FERGIE ADMITS: WE GOT LUCKY
BOSS Darren Ferguson conceded that this Doncaster Rovers performance was their worst of the season – despite them claiming a third straight league victory.
Tommy Rowe’s strike on the stroke of half-time was enough to give Rovers three precious points, despite Colchester being the better side and having more opportunities to score.
Ferguson said: “It was a fantastic result for us – another three points and a clean sheet.
“It’s these kind of games that we need to win or find a way of winning.
“It was by far our worst performance of the season and we’ll address that and go through it more thoroughly on Monday morning.
“Colchester probably feel quite hard done by, as we have many times this season when we’ve lost.
“You have to make sure you win it when you go below the standards you set and we’ve done that, so it’s a great result for us.”
Colchester have now not won in six league games and have not found the net in more than four and a half hours of football.
Colchester head coach John McGreal said: “It’s tough – the game plan worked to a tee and we created lots of chances but haven’t taken them.
“They’ve been flying but we were by far the better team.
“Credit to Darren (Ferguson) for giving us good praise but it still hurts when you get defeated like that, because we put a lot of work into it and came away with nothing.
“The boys are feeling sore, especially those who missed the opportunities but they have good strength of character.
“It was an outstanding team performance without the result. We had 14 shots on goal without putting one away but we should be putting one away.”
Colchester created the better opportunities in the first half.
Doncaster keeper Marko Marosi denied Kurtis Guthrie and Sammie Szmodics also went close, while Chris Porter squandered a gilt-edged chance a minute before the break when he headed the impressive Drey Wright’s cross straight at Marosi from close range.
It proved crucial less than 60 seconds later, Rowe capitalised on John Marquis’s clever build-up to lift the ball calmly past Colchester keeper Sam Walker from close range.
Marosi again denied Guthrie just after half-time and although Richard Brindley’s fine goal-line clearance foiled Marquis following a rapid break, the U’s pressed hard for an equaliser.
Marosi saved from Szmodics and Denny Johnstone’s header flashed inches wide, while Colchester felt they should have had a penalty when Szmodics went down under Harry Middleton’s challenge.
But Marquis went close late on for Doncaster, who held on for a narrow, but vital victory.