'We'll be professional' - Darren Moore on whether cancelled game will have any bearing on Doncaster Rovers' clash with Bolton Wanderers

Darren Moore will feel no need to remind his Doncaster Rovers players of a duty to be professional when they host Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night.
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Bolton’s unilateral decision to cancel Rovers’ scheduled visit to the University of Bolton Stadium in August with less than 36 hours’ notice, plus the absence of a genuine punishment for the act, caused anger and frustration among the squad.

Tuesday’s meeting at the Keepmoat will be the first between the sides since the cancellation and subsequent hearings. The game at Bolton, ordered to be rearranged by the EFL, will come next month.

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While acknowledging ill-feeling between the two sets of supporters may remain, Moore is confident his players have drawn a line under the issue and will only be focused on winning Tuesday’s match.

Darren MooreDarren Moore
Darren Moore

“I think we’re professional,” Moore said.

“The game is here and what has gone on has gone on. We’ve moved past that now and we’re just focusing on the game in hand and what will be a hotly contested game.

“There are three points available and both teams will be trying to get those.”

“It won’t have much impact on the game because we’re professional in both camps,” he added.

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“I’m speaking on behalf of us as a club, there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re just focused on the game.

“On the pitch, we’ll be ultra professional and we’ll just see the game as the game.

“We won’t see the game as the occasion it could be off the field.

“We’ll just see it as two teams going head to head for the win. Hopefully it’ll be a good entertaining match.”

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Rovers skipper Ben Whiteman backed up his manager’s assertions about the focus of the squad for the match.

“It’s just about winning the game,” he said.

“We don’t treat any game different to any other. We go to win the game and hopefully we will do that.”

Bolton were handed a three point deduction, suspended for 18 months, plus a £50,000 fine, half of which was suspended for 18 months, for their failure to play the Rovers fixture in August.