Monday 18 January: The Sun

Doncaster 2 Watford 1

GARETH Roberts did not think he would celebrate his wonder winner with manager Sean O'Driscoll.

The left-back leapt on Doncaster's goalkeeping coach Lee Butler after his 25-yard screamer clinched victory.

But the last person he expected at the party was O'Driscoll after he was interviewed for the Burnley job.

Roberts said: "When I heard he'd gone for an interview, I thought 'That's it'.

"On Tuesday, the assistant, Richard O'Kelly, explained what was going on and nothing was done and dusted. The manager came back and when he came in on Thursday, we cracked on as normal.

"It was no surprise Premier League teams want him."

Donny ripped Watford apart at times but Roberts' volley, added to Dean Shiels' effort, proved the difference as Heidar Helguson netted a late penalty.

Roberts also revealed the wild celebrations came after a different kind of hairdryer treatment.

He said: "My boots were rock-hard so the kit man put them under water then put the hairdryer on them. He said, 'You'll score today'.

"And I was talking with Butts about the goals I've scored while he's been here, it's only a couple. I said, 'I'll score then come running to you'."

Hornets keeper Scott Loach impressed the watching scouts with a masterclass.

But boss Malky Mackay said: "If he wants to progress, he needs to play games and to get them, he needs to stay here."

SUN STAR MAN: SCOTT LOACH (Watford). Superb.

Saturday 16 January: Daily Mail

Doncaster Rovers 2 Watford 1: Mackay still searching for answers

Watford manager Malky Mackay handed the credit to Doncaster after his side had slumped to their sixth match without a win.

Mackay said: 'I was disappointed with our performance, but Doncaster were sharper and quicker to the ball and deserved it.'

Rovers' victory came after their manager Sean O'Driscoll had been the subject of speculation all week linking him with a move to Burnley.

But the Turf Moor club appointed Brian Laws instead after failing to agree compensation terms with Rovers, and O'Driscoll said:

'It's been a difficult week all round, so it was nice to finish it off with some good football and a victory.

'We've not played since Boxing Day, and in the circumstances I thought it was a terrific game.'

Rovers dominated a goalless first half, but were kept at bay by highly-rated visiting keeper Scott Loach before Dean Shiels made the breakthrough five minutes after the interval.

Left-back Gareth Roberts made it 2-0 with a scorching 20-yard volley in the 83rd minute, before Watford grabbed a consolation from Heidar Helguson from the penalty spot after Sam Hird had brought down Will Hoskins in stoppage time.

Monday 18 January: Daily Mirror

Doncaster 2-1 Watford: The Daily Mirror match report

Doncaster defender Gareth Roberts fears Premier League clubs may come back in for Sean O'Driscoll after the Rovers boss missed out on the Burnley job.

But for the moment, Roberts admits he and his Keepmoat team-mates are glad O'Driscoll is still on board.

Roberts confessed he thought O'Driscoll would he heading for Turf Moor after holding talks with Burnley - and admitted the squad were being kept updated on the manager's situation.

But Brian Laws got the job instead and Rovers welcomed news that O'Driscoll was saying by turning on the style against a Watford side who didn't respond until it was too late.

Left-back Roberts sealed the points with a superb 25-yard rocket for his first goal since April.

And he admitted the Burnley episode had hardly disturbed a run of form that has taken them into the top half of the table.

"It wasn't a surprise that Premier League clubs was looking at the gaffer, and they'll probably come again," said Roberts.

"But he's here for the moment and he'll do a good job"

Will Hoskins on the ball

Roberts was expecting a new manager when he heard O'Driscoll was talking to Burnley: "When I heard he'd gone, I thought 'that's it'. But things didn't work out and we carried on as normal, it wasn't a problem." he said.

"Earlier in the week, the assistant manager Richard O'Kelly sat everyone down and explained to the lads what was going on.

"He said nothing was done and dusted and that things could still go wrong. We were kept informed and the manager came in on Thursday. Then we were told he hadn't gone, we were happy about that. It was good in the end. The lads are grateful that he's still here.

"We all knew what was going on, there's a great bunch of lads here and they all want the same thing. The gaffer could have said nothing but that's not the way he works."

Roberts knows that a change of manager could have meant Rovers's attractive style of football being abandoned.

"The gaffer drills it into us day and day out that this is the way he wants us to play," said Roberts.

"If someone had come in that would have been different, but it didn't happen.

"The gaffer's a quiet man and keeps himself to himself but if he raises his voice, you listen. He's clever tactically and thorough in everything he does, he goes through all the videos so we know everything about the opposition and how they're going to play."

Roberts joked that he got the hairdryer treatment before the game and explained his crazy celebration in the Rovers dug-out: "I've not scored all season and I went to put my boots on for the warm-up but they were rock hard," he said.

"The kit man put them under warm water and had the hairdryer going on them - then he handed them back and said 'you'll score today' then I popped one in so that was great.

"The goalkeeping coach Lee Butler was joking that I'd only scored a couple of goals since he's been here so I said I'd get one for him too - then run over and celebrate in the dugout!"

Dean Shiels broke the deadlock for Rovers after a clever back-heel by James Coppinger before Roberts struck. And Doncaster would have won by more but for an inspired display by Hornets keeper Scott Loach.

