Grant McCann lauded his Doncaster side for their outstanding second-half display in a resounding 5-1 demolition of Grimsby at Blundell Park.
Goals from Luke Molyneux and Joe Ironside put Doncaster in control before an own goal from Niall Maher and strikes from Matthew Craig and Kyle Hurst rubber-stamped victory.
Grimsby captain Danny Rose was on target from the penalty spot.
Defeat leaves David Artell’s team six points above the relegation zone, while their victorious neighbours – Doncaster – eased their own fears against the drop with a second win in three Sky Bet League Two games to move 13 points clear of the bottom two.
McCann said: “We started really well and scored two good goals.
“But then for whatever reason we stopped doing what got us into those positions.
“We didn’t win enough duels and second balls and the group knew that.
“At half-time I had to give them a gentle reminder because, for a spell, they got on top of us and couldn’t get in the game.
“We gave the ball back to them. We made it easy for them.
“We had to reset at half-time and I said to the players they’re a good team, get on the ball and play, be positive.
“When you’re playing in a derby game, away from home and with a full house, you have to start well. We made the boys aware of that.
“We did it well both halves and that’s what’s won us the game.”
Doncaster enjoyed a perfect start and found themselves 2-0 up with eight minutes on the clock when Molyneux curled into the top corner before Ironside pounced inside the Grimsby area after combining with Hakeeb Adelakun.
Grimsby were handed a lifeline in the 19th minute when Molyneux fouled Charles Vernam and Rose sent the resulting penalty kick straight down the middle.
Doncaster restored their two-goal cushion in the 51st minute as Maher turned into his own net from a Jamie Sterry cross, while Craig added gloss to the scoreline with a tidy left-footed finish in the 72nd minute.
And there was still time for Kyle to mark his cameo with a fifth.
Artell was left to rue his side’s poor start.
“They scored a very good first goal and that happens,” he said. “We then conceded a quick goal which knocked us.
“Then for the rest of that first half we were comfortably the better side. Even their staff said the same thing.
“We got a goal and should have been 3-2 in front.
“You got in 2-1 and we are still in the game. Really in it.
“And that’s the first half. We go out and concede again after six minutes and that knocked the stuffing out of us.
“It’s not the first time that’s happened.
“We have to understand that teams are trying to knock the stuffing out of us. It doesn’t have to be fatal.
“That’s football and that’s life. People will try and knock you down. The question is, do you get back up?
“Some of our lads found that difficult after the third goal.”
Rogers pens long-term Aston Villa deal
Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract to keep him at Aston Villa until the end of the 2029-30 season.
Rogers, newly minted as a full England international after making his debut against Greece last week, joined Villa in February from Middlesbrough.
He swiftly established himself as a regular in Unai Emery's set-up, and has played 22 times in the Premier League, making 19 starts.
The 22-year-old has netted six goals and provided three assists in the top flight.
Rogers has also started each of Villa's four Champions League matches this season.
His tally of nine chances created in the Champions League is the most of any player in Villa's squad, five more than next-best Ollie Watkins.
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: Guijarro brace sets visitors up for Clasico glory
Patri Guijarro's first-half brace set Barcelona on their way to a thumping 4-0 win over rivals Real Madrid in Liga F on Saturday.
Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas were also on target as Barcelona continued their perfect start to the season, extending their lead at the top of the table.
The visitors dominated from the off, as Guijarro broke the deadlock inside the fourth minute, tapping in from Putellas' flick-on from a corner.
Cata Coll was forced into a big save to deny Alba Redondo an equaliser shortly after, but Madrid's hope was soon dented as Guijarro picked out the bottom corner with a superb long-range strike for her second.
Pina strengthened their lead six minutes before the break, clinically slotting past Misa with her low strike.
Putellas added some more gloss to the scoreline with four minutes remaining of normal time, beating the Madrid keeper with a lovely dink to bring up her 199th goal for the club.
Barcelona have won all 10 of their games, and now sit eight points clear of Madrid, who suffered their first league defeat of the campaign.
Data Debrief: Total dominance
Madrid will have felt fairly confident coming into this game after a strong start to their season, but they once again failed to find a way past their Clasico rival.
Los Blancos have lost every single game they have played against Barcelona in all competitions, with this their 15th such meeting.
Barcelona smothered their attack early on, restricting their hosts to just one shot in the first half, while they had 10.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
