"Never get over it" - Grant McCann will always have regrets over painful Doncaster Rovers play-off loss

Rovers went into the second leg of their semi-final in the boxseat, with a two-goal advantage from the first leg in Cheshire.

But that was quickly wiped out on Friday night by the visitors. Ultimately Rovers were edged out 4-3 on penalties, after a cagey period of extra time. McCann, in his second spell in charge at the Eco-Power Stadium, cut a thoroughly dejected figure post-match.

"The way I am as a person, I'll never get over it. I never got over the last one," McCann said, referring to another semi-final loss on spot-kicks against Charlton in his first spell at Rovers.

"I'll always have that hunger to try and go again because that's just the way I am but I'll always have that in the back of my mind. It's about next time that opportunity comes to make sure we get over the line - hopefully not in the play-offs next year."

Whilst keen to now push the narrative forward, McCann says the first half approach against Crewe was not in keeping with the team's fabulous run of form in recent months.

They entered the second leg having not lost any of their previous 13 outings but that went out of the window against Alexandra. And McCann was particularly unhappy with the first 45 minutes.

"That's probably the biggest thing that's really eating away at me, the first half and how safe we looked," he added.

"We looked like the team of four or five months ago in the first half. We were scared to make a mistake, it wasn't positive, we didn't pick up the second ball, didn't look dangerous. I said to the players I don't know what it was, it looked like we'd gone back in time to September, November."

McCann and his coaching staff will this week begin preparations for next season, starting with the pressing issue of finalising the contract situations of players nearing the end of their current deals.