Mansfield Town v Doncaster Rovers: Postponements could level form book says boss

With hindsight, it was the beginning of the end.
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Doncaster’s first league defeat of the season back in September at the hands of this weekend’s opponents, Mansfield Town, was where it all started to go wrong for Gary McSheffrey and his assistant Steve Eyre.

The 3-1 loss was the first of three on the bounce. By the time Rovers recovered their form with a 4-1 win over Crawley Town later that month, the calls for change had begun and continued to grow louder until McSheffrey and his right-hand man were relieved of their duties just over three weeks later.

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McSheffrey had been nominated for League Two’s Manager of the Month award for August after overseeing four wins from six in the opening month.

Lee Tomlin celebrates his only Doncaster Rovers goal in the reverse fixture.Lee Tomlin celebrates his only Doncaster Rovers goal in the reverse fixture.
Lee Tomlin celebrates his only Doncaster Rovers goal in the reverse fixture.

Doncaster were third in the table – their highest position all season – when they welcomed Nigel Clough’s Mansfield to the Eco-Power Stadium, but head into Saturday’s clash twelfth and four points off the play-offs.

The Stags are three places and two points above them, yet have just one win in their last seven home games and six overall.

Rovers have won two of their last three, although they won’t have played for 21 days by the time the game kicks off due to back-to-back postponements.

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“With it being a local game, with us not playing for a while and with it being against a team in and around us in the league, I think it adds its own importance,” Doncaster head coach Danny Schofield said.

"We will be well prepared to perform."

On the impact of those pesky postponements, Schofield said: “It’s a bit of a leveller when you have not played consistent games.

"The more consistently you are playing the better you become. Mansfield are in a similar position to us.”

Mansfield’s trip to Northampton Town last weekend was also called off due to the cold snap.

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"You can train all you like but you need to play games,” said Schofield.

"We feel as though we are well prepared, we’re coming off the back of a good Christmas period.

"It's one we are looking forward to and we feel we can put a good performance in.”

Doncaster will be backed by around 1,700 travelling fans at the One Call Stadium.