FERGIE COPIES SET-PIECE SPECIALISTS CARLISLE
If you can’t beat them join them!
DARREN FERGUSON admitted he stole a set-piece routine to give Doncaster the edge against promotion rivals Portsmouth.
Ferguson had been so fed up with Carlisle’s long free-kicks on Tuesday he opted to nick the tactic and condemn Pompey.
And after John Marquis had given the visitors the lead, it worked to perfection for Donny’s second as Joe Wright’s long ball was nodded down by Andy Butler before Andy Williams flicked in.
Ferguson was delighted his thieving worked. He said: “The setpiece we had worked on and scored pleased me – we nicked that off Carlisle.
“It was a tactic that caused us many problems on Tuesday night and thought we would do it ourselves.
“It caused us so many problems I thought, ‘Why not?’ I hope it doesn’t upset Carlisle.
“You are always learning and you have to do what you can.”
Striker Marquis gave Donny the lead in the seventh minute when he latched onto Butler’s long central ball to round David Forde and roll into the unguarded net.
The lead was doubled by Williams to make it ten goals between the deadly strike pairing this season for the division’s highest scorers.
And Ferguson was happy to get back to winning ways after two games without success.
He said: “It is a good result after a tough week for us but important to end with three points.
“Sometimes we need to remember we are quite a good team ourselves.
“We have beaten a good side who will be up there at the end of the season. They have good players and a good manager.
“To come here and get a win is vital. We have now played Pompey and Luton away and I still have loads of players injured. The players deserve enormous credit. Winning sends a message to my players. People won’t be overly surprised we won, but they wouldn’t have been surprised if Portsmouth had won.”
Portsmouth had their chances to get back into the game, Carl Baker forcing Marko Marosi into a fine back-peddling save before Cedric Evina nearly kneed into his own goal.
They did grab one back before half-time as Wright inexplicably hooked a cross back into danger and the path of Baker, who smashed into the top corner. After the break the best chances fell to the hosts as Conor Chaplin’s stretching header failed to find the open goal and Baker mis-controlled onto the bar.
Williams should have made the points safe for Donny but elected to go alone instead of giving Marquis a tap in.
But the best chance to equalise for Pompey, Roberts heading into the corner, was back-heeled off the line by Butler.
It meant Pompey lost for the first time at Fratton Park this season, and have now suffered back-toback defeats.
Angry Portsmouth boss Paul Cook said: “It was a good win for Doncaster, it was a good game between two good sides and we certainly didn’t start the game in any shape or form.
“We were deservedly 2-0 down and tried to get up and scrap but never really got any fluidity into our game.
“If we had got one of those games we would have been delighted and moved on.
“We are where we are, it has been a disappointing week after leaving the stadium on a high last week.
“We thought we had cracked it last week but the negativity has drained that away.
“We have conceded stupid, sloppy goals in the last two games which have led us to losing games.”