Paul Dickov bemoans "cruel" Doncaster Rovers defeat

Doncaster Rovers manager Paul Dickov has described his team's opening-day defeat to Blackpool as "a cruel result".

Steven Davies, Gary MacKenzie and Thomas Ince scored the goals to get the Tangerines' Championship campaign off to a flying start at the Keepmoat Stadium.

"I'm obviously disappointed with the result - and the manner of it," PA quotes the 40-year-old as saying. "I thought their first goal should have been disallowed for a foul on the keeper who has ended up with five stitches in his head, but we didn't lose the game necessarily because of that.

"We started a little bit nervy. I don't know whether it was because it was our first game back in the Championship because once we settled down we played some good stuff. The second goal we conceded was criminal on our part because it was from a set piece that we should have prevented.

"The Championship is an unforgiving division and you can't really afford to concede goals like that. We got punished and it was a cruel result."

Rovers won the League One title last season.