DIRECTOR of football Mickey Walker is hoping the fact that a horse called Doncaster Rovers, owned by a group of local businessmen, romped to victory in the opening race of the day at Chester yesterday will prove a lucky omen for the League One club.
"Hopefully we can be first past the post in what is effectively a four-horse race to the Championship," said the Doncaster Rovers official.
"Obviously everyone was disappointed that we couldn't quite finish the job at Cheltenham.
"I agree with manager Sean O'Driscoll that we didn't turn up in the first half. For some reason the boys just couldn't get it going.
"It was a lot better in the second half and could have nicked it but for the post denying Jason Price late on.
"But we probably left it a bit too late to claim the equaliser; we could have done with scoring in the first five or ten minutes."
"But we've got to put the game behind us and concentrate all our efforts on the two games against Southend and trying to get through to the play-off final at Wembley.
"I am not saying that the two games against Southend will be easy, because they won't be, but they would have been my choice.
"I think they are a side that tries to play football at times - I'm not saying that Leeds or Carlisle don't - and that will suit us.
"We beat them 3-1 at home over Christmas and we were unlucky not to get a result down there earlier in the season.
"If we can go there tomorrow and hold them to 0-0, or even nick a goal, then I am confident we could finish the job at home in the return.
"But no-one is looking any further than tomorrow's game.
"I would expect them to come all out all guns blazing while I think we'll be looking to keep the ball, which is something we are good at.
"It all depends on what side SEan picks and I am sure he will pick the right one because he is a great tactician.
"He has been in play-offs when he was at Bournemouth and won promotion, so he knows what they are all about,
"He also steered us to victory in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final last season so you couldn't have a better man stood on the touchline."
What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORECash required to make city a world player: CLICK HERE TO READ MARTIN SMITH'S VIEWS Football headlines.More Blades.More Owls.More Spireites.More Rovers.More Reds.More Millers.More Ice Hockey.More rugby.More boxing.Sports columnists.All sport categories. The full article contains 470 words and appears in Doncaster Star newspaper.
