Doncaster Rovers: Tom Anderson looking to stay switched on at the Keepmoat

He had not given himself the best introduction to the home support at the Keepmoat but by the end of the game Tom Anderson's name was on everyone's lips.
Tom AndersonTom Anderson
Tom Anderson

The towering on loan centre half left the door wide open for Charlton’s Patrick Bauer to head his side in front.

But, on his home debut, Anderson turned from zero to hero by full time with an incredible last ditch tackle to deny Tarique Fosu the chance to make it 2-0 – all the more important as Rovers bagged an injury time equaliser.

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“It just happens in games sometimes but it shouldn’t happen,” Anderson said of his mistake.

“You’ve just got to pick yourself up and go again.

“You can’t let it affect your performance, you just need to put it to the back of your mind and carry on with the rest of the game.

“You could say that I made up for it with that but again, that was all about keeping going and I was lucky enough to get a tackle in.”

Anderson was entering into the unknown when he joined Rovers on loan from Burnley in late January, having spent the first half of the campaign with Port Vale in League Two.

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Expecting to remain at Vale Park until the end of the season, the 24-year-old was surprised and delighted to be recalled and sent out instead to Rovers, who were suffering a considerable defensive injury crisis.

He said: “It all happened very quickly.

“I played on the Saturday, Burnley called me back on the Sunday and I heard about Doncaster on the Monday morning.

“I was really happy and it was more or less all done by Monday night and I was down the M62.

“It was a bit of a surprise to be called back but I was hoping there was something in the pipeline. Thankfully there was.”

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Anderson finds himself back in League One, where he made more than 50 appearances over two spells with Chesterfield.

But he says he has already noticed a difference in standards after starting the campaign in League Two.

He said: “The first two teams I’ve played against so far since coming here have been two very good teams in League One.

“There is a lot of very good teams in the division.

“League Two is very physical, as you can see by looking at me with a few facial injuries. I got a cut over the eye in the game before I came here and I did my nose on New Year’s Day.

“It’s not as much about that in League One.

“There’s some very good teams in this league and you’ve got to make sure you’re switched on.”a