Saturday Night Takeaway: 'Hair-tearingly frustrating' Doncaster Rovers slip to another defeat at Ipswich Town

In the space of the shortest of the calendar months they have transformed from a dynamic outfit with every reason to be excited over their prospects to a hair-tearingly frustrating side that consistently shoots themselves in the foot..

So, so much was right about their performance at Ipswich Town.

But in the areas where things needed to be right the most, they were all wrong.

And so they slumped to a fourth defeat in five matches to leave the most promising of campaigns teetering on the brink of petering out.

On the ball, they were arguably as good as they have been since the turn of the year.

They used possession with real confidence, spraying passes around the pitch and building play up really well as they forced Ipswich to drop deeper and deeper.

John Bostock at times looked a level above with the quality of play he produced with the ball at his feet, particularly in bringing the wide players into the game.

But consistently, Rovers struggled to turn possession into chances. And when they did, often players looked off the pace and slow to react to make them count.

So despite being in control of the first quarter of the match, they found themselves behind at the break.

The sloppy conceding of a free kick was punished when Alan Judge curled in a beauty from close to 30 yards to put Ipswich ahead in a game they had barely had any say in.

The pattern was no different after the break. And the frustration continued, in very familiar fashion.

A delivery into the box was not dealt with, and James Norwood poked in from close range after the ball had scuffed off the head of Fejiri Okenabirhie.

Rovers dominant. Rovers two goals down due to errors and having it all to do.

And, again, the pattern remained the same. Darren Moore’s side remained in control of possession and pushed hard for a way back in.

The lifeline eventually came when substitute Jon Taylor rifled in after breaking into space in the box.

But grabbing the other goal they so sorely needed proved beyond them, as wastefulness in and out of the box proved their own doing.

So near and yet so far pretty much sums up another afternoon of frustration and disappointment.

Tipping over from being close to being there looks like a mammoth task, particularly when the necessity to do so is as pressing as it currently is.

Rovers’ position remains a strong one.

Remarkably, given they have picked up just one point from 15 available, they remain inside the top six with at least two games in hand over every side above them.

For that, they have been incredibly fortunate.

But good fortune alone is not going to keep them there for much longer. They must become the masters of their own destiny rather than masters of their own downfall.

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In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.