'I said to the boys we've got seven six-pointers' - McSheffrey plots Doncaster Rovers' route to safety

Doncaster Rovers are still in there fighting in their battle to avoid the drop from League One.

And boss Gary McSheffrey insists he can see a potential route to safety with several ‘six-pointers’ on the horizon.

His side wilted alarmingly in Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Portsmouth.

But, after some home truths were dished out during a training ground meeting on Monday, they responded with a battling 1-0 win at Lincoln City to move themselves off the foot of the table.

Tuesday night’s smash and grab raid at the LNER Stadium, against a side still far from safe, was the first big tick on McSheffrey’s list of key games he says will now determine Rovers’ fate.

Rovers have taken nine points from their last seven games against MK Dons, Plymouth, Rotherham, Sunderland, Ipswich, Portsmouth and Lincoln.

They now prepare to welcome Sheffield Wednesday and Accrington Stanley to the Eco-Power Stadium over the coming week before a potentially decisive quartet of fixtures against lowly AFC Wimbledon, Cheltenham, Gillingham and Fleetwood.

Rovers, who are six points from safety, also have relegation-threatened Crewe and Shrewsbury still to play.

"I said to the boys before the Lincoln game we’ve got seven six-pointers left,” said McSheffrey.

"They’re the big ones and we need to win them.

"We’ve ticked one off and it was important not to let Lincoln get further away because there’s always a surprise package that drops late on.

"We’ve had a tough end of January and start to February and some of the other teams have got that to come.

"We’ve taken nine points out of seven games against really tough opposition.

“So put things into perspective, would you take that? I think you probably would.”

Rovers have won four league games and lost 10 since McSheffrey took charge in December.