Richie Wellens has sympathy for angry Doncaster Rovers supporters after Charlton Athletic defeat

Richie Wellens felt Doncaster Rovers’ travelling support were well within their rights to be angry at the end of the defeat to Charlton Athletic.
Rovers fans in the away end at The Valley. Picture: Gareth Williams/AHPIXRovers fans in the away end at The Valley. Picture: Gareth Williams/AHPIX
Rovers fans in the away end at The Valley. Picture: Gareth Williams/AHPIX

There were angry scenes in the away end at The Valley as the players acknowledged the fans following the 4-0 defeat.

And Wellens said the reaction of the near-600 strong support was fully justified.

“They deserve to be,” he told the Free Press.

“I was angry.

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“But I’ve got to keep a balanced view because we’ve got a game on Tuesday. I don’t think it’d be helpful to fly off the handle.

“I don’t think the supporters can accept that so many of our players lost their individual battles. That’s the frustration and frustration leads to anger.

“I think they were fully in their right to show their anger.”

Rovers turned in an error-strewn performance devoid of energy as they slumped meekly to a hefty defeat against the side that sat one place above them in the table prior to kick-off.

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In Wellens’ view, Rovers’ main downfall was failing to match the workrate of their hosts.

“No excuses,” he said. “We didn’t earn the right.

“You look at two of their goals where they’ve ricocheted off Pontus Dahlberg and they’ve scored. It ricocheted around their box and we’ve not got on the end of it because we haven’t worked hard enough to get in there and earned that right.

“If you don’t earn the right then you never going to get the ability out there.

“Ability comes out when you match the workrate of your opponent and we never did that.”

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