Schofield praises Doncaster’s composure in Barrow win

Head coach Danny Schofield praised the composure of his Doncaster team as they picked up a third straight win by beating Barrow.

Even a bout of floodlight failure could not shut down Rovers’ electric recent run as they protected their 1-0 advantage after a lengthy break when a power surge tripped out the floodlights during the second half at the Eco-Power Stadium.

“We speak all the time about managing football games in any situation and I thought the lads were well prepared for that moment,” Schofield said.

James Maxwell’s 18th-minute strike set Rovers on their way to the win, which was as much due to their strong defensive resolve in the second half.

“It was a hard-fought victory and the lads gave everything,” Schofield said. “They blocked shots, competed with aerials and won first balls and second balls.

“Particularly in the second half, it was a real fight but in the first half I thought we controlled large parts of it and created some good opportunities with really good combination play down the sides.

“To keep a third clean sheet on the bounce and win 1-0 at home is fantastic.

“There’s a growing belief in the lads that they can defend individually very well, we can compete in the fundamental sides of football but just as important is that we can defend collectively.

“There were some exciting moments. We speak a lot about the combinations and passing and moving to create the spaces in behind to create the chances.

“All credit goes to the players for the effort they’ve put in. We’ve had five games in less than three weeks and it’s been a tough challenge but the lads have been fantastic.”

Determined Barrow boss Pete Wild says he will continue the hunt for a solution to his side’s poor run of form.

Defeat at Doncaster stretched the Bluebirds’ record to just one win from their last 12 League Two matches and a fourth loss from the last five games.

“We’ll keep pushing forward to find a way to stop the rot,” he said. “We will find a way to put this right.”