GRANT SAYS HE’S GOING FOR GOLD…

By Liam Hoden

DONCASTER R 3

Bailey 36, Gibson 68, Clifton 73

CARLISLE UNITED 0

GRANT McCann emphatically reiterated that the league title is his primary goal as Doncaster swept past Carlisle.

Goals from Owen Bailey, Jordan Gibson and Harry Clifton gave Rovers a deserved triumph and condemned Carlisle to a damaging defeat which leaves them nine points from safety with only seven games remaining.

Manager McCann has never given up on his pre-season target of his side lifting the title this term and their chances remain alive, with leaders Walsall set to visit the Eco-Power Stadium in midweek.

McCann said: “Our focus hasn’t shifted from the league title. Our eyes are firmly on it.

“I’m not worried about what people may think or if they’re asking why I’m saying that. That’s what we’re doing, that’s why we’re here.

CUSHION: Jordan Gibson, right, strokes the ball home for Rovers’ second goal

“How are we going to do that? It’s going to be difficult but we’ll take it game by game. We’ve got a tough game against Walsall on Tuesday but we’ll prepare and focus all our energy and everything we have properly on that game.

“I think in any season you’re going to go through blips where you haven’t won. It’s not easy this division – every game is so difficult.

“You do think you need a win. For us to get this one so convincingly was really pleasing, certainly against a Carlisle team with a new lease of life since Mark Hughes came in. It was a tough game and a good win.”

The visitors were arguably the better side in the early stages but Doncaster took the lead after 36 minutes when Bailey squeezed a shot under Gabriel Breeze following good work from Gibson.

Rovers took command in the second half with Gibson extending the lead after 68 minutes as he rolled the ball into the bottom corner after cutting inside against his former club.

Clifton put the game out of sight moments after coming off the bench in the 73rd minute when he met a pass from Owen Bailey and side-footed in.

The result sees Doncaster sit a point outside the automatic promotion places, with a game in hand over their rivals.

Carlisle manager Mark Hughes says his side simply cannot afford any repeat of their performance as they look for a way out of the relegation zone.

The Cumbrians dropped to the foot of the table with the defeat and ended the positive run of form that had been mounted since Hughes’ arrival.

“We weren’t good enough,” Hughes said. “We looked lacking in a lot of the elements you need to be good at to win football matches.

“I just felt a lot of the issues around us during the season came to the fore again, and I haven’t seen that in recent weeks.

“The last two performances have been really good and we can’t allow ourselves to go so far away from that level, which is what we did today.

“It’s difficult to take. We talk at length about what we’re going to do and how we’re going about the game but none of that came together.

We started quite brightly and had a couple of good opportunities but it’s evident that we need the first goal because when we go behind, it’s a lot more difficult for us to keep coming back.

“The lads struggled with that.”

DONCASTER: Sharman-Lowe 7, Sterry 6 (Nixon 82), Anderson 7, Wood 6 (Kelly 78, 6), Senior 7, Bailey 9, Broadbent 6 (Westbrooke 88), Molyneux 7 (Ennis 77, 6), Sbarra 7 (Clifton 72, 7), Gibson 9, Street 7 (Sharp 71, 6). Subs not used: Lawlor.

CARLISLE: Breeze 5, Davies 6, Lavelle 6, Thomas 6, Harper 6 (McArthur 87), Vela 6 (Embleton 74, 6), Whelan 6, Harris 6, Wearne 6 (Fusire 63, 6), Bevan 6 (Hugill 80, 6), Dennis 6 (Kelly 63, 6). Subs not used: Lewis, Guy.

TAKE A BOW: Owen Bailey celebrates putting Rovers in front

PICTURES: Richard Parkes