Grant McCann reflects on Doncaster Rovers win over Reading + Keigan Vickerage tribute
Grant McCann is taking nothing for granted despite Doncaster Rovers taking a huge step towards confirming their League One status.
Rovers sealed a narrow but deserved 1-0 win over the Royals thanks to skipper Owen Bailey's close range finish - his 16th of a remarkable campaign. That moved McCann's side on to 53 points. Only one of the bottom four - Exeter - can realistically catch them but despite that McCann refuses to rest on his laurels. He reflected: "I thought we were the better team and we played the conditions the best.
"It was windy out there today but we managed the game well at certain moments and scored a good goal to win it. We did everything today that we didn't at Exeter. We were more intense, we were aggressive, we picked up second balls, we defended well. So if you do that then nine times out of ten you give yourself a really good chance to be in a game or win a game.
"I said last week we probably need another three points but we probably need another three. The way the division is going at this moment in time I think it's going to be 54, 55, 56 points or something like that to maybe keep yourself in this league, but we still want to finish strong."
The win came on a poignant afternoon with applause held in the 18th minute in tribute to Keigan Vickerage after the tragic death of the lifelong Rovers fan.
The match referee Scott Jackson won plenty of praise for stopping the game so the entire stadium could pay tribute.
McCann reflected: "I know he was a massive Doncaster fan, and his brother is as well. "So it's not nice, but hopefully that little tribute today is only a small part of what we can do as a football club. I know there's a memorial service for him on Tuesday, which myself and Owen Bailey and Gavin Baldwin (chief executive) will attend, just to pay our respects as a football club. Hopefully today is just a small little gesture of the support from the football club."
Rovers have four league games remaining, starting with next weekend's trip to Northampton.
