Shirtliff... 'I cannot fault them for effort..'

Speaking to the Nottingham Evening Post on Wednesday, Shirtliff said "I hope the lads don't get too down. One or two have been a bit self-critical and are having a little complaint about how poorly they played.

"But I cannot fault them for effort and if we apply ourselves with that effort at Barnet on Saturday I will be very pleased.

"Doncaster are a good side and have some good players. I thought we worked hard and had a go.

"We had a few opportunities we might have done better with. But when push comes to shove, they were better in and around our box than we were in theirs and they were also tighter at not conceding.

"What we have got to do is be a lot meaner and not concede as many goals. And we have got to start producing a bit better delivery into their box and in certain areas.

"But we had chances and if you take one of those chances it is a different game. I don't think Doncaster will turn round and say it was an easy game for them, far from it. They have worked very hard on a difficult pitch.

"They have had to extend themselves to get the result. I am not too despondent about the result and I am quite encouraged by some of the performances."