In all honesty, the custodian for Doncaster Rovers probably didn’t think he would play again this season. Jones was moved to the bench after Thimothee Lo-Tutala, a Hull City loanee, arrived at the beginning of the season.
The loanee then went on to put on a number of outstanding displays and accumulate a large number of clean sheets during a run of play that saw a significant improvement in the latter part of the season.
In the end, Grant McCann’s team secured the improbable play-off spots. On the very last day, they managed to secure the fifth position with a 2-2 draw away against Gillingham.
In the end, Grant McCann’s team secured the improbable play-off spots. With a 2-2 draw away at Gillingham, they managed to secure fifth place on the very last day of play.
Lo-Tutala was given a red card early in the second half, with the away team leading 2-0 and seemed headed for an 11th consecutive victory.
Now for Jones, who had not played for three months, he was called up from the bench. He had a rough start to the game as the home team scored a goal back with a hard-hit free kick just moments after he took the pitch. Shortly after, Rovers’ inability to stop a set-piece that eventually went in off defender Tom Anderson brought the score to a draw.
However, Jones performed admirably in the closing moments to execute a brilliant reaction stop, guaranteeing McCann’s team hasn’t lost since early March.
The two team members with the longest tenures are Anderson and Jones, and the defender was all praise for the substitute when he walked into a hostile and intensely heated Priestfield atmosphere.
Anderson told the Free Press, “Massive credit to Louis because when it’s all going on, mentally you have to be switched on and stay calm and cool.” “His last-minute save was truly amazing.
Really, it was never in question. I’ve had six or seven years to know Louis. He demonstrated his goodness today and is a good man. As I mentioned before, it wasn’t simple, so he deserves a great deal of praise for stepping in.”
Jones will put on the gloves for Monday’s away first leg of the play-off semifinal.
Some people might be surprised to hear that Anderson will be experiencing the playoffs for the first time.
When Rovers made it to the League One end-of-season lottery in his first full season there in 2018–19, that was the closest he had ever been.
During Rovers’ first-ever semi-final loss on penalties to Charlton, the center-half was not used as a substitute. McCann was the manager at the time.
“I wasn’t involved in those games,” he continued. It will be quite exciting for me this time because, regrettably, I was on the bench.”
