PROMOTION SECURED AS FERGIE LEADS CELEBRATION
Rowe delivers as Donny go up
DARREN Ferguson says Doncaster Rovers are determined to give League One ‘a right go’ next season.
Tommy Rowe hit his 13th goal of the campaign as the Yorkshireman beat Mansfield Town 1-0 to confirm promotion to League One with five games to spare.
It was a deserved win for Rovers who had been frustrated by an inspired display by Mansfield Town shot-stopper Jake Kean for large parts of the game.
Ferguson said: “The main focus all week was to seal promotion in front of our home fans.
“This is the perfect scenario. We have really vivid memories of last year and we wanted to win the game and do it in style.
“The players are a very focused bunch and we want to get the title now. We are determined to show that we are the best team in this league.
“I think we are, and we want to prove it. We have some tough games, but I am confident we will finish it off.
“There is a big difference to 12 months ago, the atmosphere around the club from top to bottom is very different.
“The recruitment was huge, it is huge in football and I have got good players in the dressing room.
“We will strengthen in the summer and we will give it a right
go next season. We are pleased to have done it in front of our fans, we owed them one.”
The defeat was Mansfield’s second in a row to leave them four points off the play-off places.
But the loss left boss Steve Evans angry at referee Dean Whitestone’s refusal to award a late penalty for a push on Alfie Potter.
Evans said: “It was a good performance, but we’re disappointed the penalty was not given at the end.
“We have seen penalties like that given and he was bang on there to see it. “If last week’s is a penalty then this is a penalty, I don’t get why it was not given. “There is no debate, it was a clear-cut penalty. “We will continue to be frustrated by decisions, the referee was not good for both sides. “He has one big decision to take and he got it wrong. We have suffered. “We will continue working hard on the training ground on Monday. We will keep working hard and nothing changes. “Donny deserve to be promoted and they are a wonderful team.
“We see the celebrations out there, it is special for Doncaster, they are a wonderful side and let them enjoy it.”
Kean pulled off a good instinctive save to block John Marquis’ header in the seventh minute.
But Rovers struggled to create any further chances in the opening 25 minutes as the resolute Mansfield defence stayed strong.
Kean saved well from Tommy Rowe as the Stags somehow managed to clear the ball away following a scramble in the box on 33 minutes.
Andy Williams headed over in stoppage time when he should have scored, after pulling away from his marker.
Mal Benning cracked an effort over on 50 minutes as the Stags hit the home side with a rare counter attack.
Kean got down brilliantly to turn Rowe’s fierce shot behind for a corner on 72 minutes. But there was nothing he could do to deny Rowe two minutes later when he rifled Rovers into a deserved lead.
Danny Rose hooked the ball goalwards only to see Mathieu Baudry brilliantly clear off the line as Mansfield looked to level.
And Mansfield’s management team were fuming at referee Whitestone after he waved away strong shouts for a late penalty.