Match sharpness no excuse for sloppy, costly play according to Doncaster Rovers boss

Defensive mistakes and a lack of clinical play in the final third proved costly as Rovers failed to make their dominance of the ball count and slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town.

Moore and his staff have been working on bringing players up to the fitness levels required to handle the demanding schedule, plus bedding in the new arrivals who joined the club in January.

The Rovers boss feels that process has been completed, with tired legs and sharpness no longer viable reasons for his side’s shortcomings in recent weeks.

“They’re right up to it,” Moore said. “I’m happy with the team and where they’re at.

“That is us in terms of getting people up to match fitness and match sharpness for the duration of the season.

“Now it’s about performing at the highest level possible and start trying to carve out those results.”

Moore is clear in his mind where Rovers are going wrong. And having bemoaned an absence of concentration at key moments for several weeks, he was deeply frustrated to see the issue cost them at Ipswich.

“It’s something that we have to sort out between now and the end of the season because it’s stopping our progress again,” he said.

“I’m happy with the performance again. The performances are back to where I want them to be.

“But accompanied with that must be staying connected to the game. It only takes a second to score a goal so it only takes a second to switch off. We’ve got to be better than that.

“It’s all a mental thing. It’s not something you can train on.

“Maybe it’s drip feeding them more in training. We’ve started doing things with them now, with different voices, more videos and really focusing on the concentration levels that can spark all that in the boys.

“I’m pleased with the players, disappointed with the result but we move on again because we’ve got another game coming up against Portsmouth on Tuesday."

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