Isaac Hutchinson marked his early Doncaster Rovers career with his first goal for the club in Tuesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Middlesbrough at Club Doncaster Sports Village. The midfielder found the net in second-half injury-time, though it was not enough to prevent Rovers from exiting the competition as they lost 3-1 to the Sky Bet Championship side.
Hutchinson pleased with performance despite defeat
Despite the loss, Hutchinson said there were positives to take from the match. He told the club: "It's always nice to score early on in the season, it's nice to get that off your mind and get it done. I've been working really hard with the coaches to get myself back to full fitness after joining in pre-season."
The midfielder added that his goal provided an important boost. "Goals breed confidence, it's a big part of the game and it was what I was brought in to do. I think when you come to a new club, you take all the little boosts you can get."
Hutchinson felt Rovers performed well in large parts against Middlesbrough. "Against Boro we were pretty pleased with large aspects of the game, I think we caused them problems with the ball and had some really chances. Our shape without the ball was pretty good too. We're obviously disappointed to lose the game, but we can take positives from the performance."
Focus turns to Stevenage trip
Rovers' attention now turns to their Sky Bet League One fixture against Stevenage on Saturday 29 August, with a 3pm kick-off. Hutchinson acknowledged the challenge ahead but expressed confidence in the squad's ability. He said: "It is always tough when you go to Stevenage, they are a strong team and they ask you a lot of questions. We know the threats they will pose, but we believe we're more than capable of going there and getting a result if we perform to our maximum."
