Helps serve up a rare Rovers win
ANDY Butler insisted he “wasn’t the answer” after he brought himself back into the Doncaster Rovers side as they won for the first time in ten games.
Fejiri Okenabirhie’s first-half strike was followed by a late Taylor Richards goal at Montgomery Waters Meadow, a result that also ended a fivegame losing streak.
The 37-year-old, who is in charge until the end of the season, played for the first time since taking over the job, but insisted his inclusion wasn’t the reason for the win.
He said: “That was more like us and the lads put in an incredible shift. That’s what has been missing in the last few games.
“I don’t think the answer was me, every player put in a performance and if anything they carried me through 90 minutes.
“I thought it was the right time to get the boots on. I know I said I was retiring for the foreseeable future, but things happen in life. When you put them back on it feels like you’ve never been away.
“I can’t take anything from the other players, though. I can’t take credit.
“It worked but we won’t get carried away with one result, there is still a lot of work to do. Whether I pick myself again depends on injuries.”
Stand-in Salop boss Aaron Wilbraham admitted mistakes cost the hosts, adding: “First half, we were really good, but we can’t legislate for a mistake at the back which led to the goal.
“We were good in that first half, things were dropping to us and we were slashing at it, but we had the better of the play and were unfortunate to go in 1-0 down.
“The second half, we just didn’t get going. We didn’t come out of the traps as planned.
“I’m not sure what the second half performance was down to, it certainly wasn’t a lack of effort.”
Josh Vela, Harry Chapman and Shaun Whalley all threatened with early long range efforts, before former Salop striker Okenabirhie scored after 15 minutes when a slack pass from Ro-Shaun Williams allowed him to nip in and fire past Matija Sarkic. Nathaniel Ogbeta hit the bar for the hosts before half-time.
Okenabirhie went close to a second 25 minutes from time, before beating Brad Walker to the ball and slipping in Richards, who ran clear and slammed it in.
Doncaster