'One of the best players in the division, in his position' - Doncaster Rovers boss heaps praise on Wigan Athletic

Rovers, who won promotion from League Two last term, had arrived in Wigan in second spot on the League One ladder.

But goals from Dara Costelloe and Matt Smith inside the first 14 minutes put Latics in charge, with Fraser Murray scoring his fourth goal of the campaign five minutes after the restart to put the game to bed.

"I thought we were well beaten," acknowledged McCann. "Wigan were better than us today in every single position and every single department. In every single aspect you would look for in a game, Wigan were better than us.

"I'm not going to stand here and hide behind mistakes...they were just better than us. It's as simple as that.

"We were nowhere near where I wanted us to be, and they won more duels, they were more aggressive than us, their intensity was better, they outran us.

"And that's probably hurt me more than anything...I can handle teams outpassing us and outplaying us. But they have done all the basics better than us, and that's hard to take.

"We rested a lot in possession, which really annoyed me, and we didn't show any intensity to go forward with any real purpose.

"I thought we got what we deserved, and I'm not saying anything different to you guys that I said to my players.

"I'm hoping it's going to act as a reality check. Because when you're not anywhere near the levels you can be, you're not picking up second balls, you're not aggressive, you're not intense, this is what happens at this level.

"I just didn't sense a way back into the game, we were so flat. I spoke to the players at half-time...I've been with this group for a while, and I couldn't see that fire in their eyes that the could get back into the game.

"And ultimately the third goal has rubber stamped it. We left Murray, one of the best players in the division, in his position, to come inside, and he scores from it."

Veteran striker Billy Sharp nodded wide Doncaster's only real chance at the beginning of the second half, with Sam Tickle also tipping an overhit cross on to a post in the latter stages.

"We were playing against a Wigan team - and I told the players this week - that had conceded 10 goals this season, eight of which have come from crosses, four or five from set-plays," added McCann.

"Every single ball that went into the box, they cleared. We didn't do anything we set out to do."

McCann also refused to blame individual errors for a collective bad day at the office.

"I don't want to talk about my players like that,” he added. “Everyone makes mistakes on a football pitch, we make mistakes on the bench. When we win we win together and when we lose we lose together so that's where we are."