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• Nigel Pearson hails Jamie Vardy after unhappy Leicester return

  Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson believes Jamie Vardy’s winning mentality at the latter stages of his career is something that should be recognised.

  Vardy, 36, made sure there would be no celebration for Pearson, who made his first return to Leicester City since being sacked in 2015.

  The Leicester striker scored from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, after Wilfred Ndidi had been brought down by Kai Naismith, to secure a 1-0 victory which put Enzo Maresca’s side back on top of the Championship table.

  It was Pearson who started Vardy’s King Power career 11 years ago when he made the striker the first £1million non-league player, moving from Fleetwood Town in 2012.

  Vardy was the only player left in Leicester’s starting line-up from Pearson’s spell in charge.

  “Whatever people think of Jamie, to still have the winning mentality he has at this stage of his career, is something that we should acknowledge,” said Pearson.

  “Players like that bring qualities and standards, which you need to nurture. So to still have Jamie Vardy at Leicester is going to be a very important factor.”

  Despite the result, Pearson admitted he was touched by the reception he received at the King Power Stadium.

  “I can’t deny I had tears in my eyes, because it’s really good to see people again,” said Pearson, who attended the game on crutches due to a back problem.

  “It means a lot. My family were here, my dad too because he used to love coming here and then going out for a smoke at half-time!

  “He’s 89, I’ve got my grandchildren as well. It was a big part of our lives and it’s very touching to receive the respect I got shown. A nice story, but we still lost.”

  Leicester made it three wins in successive games with a seventh league victory of the season.

  This was also the first time since last October they had recorded a clean sheet at home in a league game.

  “We struggled to find a goal but I was absolutely not worried because since minute one we created chances,” said Maresca.

  “It was a good win. The only thing I asked them for the second half was to continue in the same way because we were good in the first half, we just missed a goal.

  “Continuing the way we were playing for sure we would create more chances, and we won the game. If we continue to play in the way we play today, it’s good.”

  Maresca admitted he wanted to gee the home supporters up when Leicester were trying to break down the Robins’ defence.

  “It was the moment where the team was making a big effort – we needed a plus,” he added.

  “We needed a little bit more. The idea was not to convince the fans, but to get them more with us because it was the right momentum to score the goal. The fans were brilliant today.

  “This win was especially important because after two wins away against two important teams, you cannot relax. But this was a tricky game so I am happy with the performance. The players showed how professional and how serious they are working.”

• Grant McCann believes Doncaster are heading in right direction after Gills scalp

  Doncaster boss Grant McCann believes his side are only getting better after making it back-to-back wins with the 2-1 triumph over high-flying Gillingham.

  Two excellent strikes from Ben Close, including an 87th-minute winner, saw Rovers collect their first home league triumph of the campaign, a week on from finally picking up a maiden victory at Forest Green.

  And McCann feels his side are firmly heading in the right direction as they seek to make up ground on the promotion-chasing pack in the division.

  “We had to be very good to win and I felt in the second half we were as good as we have been this season,” he said. “I thought we were really in control.

  “We’re yet to have that full 90-minute performance. We’re still searching and that takes some doing, every manager will tell you that. Teams will always have a spell against you.

  “I felt that Gillingham didn’t really have much of a spell against us and on a whole, I felt the second half was a real performance from us.

  “I could feel the team taking on board the information we had given them, particularly in taking up the pockets of space to have that control of the game against a top, top team.”

  Gillingham manager Neil Harris is still looking for his team to find the balance between defensive solidity and creativity after dropping points in South Yorkshire.

  The Gills set the early pace in League Two with five 1-0 wins from their opening eight matches. But with Harris encouraging them to deliver more decisive scorelines, they have shown vulnerability in defence, which he is keen to see quickly banished.

  “In the last couple of weeks we’ve been a lot more creative, we’ve had sparks, we’ve shown class and we want to continue that because if we do, we will wins games of football comfortably,” Harris said.

  “We’ve won a lot of games so far 1-0 by being resilient. In the last couple we’ve not been as resilient as I would have liked but we’ve been really good with the ball. We’ve just got to find that balance between the two.

  “The winning goal for Doncaster – he stuck it in the top corner but it’s poor from the restart, and it was from the first. To be a top team in League Two, we’ve got to be better than that from restarts.”

  Despite his frustrations, Harris felt Gillingham should have won the game comfortably.

  He said: “I’m baffled how we’ve not won the game. We’ve not won the game because we weren’t clinical enough. We should have been coming off (with) four or five goals but if you don’t take your chances, you don’t win games.”

• Nigel Clough praises patience as Mansfield go third

  Mansfield manager Nigel Clough praised his side’s patience as they moved up into third place with a 1-0 home win over Barrow.

  Stags are the only EFL side unbeaten this season in all competitions but were made to sweat until Ollie Clarke drilled in the 72nd-minute winner.

  A red card in the 84th minute Junior Tiensia then sealed the Bluebirds’ fate.

  “We needed that win,” said Clough. “We are not quite as fluent as we were a few weeks ago, but you grind them out.

  “With nine players out at the moment, that is probably a good reason why we are disjointed at times.

  “But one good finish and you win the game – it was an important clean sheet.

  “In a few weeks’ time no one will remember the game, just the three points which have put us back up to third in the league. And I think there are going to be quite a few games like that here where we are going to have to be patient.

  “The crowd are going to have to be patient as well. We are not always going to be having 25 shots, as much as we’d like to.”

  Barrow had the edge in the first half and Emile Acquah missed the target with their two best chances.

  Rory Feely also sent a free header over from a 58th-minute corner.

  But Mansfield took control and Will Swan saw his shot deflect over, skimming the top of the crossbar on the hour.

  Calum Macdonald escaped with a yellow card for his challenge on 70 minutes before Clarke broke through with a low finish from 20 yards from Swan’s pull-back from the left.

  Tiensia then saw red on 83 minutes for diving in on Aaron Lewis.

  Barrow boss Pete Wild felt the game proved his side can live with the best and he felt Stags had the rub of the green on the red cards.

  “I thought first half we played really well and it was a classic away-from-home performance,” he said.

  “Second half as the home team they pinned us in and I didn’t think we got out enough and got on the front foot.

  “It is fine margins and it didn’t go our way. But there were mitigating circumstances and I feel hard done by.

  “The turning point for me was they should have had a red card before ours. He dived in and left the floor. Our lad’s was a red though, which didn’t help us.

  “They won it with the one shot we haven’t blocked in the whole game.

  “There was nothing between the two teams which shows we can live with the top teams at this level. But they have just edged it today.”