Bowyer cries foul at Rovers’ free-kick

BLACKPOOL manager Gary Bowyer hit out at referee Ollie Yates for his part in Blackpool’s defeat to Doncaster at Bloomfield Road.

Yates awarded Doncaster the free-kick from which Tommy Rowe grabbed his second and Rovers’ winner, which secured their first away victory since December.

Colin Daniel had equalised for Blackpool, who Bowyer thought deserved a point.

“To get done like we have done is a sucker punch,” Bowyer said. “I have watched it back seven or eight times and I can’t see if it’s a foul for their free-kick. How can he give it?

“I thought he was appalling, the referee. We’ve said that week-in, weekout. We don’t get anything and I’m pretty sick of it to be honest.

“I thought we were worthy of a point. We conceded two poor goals from our point of view. We lacked the aggression and the intensity that we play at in the first half.

“We have to dust ourselves off and get ourselves ready for an exciting local derby on Monday against Bury.”

After a scrappy first half, it was Rowe who gave Doncaster the lead just before the break.

A smart team move found the midfielder 20 yards out and his deflected strike looped over Joe Lumley and into the back of the net.

Bowyer’s side almost responded five minutes after the interval but Marko Marosi did superbly to tip Armand Gnanduillet’s header over.

The Seasiders, whose six-game unbeaten home run came to an end, were level after 56 minutes when Jay Spearing’s pinpoint cross-field ball found Daniel, who beat Marosi at his near post.

But Doncaster had their winner on 70 minutes thanks to a superb free-kick routine, after Curtis Tilt had been penalised. James Coppinger looked to be taking it, with John Marquis and Rowe stood in front of the ball, but Marquis tapped it right to Rowe, who fired his second goal into the bottom corner.

Blackpool are still seven points above the relegation zone but the victory means Doncaster are now nine clear of danger ahead of their Easter Monday clash with AFC Wimbledon.

“All in all, I’m delighted with the performance and result. This is a tough place to come,” Rovers boss Darren Ferguson said.

“We actually put ourselves under pressure playing out from the back but we deserved to win. It’s a good performance and a thoroughly deserved victory.

“We were due a victory over Blackpool.”