Coughlan lays down a marker for Davies

BRISTOL ROVERS boss Graeme Coughlan has challenged Tom Davies to score more goals after the defender’s classy finish saw the hosts take all three points against MK Dons and move up to fourth.

The 27-year-old somehow failed to convert from a yard out after a brilliant save from former Rovers keeper Lee Nicholls.

However, Davies failed to let his head drop, volleying home superbly after an inviting left-wing cross from Luke Leahy and, in the process, doubling his career goals tally as Rovers stretched their unbeaten league run to six.

“I don’t know what he was doing,” said Coughlan, about the miss. “Somebody needed to tell him we were shooting in that goal, not keeping it out!

“Tom’s been class and I knew exactly what I was getting when I was chasing him in the summer.”

Coughlan was pleased with the battling qualities of his players. “We were not at our best, but it’s difficult coming off the back of a twoweek lay-off.”

The first half was a drab affair, with the home side coming closest when Tom Nichols drove wide after the ball was squared to him by Tyler Smith, while Conor McGrandles saw his shot sail over the crossbar for the visitors.

Without the clinical finishing of injured top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris, Coughlan’s men were lacking a cutting edge, but four minutes after the restart they broke the deadlock.

Just moments earlier, Davies had been denied from a yard out by Dons keeper Lee Nicholls, but the 27-year-old stayed upfield to acrobatically flick Leahy’s leftwing delivery past the former Rovers stopper.

Ed Upson could have put the home side two goals ahead, but his rasping drive was palmed away.

Coughlan’s opposite number Paul Tisdale was understandably disappointed as MK Dons slumped to a fifth League One defeat in succession.

“There are teams in our situation whose workrate might start to wane, and ours has not,” he said.

“What more can I do? I can’t sign new players, I can’t get players back quicker. I’m positive that once the wheels start turning we’ll be OK, but it feels a mighty challenge when you’ve just lost five in a row. We wouldn’t be the first team to have a bad run, recover and then do well.”