Rovers boss offers backing to opposite number and reflects on Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Brisbane Road
Doncaster Rovers manager Darren Ferguson paid tribute to Leyton Orient boss Danny Webb after Saturday’s match and insisted he is doing as well as anybody could at Brisbane Road given the circumstances.
The League Two leaders claimed a 4-1 win last weekend with John Marquis netting a brace against his old club and Tommy Rowe and Mathieu Baudry on target.
Orient pushed Rovers all the way in the first half, but were punished for their mistakes after the break and remain bottom of the table.
But Ferguson, speaking after the match, said: “Football is a cruel game. I came here in the play-off semi-finals (with Peterborough United in 2014) and got beat and a few fans were asking me for some favours, but it weren’t going to happen.
“It is what it is. Leyton Orient is a good football club and I think Dan has done a great job and has done as well as anybody could do.
“He has been brave enough to play the young players and that means the fans will stick with the team and the young lads and you couldn’t ever say they didn’t have a go on Saturday because they had a right go.
“I have been on the other side of things and last season was a great example where we went 17 games without winning, but I will have a good chat with Dan after. He is a young manager and I think he has done a very good job.”
Ferguson acknowledged Doncaster struggled during the first half at Brisbane Road, but was pleased with his team in the end.
The ex-Peterborough manager felt the leaders produced a professional display and were clinical in front of goal.
“What Leyton Orient did was keep the fans in the game and keep going and they were really at us,” said Ferguson.
“We spoke a lot about their wide players and them being the ones who would counter, so we wanted to try and stop that.
“It was a quite lively and bobbly pitch and in the end we ground them down. We were ruthless and could have scored more, but we were clinical with the second and third goals.”
After a brace from Marquis, another former Orient player got on the scoresheet in the form of Baudry.
The ex-O’s captain showed stunning technique to volley in Gary McSheffrey’s corner with four minutes left.
But while the rest of his team-mates went off to celebrate, the French defender dropped his head and walked back to the centre circle like nothing had happened.
It resulted in the O’s fans applauding their former skipper and Ferguson said: “Baudry coming back and getting the fourth was a little bit extra for us.
“The reception he got from the Leyton Orient fans tells its own story and he was a big signing for us in the summer. He is a very good player.”
It was another difficult afternoon for O’s and their youngsters, although one which will hopefully benefit them in the future.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here