Heidar Helguson scored a penalty in stoppage time for Watford but boss Malky Mackay - without a win in five league games - expected better:

"We weren't as 'at it' as Doncaster were, they were just that bit sharper than us, we need to be more clinical at both ends of the pitch but the goalkeeper was exceptional," he said.

Monday 18 January: South Yorkshire Star

Doncaster 2 Watford 1: Match report

DONCASTER Rovers celebrated their belated start to 2010 in style with a first home win over Watford for more than 30 years.

Infrequent visitors over the years, the Hornets had won on their last two visits to the town but rarely looked like making it a hat-trick of victories over Sean O'Driscoll's side.

Danny Graham fends off Rovers

Had things turned out differently in midweek, O'Driscoll would have been in charge of Burnley in their Premier League clash against champions Manchester United at Old Trafford.

He wouldn't be human if, however fleetingly, he hadn't given that fact a thought during Saturday's game.

The crowd did their best to help O'Driscoll get over any feelings of disappointment he may have been harbouring - after all, it's not every day that a Championship manager comes so close to taking charge of a top-flight side - by displaying their support for him throughout the game.

The players also looked determined to show their delight that he was still at the helm by posting an impressive display of attacking football.

"We wanted to hold on to the manager and we are grateful that he is still here," said Dean Shiels.

"I think that you saw today that the players want to play for him. We wanted to win, not just ourselves but for him."

Playing their first game for three weeks, Rovers could have been forgiven had they looked a little ring rusty compared to Watford, who had played twice since their Boxing Day defeat at Coventry.

But that didn't prove to be the case and they were the better side for long periods before tiring late on.

There were inventive on the ball, worked hard off it and ran out worthy winners of an entertaining game. James Coppinger, Billy Sharp, Brian Stock and Shiels all either missed the target or had shots saved in a dominant first-half display.

It was influential skipper Stock's first game after a near-four-month lay-off following an ankle operation, and it was as if he'd never been away despite the fact that he hadn't had any sort of warm-up game.

"The manger asked me on the Friday whether I was ready and I said that I was," said Stock.

"He said that he'd be happy if I gave him only an hour, but I felt all right to be honest. I was just starting to tire when he brought me off (after 78 minutes) but I was pleased with how long I lasted.

"I said before we went out that I didn't want to get caught on the ball and that I wanted to give everything for the team, which I always try to do every week.

"We created a lot of chances and played some good stuff. The good thing was that, despite having had some time off, we saw the game out for almost 90 minutes, and to do that was a great achievement.

"It is quite easy to lose your focus when you have two or three weeks off. That was the biggest plus for us - as was the discipline, which was terrific."

Rovers took a deserved lead on 50 minutes when Shiels scored his fifth league goal of the season when beating keeper Scott Loach with a low shot from less than 10 yards out after getting on the end of a clever back-heel by Coppinger.

Said Shiels: "We had a few chances in the first half but we didn't take them and I was as guilty as anyone.

"I felt a bit rusty early on because we'd not played for three weeks, but you have to take your chances at this level.

"It's important to score first in any game because it gives you something to hang on to.

"It was a good ball by Copps and I cut inside and they opened up for me."

Said Stock: "I wouldn't like to defend against Dean because he can take you on on either side and can turn defenders inside out. Credit to him, he scored a great goal."

Watford hit back strongly and Rovers keeper Neil Sullivan was forced to pull out all the stops to deny leading scorer Tom Cleverley putting the Hornets back on level terms with a cracking 20-yarder on 65 minutes.

"They put us under a bit of pressure for a while after my goal but we were well organised," said Shiels.

Loach also had to be on his toes to deny Shiels a second goal on 76 minutes after more good work by Coppinger in the build-up Rovers doubled their lead on 83 minutes with a tremendous 20-yarder by left-back Gareth Roberts after Watford had failed to clear the danger from a corner.

The former Welsh international doesn't score many goals, and hadn't netted since last April. But what he lacks in quantity he makes up for in quality.

Having seen the ball hit the back of the net, the defender headed straight for the Rovers bench where he embraced goalkeeping coach Lee Butler.

He explained: "I had been talking before the game to Buts about the goals that I've scored since he's been here and he said that I'd only scored a couple. So I said that if I scored I would run to him.

"The kit man (Dave Richards) predicted that I'd score.

"I went to put my boots on for the warm-up and they were absolutely rock hard so he put them under the water and then dried them off with a hair-dryer so they were nice and warm.

"He said 'you'll score today' and I popped one in, which was great."

Said Shiels: "It was a brilliant goal; Gaz is a really good player. He has great defensive qualities and he's a good player to have in your team,"

Just when it looked as though Rovers were going to record a fourth successive clean sheet at home, Sam Hird gave away a stoppage-time penalty.

A 74th minute replacement for centre-back Jason Shackell, Hird appeared to climb on to the back of striker Will Hoskins - who had hit the post on 89 minutes - when challenging for a cross into the box.

Heidar Helguson gave Sullivan no chance with the resulting spot-kick. Fortunately for Rovers it came too late to affect the result.

Shiels was naturally delighted. "That's six wins in eight games and that's good going in any league," he said. "We are back in the top half of the table and hopefully we can carry on climbing it."

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT ON YOUR MOBILE