Grant McCann says his players can be proud as they equalled Rovers' best ever Emirates FA Cup run.
Two first-half goals for the Eagles were enough to dash Rovers’ hopes of progressing any further but Grant McCann says his players can hold their heads up high.
“I thought it was good game. We played some good football and between the two boxes we were very good for the majority of the match. I was pleased with the showing from my group. The boys can hold their heads up high,” said McCann.
“They were two soft goals that we conceded but when you play against Premier League opposition, they will take those chances. I said earlier in the week that when we get opportunities we need to take them but it just didn’t fall for us. We started on the front foot so to concede early was a bit of a sucker-punch but it was the goal just before half-time that really took the wind out of the boys’ sails.
“I thought the way we passed the ball was crisp and our movement was good but we needed to take one of the chances we had. It’s frustrating when you lose a game but this match was an added bonus for us, the league is the most important.”
Despite the loss, McCann believes the performance can give Rovers confidence as they head towards the final stages of their promotion push.
“The cup run has been great for us. It’s generated a bit of momentum for us. You could see that from the crowd that turned out today,” he said.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere, the fans were brilliant and hopefully everyone who was here today can see that we’re trying to build something for the future. It’s our aim to play in front of crowds like that every week in the Championship but we’ve got fifteen massive games left and we need to win the majority of them if we’re going to have a chance.
“We’ve been on a very good run recently and we can take the confidence of this game and use it in the league games. The league is the most important thing for us. It stings to lose but we’ll put that behind us and concentrate on the next weekend.”
Rovers will be back at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday March 2, when they welcome fellow Sky Bet League One promotion contenders Charlton Athletic. Tickets are available online by visiting tickets.clubdoncaster.co.uk, over the phone, or by visiting the Club Doncaster Box Office.