we work it short we need to be working for the cross, for the chance.

“It’s young lads learning their game and what it takes.

“We’re watching videos, we’re on the training ground, we’re hitting the net.

“It’s just now bringing that next step and bringing it into games.”

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