SADLIER SEALS VICTORY BUT MOORE KEEPS LID ON HOPES
First-half goals see Rovers halt Posh
HIS team may have enjoyed a superb start to the season, but Doncaster Rovers boss Darren Moore is in no mood to make predictions about where they might finish this season.
A win over an in-form Posh saw Rovers bounce back from a first league defeat of the campaign in some style, with firsthalf goals from James Coppinger and Kieran Sadlier sending them on their way.
Despite being appointed with a mandate of challenging for a top six finish in League One, Moore has refused to even suggest his side may be capable of achieving that, in spite of the form they have shown so far.
“It’s been a good, solid start to the season,” the Rovers boss said.
“We keep working and the reason I keep saying that is we’re a relatively new team.
“There’s only two players on the pitch from last season. It’s a new team. Let’s have a look at it as the season goes on and see where we are.
“At the moment, the message is clear – it’s about performances.
“It’s about getting those performances, both individually and collectively – and it’s not going to change.
“I’ve got to leave other people to do that talking, that noise.
“For me, I can only echo what has been implemented inside the club going forward.”
Rovers enjoyed much the better of the attacking play in the opening period, though endured a nervy moment when Ivan Toney raced clear to loop a
header over Seny Dieng from a Marcus Maddison cross, only to see the ball ricochet off the crossbar.
Doncaster took a deserved lead on the half hour when Coppinger darted on to a Sadlier cross to turn a header beyond Posh keeper Christy Pym.
And the advantage was doubled after 39 minutes with Sadlier controlling a loose ball before rifling a low effort into the far corner.
Toney looked to have pulled a goal back for Peterborough in the final minute after heading in a Marcus Maddison cross, but it was ruled out for offside.
Ben Whiteman struck a post as Rovers looked to wrap up the win in stoppage time.
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson pledged to hold an inquest into a display he declared “unrecognisable” from recent showings by his side.
Posh had scored 22 goals in their previous seven matches, but struggled for opportunities in a flat performance at Doncaster.
And Ferguson was far from pleased with the manner of the result. He said: “It was an almost unrecognisable performance, particularly in the first half.
“We were miles away. It was a really poor team performance.
“I need to look at it and get the reasons why. We did not get anywhere near them, we didn’t lay a glove on them.
“We had one or two opportunities which you’re always going to get with someone like Maddison in the team but it’s a hard one to explain because stuff we’d worked on didn’t happen and it almost looked like we had no energy about us.
“We were nowhere near brave enough on the ball and all in all, it was just a really poor performance.
“Whatever the reasons are, we have to find a solution to that.
“I shouldn’t be surprised any more really, but it was certainly one that was a million miles away from what we’ve been getting.”