Doncaster Rovers need to get fans back on side admits Danny Schofield after latest loss

Doncaster dominated at home to Hartlepool but failed to break down the team with the worst defensive record in League Two before conceding in the 88th minute to lose 1-0.

The visitors, who had picked up just eight points on the road all season before kick-off, scored through defender Dan Dodds with their only effort on target.

Speaking after the final whistle was met with boos from some home supporters, Schofield said: “We knew Hartlepool would come here full of fight, they are fighting for their lives and we needed to be up for that challenge.

"My first message to the players was ‘we need to win the fight because that’s what this game is going to be’. We defended well, I thought we were aggressive enough and fell short in the final third.”

Rovers enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory and created no fewer than 15 efforts at goal against Keith Curle’s side.

They came closest to scoring through Caolan Lavery but his effort was saved by the legs of Hartlepool keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

At the other end they limited Pools to very little until Dodds broke away on the counter attack and fired the ball into the back of the net via a deflection off the post.

Schofield said: “Performance-wise there was lots of it I was really pleased with, the final acts not so much.

"It’s very difficult to when a team sits in and defends their goal really deep, they did that very well and we didn’t have the final bit of quality.”

Doncaster have now lost more games than they have won this term but remain five points off the play-offs.

They are back in action against Tranmere on Tuesday.

Discussing the team’s run of form, which is now the worst since he took charge, Schofield said: "It’s a difficult moment, you lose three on the bounce and it becomes really tough but we need to stick together collectively, grow through this moment of adversity.

“We need to get the supporters back on board and you do that with even better performances and results. We are all judged on results and that will be our focus now.”