Abysmal defending, frustration and a need for a quick response: Doncaster Rovers talking points after MK Dons nightmare

Doncaster Rovers endured one of their bleakest afternoons in recent memory after falling to a dismal 6-1 defeat away at newly promoted MK Dons.

It marks the first time that Grant McCann has seen his Rovers team concede six in a single match and marks his biggest loss since a 5-0 defeat at home to Morecambe back in December 2023.

Here we take a look at the talking points from an afternoon supporters will want to forget about quickly.

Aaron Collins tears Doncaster Rovers apart

While the post-match headlines will undoubtedly be focused on just how poor Doncaster Rovers were defensively and all over the pitch in truth, it’s only fair that Aaron Collins gets credit.

Already the joint top scorer heading into the game, Collins found the net four times in the space of 79 minutes and was an imperious presence in attack for the hosts.

He won almost every duel, converted four of his five shots on target, and was playing with a real sense of swagger and confidence that most defences in this division would struggle to deal with.

However, at the same time Rovers were all over the place defensively and made the 29-year-old look like a Premier League footballer.

They gave him way too much space for the first goal after two minutes, albeit a nice strike from distance, but then completely gifted him his second of the game, with Neill Byrne losing possession with a poorly hit pass to Isaac Hutchinson before failing to react to a through ball from Ryan Wintle, with Collins finishing easily from close range.

Collins’ third and probably most pivotal in the context of the game came from weak goalkeeping from Tommy Simkin after Jack Senior had allowed him to cut inside and unleash a shot at goal. While the fourth goal Collins bagged was again poor defensively with Byrne being beaten by a lovely piece of skill before Simkin dived in the wrong direction.

Later goals followed from Callum Paterson and Marvin Ekpiteta, but the most alarming aspect was that MK could have had even more, with Simkin making five saves in the match and the hosts also rattling the crossbar with a header from close range.

Frustrating performances all over the pitch

Doncaster Rovers haven’t come back from behind to win a game since beating Rotherham United in February and despite briefly making the scoreline 2-1 early in the second half never really looked like getting back into this particular contest.

Captain Owen Bailey, who was the hero against Sheffield Wednesday, struggled to get into attacking areas where he can be so dangerous, Leon Ayinde only touched the ball 14 times, while Alfie May was very much an isolated figure in attack. Jamie Sterry and George Broadbent were taken off at half-time, Jack Senior struggled to hit the heights we’ve become accustomed to. In summary, nobody had a good time in this one from a Rovers perspective.

"Embarrassing, really kind of embarrassed by the whole thing,” said Owen Bailey on the performance of the team.

"Not good enough from anyone today and we've got to take full accountability and look inward because that's not good enough.We got back into the game, looked like we were probably going to go on and get something," he said.

"Then they score and we just totally capitulate, which is tough to put into words, to be honest. It's just so embarrassing, really frustrating, and angry. Every kind of negative emotion you can imagine is going on for everyone there."

A need for a quick response

Every so often a team can suffer a defeat like this, its part and parcel of football at times.

But that doesn’t always necessarily equate to a bad season, although the situation doesn’t look great at this moment in time.

For example, in 2023/24 when Rovers lost 5-0 at home to Morecambe and 4-0 away at Newport, they went on to finish in fifth position in League Two after a miraculous rise up the table.

And last season, the club lost 5-1 at home to Plymouth Argyle and 4-0 away at Leyton Orient but still finished comfortably in midtable despite periods of concern.

“It's like anything in life,” said McCann.

“I think when you have tough times, whether it be a death in your family or a defeat on a Saturday in a football match, you pick yourself up and you go again. You stay strong. And that is what we'll be doing.”