This is what Gary McSheffrey thinks Doncaster Rovers need from last six games to avoid relegation

Rovers are staring down the barrel of dropping into the fourth tier for the second time in six years.

Saturday’s dreary 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic – a fourth consecutive game without scoring – did very little to suggest that McSheffrey’s men have the aptitude to defy the odds and pull off a relegation escape act.

But Rovers’ boss insists his team can still get out of trouble – even if it means stringing a sequence of wins together unlike anything they have done all season.

“Today we were probably looking at minimum of four wins and a draw [needed to stay up],” said McSheffrey, after watching his side produce one shot on target all game against the Addicks.

“Obviously as teams don’t win the points tally comes down in terms of what’s needed.

“But ultimately we’d still need four or five wins out of the six.

“It’s a big ask but it’s doable.”

Rovers, with 30 points from 40 games, have failed to win back-to-back league matches all season and have won just eight games during a depressing campaign.

Other teams’ equally horrendous form has kept the door open for a possible escape route but Rovers’ miserable March continued with an insipid display against Charlton during which they created next to nothing.

Rovers travel to play-off chasing Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday before facing Crewe (H), Bolton (H), Shrewsbury (A), Burton (H) and Oxford (A).

They remain four points from safety but fifth bottom Fleetwood Town now have two games in hand on Rovers, while Gillingham gave themselves a little breathing space with a win at Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

“Gillingham getting a win has put a gap there and obviously some teams didn’t play so you have to see what they’re doing,” said McSheffrey, when asked if relegation was now inevitable.

“Ultimately it’s not mathematically done so we keep being positive and try and believe we can win the next game.

“That’s all we can keep doing. I can’t sit here and be negative.

“We won’t accept it until the proof is in the pudding and if it does happen it happens.

“But we keep trying to fight until it does.”

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