Doncaster Rovers: Darren Ferguson looks to pile pressure on Rovers as play-off race reaches its climax

Darren Ferguson says the pressure is firmly on Doncaster Rovers as the race for the play-offs comes to a head on Saturday evening.
Darren FergusonDarren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson

Rovers are in the driving seat to claim sixth spot in League One with a point cushion and a greatly superior goal difference to Peterborough United, managed by their former boss Darren Ferguson.

Should Rovers match or better Peterborough’s result against Burton Albion when they host Coventry City, they will secure a play-off spot.

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But with Peterborough having taken the race to the final day with their win at Portsmouth in week, Ferguson says the heat has been turned up on Rovers.

“What the win at Portsmouth has done is shift things in a psychological sense,” the former Rovers boss said.

“Doncaster probably thought we’d lose at Portsmouth and that they’d be in the play-offs already so the’re under a bit more pressure now.

“Our aim for a while has been to take it to the final day of the season and we’ve done that.

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“If we repeat the performance level and have the same level of desire and determination we showed at Portsmouth, we have a chance of winning again but it’s a tough final game for us.”

Ferguson has called on his players to take care of their own business against Burton and not worry about what is happening at the Keepmoat at the same time.

And he admits he would prefer to be in Rovers’ position heading into the final day.

“We can’t focus on anything but ourselves,” he said.

“That’s our challenge. If we play like we did at Portsmouth on Tuesday, leave nothing out on the pitch and have a real go, the players will have no complaints from me even if it’s not good enough for us to overtake Doncaster.

“Let’s face it, I’d rather be in Doncaster’s position.

”They just have to win a game of football and they’re in the play-offs.

“We could win 7-0 and it might still be irrelevant. Not that we will win 7-0 of course.”