'Sometimes the better team doesn’t win' - Doncaster Rovers' Billy Sharp on Huddersfield Town loss

The Doncaster Rovers veteran, in his 22nd season as a professional, is one of the EFL natural-born predators - his numbers certainly back it up - and he is still going strong at 39.

On Tuesday night, he didn't score against Huddersfield Town, a club who have rued his goalscoring prowess over the years, in his 700th career appearance. His tally against Town stands at eight in total according to his father Steve, who has kept a statistical record of his son’s feats. It could easily now be into double figures.

Sharp went close twice at the Accu Stadium and was denied by two excellent blocks. Aside from not scoring, he had a fine game and provided a masterclass in leading the line and linking up play at times.

He and his Rovers team-mates did plenty right, especially in an outstanding first half when they handed a bit of a lesson to Town in truth. But in the final analysis, they couldn’t finish Town off and show a ruthless edge.

The Terriers regrouped in the second period and a couple of key introductions won it. So far this season on their League One return, Rovers have looked a very impressive outfit and showcased more than enough to suggest that they will trouble all teams at this level.

For all their fine play, they have scored four goals in four league matches thus far - a rather modest tally. They will carry on being brave and expansive, according to Sharp. A bit more ruthlessness and they should be in serious business.

Sharp said: "The manager is positive thinking and very brave and wants to come and win every game and that’s how we got promotion and wants to do the same again.

"He wants to believe his team can go toe to toe and get three points, which we should have done. I know there will be teams who come here and just sit in and hope for the best.

"We’ve ended up conceding two goals which is disappointing. But we won’t dwell on it too much. We played really well, but just didn’t have that killer instinct in the final third.

"The positive thing is we came here against a side tipped to get promoted and spent a lot of money and I thought we were the better team. Sometimes, in football, the better team doesn’t win.

"They rode their luck and took their chance when they got it and the penalty has never been a penalty, it was soft. There should be six or seven penalties a game if that’s one."

Like Sharp, Grant McCann heaped praise on a display he viewed as ‘outstanding’. On the first-half evidence, no-one could argue.

He slammed what he saw as a ‘ridiculous decision’ to award a killer penalty to Town six minutes from the end of normal time, won and converted by substitute Joe Taylor to make it 2-0.

He was not happy with some perceived gamesmanship from keeper Owen Goodman in the first half either, but there were plenty of things he linked from his own side on the night.

Providing a touch of perspective is the fact that Rovers lost for their first time in 16 matches since March 4. Sharp continued: "It’s the first loss since Bromley, which is a hell of a long time. But it’s about bouncing back and there’s no shame coming here and getting beaten."