Doncaster Rovers: reaping the rewards for patience

This Saturday saw the latest South Yorkshire derby of the season as Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday met up at the Keepmoat Stadium in a game featuring two sides on the rise in the Championship.

The Owls translated the recent off-field optimism at Hillsborough into a memorable win at Sheffield United last weekend, while Rovers gave their clearest indication yet that they can match anyone in the division with their own recent victory at Bramall Lane.

In the end it was the home side who took the spoils thanks to Paul Heffernan's goal and Doncaster now stand

A sign of the continuity in place at Donny is that 8 of the side that started the play-off final win over Leeds United last season also featured in the Wednesday game. That continuity stretches to the manager's office as well.

Of the 10 sides currently occupying places 15 to 24 in the Championship, Rovers are one of only three with the same manager they started the season. More pointedly, Sean O'Driscoll's position has never even been a talking point, despite a start to the season that almost left his side cut adrift at the bottom.

A narrow defeat by Wolves just before Christmas was the last time that Rovers have failed to get a result, winning five and drawing one of their six games since and finally finding their shooting boots.

Even during the difficult days of August and September, opposition managers without fail paid tribute to Doncaster's desire to play the game 'the right way'. Easy platitudes to pay perhaps after taking three points from Rovers but the steady upturn in fortune has not come at the expense of O'Driscoll's ideals.

With the club's record signing coming in at just £300,000, Rovers were never going to be big players in the January transfer window but managed to add Dean Shiels from Hibernian and Bristol City striker Steve Brooker to their squad, while more importantly, keeping hold of star man Matt Mills, a £1.5m target for Birmingham City.

"I keep trying to tell people we are not a selling club any more but it doesn't seem to have sunk in," chairman John Ryan told the Doncaster Free Press.

"Of course everyone has their price and if someone came along and offered £5million to take Matt on loan then we might consider it.

"But, at the risk of repeating myself, we don't want to sell Matt or any of our top players."

Doncaster's rise from the depths of despair outside the Football League began under Dave Penney, who was well-backed and supported by Ryan. O'Driscoll has taken on the mantle and the upward progression of this famous old club is not yet at an end.