Grant McCann hails Doncaster for holding off late Port Vale fightback to win

Posted Saturday, August 31, 2024 by PA

Doncaster manager Grant McCann praised the way his side stood up to the challenge after holding off a late fightback to edge a 3-2 League Two win away to Port Vale.

Luke Molyneux bagged his fourth and fifth goals of the season either side of providing an assist for Billy Sharp, while Ryan Croasdale and Ethan Chislett (penalty) replied for Vale, who are now winless in three league outings.

Victory for Rovers makes it three wins out of four and saw them move up to second place in the table ahead of Saturday’s 3pm kick-offs.

It comes on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Everton in the League Cup on Tuesday and McCann was delighted with how his team managed a busy week.

“We know Port Vale’s a massive pitch, we knew we had two away travels – one to Everton and one to Port Vale – so energy was really important for us and also trying to get the plan right,” he said.

“I said to the players ‘this is probably one of the toughest places to come in League Two’, and I’ve no doubt they’ll be in and around the top end of the league, Port Vale, with the financial backing they’ve had and the players coming in.

“You look at the midfield, they’re top League One players in my opinion.

“So it was a tough game that today and we stood up well and performed very good.”

Doncaster were unbeaten in their final 12 League Two matches last season, earning them a place in the play-off semi-finals where they lost to Crewe.

McCann is pleased they’ve carried that impressive form into the new campaign, with their only league defeat coming away at Newport – a game they led before eventually losing 3-1.

“We’ve started how we’ve finished,” he added. “We’ve tried to keep that momentum, which is pleasing.

“But look, we’re only four games in – we’ve won three of them.

“We’ll always be striving to try and be better, but for me it’s a decent enough start.”

Despite failing to win since the opening day of the campaign, Vale boss Darren Moore remains upbeat about the new squad he has built.

A total of 16 signings have been made since the Valiants suffered relegation from League One last season.

“I’m really, really pleased with the squad and the work that we’ve done,” Moore said.

“We’ve done incredible amounts of work over this nine-week period since we’ve been back in pre-season.

“I’m really, really pleased that the areas of the pitch where I wanted strength and the areas of the pitch where I wanted competition, we’ve got that now.

“I wanted to present a team that is multi-functional and able to adapt to different shapes and formations, because that’s what this league presents.

“Players that are adaptable, that when you’re in games and you’re winning or losing, you’re able to change shape or formation and personnel.

“And we’ve got that in the squad and the group of players that we’ve got.”