Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann defends team's character as he outlines area for improvement

Doncaster, who have ambitions of promotion this season, slipped to 19th in League Two following their ninth league defeat in 17 games against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

McCann said the performance was ‘probably the worst of the season’ after his side failed to test Wimbledon keeper Alex Bass in their 2-0 loss.

He revealed he doubted their ability to get back into the match after they went in at the break trailing 1-0 following a flat first-half display, which barely improved after the interval.

McCann told The Free Press: “We have got good boys in there, good characters.

"But without the risk of sounding overly aggressive when you are losing away from home you need a bit of know-how about you.

"You need people to stand up and grab one or two others if they are not doing it.

"We didn’t see that on Saturday, it was almost like it was accepted that we never had a shot here.

"That’s not good enough, at all.”

McCann brought 12 new players to the club over the summer.

Results so far this term would suggest Rovers are a team in transition, although they have not been helped by an injury list stretching into double figures just four months into the campaign.

Their away form has been particularly poor, with six defeats from eight games.

McCann said: “We need to find a way away from home to maybe nick a point.

"I would never go into a game thinking about a point, hence the subs at half time. But, when you come off after 94, 95, 96 minutes and you do take a point, sometimes you go ‘I respect a point there’.

"We don’t seem to have that in us at the minute. That’s something we have to find, that’s an area for improvement.”

Doncaster are back in action tonight in a replay of their FA Cup first round tie against Accrington Stanley, knowing they must win on the road this evening to progress to round two.

The winners will face either McCann’s old club Peterborough United or Salford City in the next round.