Grant McCann lamented his Doncaster side “having to do things the hard way” in the FA Cup after failing to make a dominant first half count in their 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley.
Rovers led early through a Kelvin Mellor own goal but saw chances to extend their advantage go begging before Accrington rallied in the second half.
Shaun Whalley levelled for the visitors before Harrison Biggins’ piledrive put Doncaster back in front, only for Stanley to secure a replay at the Wham Stadium through Seamus Conneely’s equaliser.
“I’m a disappointed not to win the game given how good we were in the first half,” McCann said.
“You have to take your chances to win games and ultimately we didn’t do that in the first half.
“I thought we were excellent and should have been out of sight by four or five before half-time. That’s not an exaggeration because their keeper has made some world-class saves from Luke Molyneux and Mo Faal. He’s kept Accrington in the FA Cup.
“This team is giving us everything. We’ve gone toe to toe with one of the best teams in League Two, if not being better than them.
“We’re going to have to go and do it the hard way, go to Accrington and get ourselves into the next round. But the most important thing is that we’re in the hat. We’ll see what the draw gives us and go to Accrington and try to get the result.”
Accrington boss John Coleman praised the performance of goalkeeper Jon McCracken for a string of brilliant saves that kept Stanley in the contest.
McCracken, on an emergency loan from Norwich, twice denied Luke Molyneux from point-blank range before batting away a Mo Faal shot to help Accrington stay alive.
“They were unbelievable saves to keep us in the game and he made another brilliant one in the second half,” Coleman said.
“You need that from your goalkeeper and you need your defenders to make good blocks. You need people to step up and he did that to keep us in the game.
“I want to talk about the fans too, because they stayed with us despite witnessing the worst first-half performance we’ve put in for a long time.
“That’s taking nothing away from Doncaster because they were good, but everything we practised and everything we spoke about went out of the window.
“The second half was very different and we were a lot better. We played like the home team and took the game to them.
“I think we just about deserved to get a draw in the end from being comprehensively outplayed in the first half.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
