Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann was left to rue a string of missed chances as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon. Myles Hippolyte's 43rd-minute free-kick proved the difference at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, a result that leaves Doncaster rooted to the bottom of the League One table.
McCann made four changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Leon Ayinde, Matty Pearson, James Husband and George Broadbent from the side that faced Plymouth Argyle. His team started brightly and created the better opportunities in the first half, but they could not find a finish. Owen Bailey thought he had scored after 19 minutes, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Disallowed goal frustration
Speaking to the Doncaster Free Press after the match, McCann expressed clear frustration with that decision. "We’ve watched it back, he’s not offside," the manager said. "We don’t seem to be getting any sort of rub of the green, it’s just not going our way." He pointed to the quality in his forward line, praising Alfie May as the best number nine in the league and noting Isaac Hutchinson's 20 goals last year and Bailey's 16 last season.
Creating but not converting
The second half became a more even contest, with Wimbledon holding their narrow lead. McCann acknowledged his team's performance had positives but stressed the outcome was all that mattered. "It was a good performance but nobody wants to hear that," he said. "People want to see whether we've won, drawn or if we've lost." He insisted his job is to put the team in positions to create chances, a task he felt was accomplished, but said the players are now creating their own problems by not taking them.
"They're not missing on purpose and they're angry about it," McCann added. He said he hopes the team's fortune will change, and sooner rather than later. For AFC Wimbledon, the victory continues a solid start to the campaign. They now sit seventh in League One with 10 points from six matches, just three points behind leaders Sheffield Wednesday. Their recent form shows three wins and two losses from the last five, and they are now on a two-game winning streak after also beating Bromley 2-0.
The Dons, who are 20th, visit Plough Lane on Thursday, 17 September. McCann's Doncaster, meanwhile, must find a way to turn promising performances into points quickly.
Referee Elliott Swallow disallowed Owen Bailey's 19th-minute effort for a foul in the build-up, the club confirmed. The Dons, seventh in League One with 10 points, host Milton Keynes Dons next. Top scorer Myles Hippolyte, now with three goals, sealed the 1-0 win with his 43rd-minute free-kick.
Doncaster Rovers confirmed defender Matty Pearson was substituted after just five minutes with an injury. Manager Grant McCann will hope it is not serious.
