Post by irishrover on Jan 28, 2018 22:14:30 GMT
Summary: Bloody brilliant! Superb away performance wins thoroughly entertaining game. Read on for gubbins.
Experience: Doncaster is another one ticked off the list for me and I can't say it was massively high up the bucket list agenda - I've been to Rotherham and a friend (from Doncaster) had described Donny as 'a poor man's Rotherham' so hmmmm......but I had some chores in the morning so I didn't get there in time to have a proper nose round the town which is a shame because these days that's part of what I enjoy about going to these games. However, unlike Blackpool 2 weeks previously, I was able to find street parking within 20 mins walk of the stadium (something the Football Ground guide said I wouldn't be able to do so they were wrong on this count both weekends and I don't trust this aspect of their advice anymore....). The drive across the Peaks from Manchester was as spectacular as ever and the mist only added to the scenic views although it did correctly warn that it would be a chilly afternoon. Donny's Ground is a classic of the peg new build wrap around stadium located in the standard sort of edge of town trading estate that these things tend to be found in. Having said that it was clearly built with a bit more thought than they often are and with an athletics Stadium there, a big lake next to it and the Rugby League Club also tenents the surrounding area had a bit more character that is often found in the surrounds of these sterile new grounds. Nevertheless it was still a bit soul destroying to walk 15 minutes through a trading estate off the main road to get there and not really see any signs of life at all - not until I got right up close to the ground did I feel I was in a proper football crowd. The stadium itself is definitely decent (without doubt at the higher quality and nicer new build end of the scale - compare with Shrewsbury for the opposite) - very tidy for a town the size of Donacaster and it makes you wonder why on earth if a club like Donny can get something like that it seems beyond the wit of multiple Rovers owners to get something sorted for us. Quite frankly I'm beyond caring or ambition now when it comes to the stadium situation - if someone came along and proposed something like Donny have got and managed to get the damn thing built I would happily take that at this stage. Walk back to my car after the game though was one of the happiest I've had in a while!
1st Half - This really was a terrific game of football - I think it was the best match I've seen all season in terms of quality and excitement levels. It was clear very early on that neither team was much interested in playing for a point or in, you know, doing any of that boring defending lark. It was also very clear very early on that this was not a game to be missing Lockyer for - which is a pity because that seemed to be exactly what had happened (taken ill on the coach according to the chap behind - I have absolutely no idea if this was true or not) but they were a very mobile team who liked to work it wide and try to get behind us to the byline. Without Lockyer only Bola had any real pace at the back and I think it took us a while to adapt. For the first 10 minutes they were just slicing through us at will from the flanks. Their goal was way too easy and they had several more chances down that flank. Everyone around me started taking it out on Bola but it was pretty clear to me that, whatever faults could be assigned to him, the main issue was that our narrowness in midfield meant that there was acres of space in front of Bola for them to exploit. For me, their goal came from Sercombe just letting their winger breeze by him. Meanwhile on the other side Partington was having a torrid time against their left winger who had him on toast more or less from the kick off. It kind of confirmed my prejudice of Partington - that he isn't really a right back, put anyone competent with any pace or trickery against him and he's going to have a very hard time. However, just when I started thinking that this was going to be a pretty long afternoon our midfield seemed to wake up and take control of the game. From about 15 minutes in to about 5 minutes from half-time we seemed to largely control the game. They still looked bloody dangerous coming forward but we generally starved them of possession and gradually looked more and more threatening. It became clear that Harrison and Gaffney were monstering their Centre Backs (I noted a match report that one of their centre backs went off injured and this caused them major problems - being the observant person I am have to say I didn't notice this at the time but it makes sense given what happened in the rest of the game). We were causing lots of trouble with little dinked balls to the edge of the box for our forwards to hold up. The Sweeney equaliser when it came was throroughly deserved. Doncaster came back at us quite hard at the end of the half though and I think we were probably quite pleased to hear the half-time whistle as they'd butchered a couple of decent chances.
2nd Half - We came out flying in the 2nd half. I don't know what was in Gaffney and Harrison's half-time tea but they both came out with the demeanour and intensity of the incredible Hulk! They were just winning absolutely everything. Ellis in particular seemed to be having an absolute whale of a time out there - not sure I've seen a Rovers play take so much joy out of physically dominating the opposition centre halfs since Jason Roberts. They both worked incredibly hard and Donny were just pinned back for the first 10 minutes of the half. 2 very well carved out chances fell to Sinclair unfortunately who is probably the forward player we least want to have the ball in front of goal. But then Gaffney scored a deserved goal to take the lead - we rung another one off the bar about 3 minutes later and at that point I was thinking we had them on the ropes. But again they came back at us really well. They went back to their main strategy of getting it wide and behind - we are vulnerable to this was as we play so narrow and particularly on Saturday with such little pace at the back. Suddenly we were right under the kosh and Donny were getting behind us at will. They missed at least 2 gilt edged chances and I did think in general our goal led something of a charmed life (although I definitely feel it was luck that we deserved for all round work rate). Clarke then took off Partington for Brown and pushed Bola to right back to give us more mobility and pace at the back. This worked well and stopped the relentless pressure. From then on the game was much more even and we were looking dangerous going forward especially whenever we could get our forwards on the ball. When the ball broke for Ellis and he burned their defender away (pretty impressive for a guy who'd run his socks off for 85 mins up to that point) I've rarely been more pleased for a player scoring - if ever someone deserved a goal to cap a top performance it was Ellis on Saturday. That did for the game but even then Donny kept coming and blazed a couple more chance high and wide. If their finishing had been any good (and it was dreadful) then this game could easily have finished 3-3/4-4; it was a proper ding-dong of a football match with a superb tempo.
Smith - 7. I thought he did well. For the number of times they managed to get behind us and put dangerous ball across the box he didn't panic once and do anything rash. Held his position, cut it out when he could and made several smart saves. Unlike Blackpool a fortnight ago it felt like he properly earned his money this week.
Partington - 4 (and that's being very generous). He was just massively exposed by a proper winger who caused him difficulty all game to the point that we was driven off the pitch because he couldn't handle him. That's just a bad afternoon at the office. I remain convinced that he is just not mobile enough to be a right back especially in a team that plays so narrowly in midfield and gives him little support.
Bola - 6. Dealt with the same issue of lack of defensive support that Partington had but did it much better. Yes he struggled early on but he adapted well and didn't lose his head. Deserves huge credit for the shift he put in at right back which helped to shut down their most dangerous attacking outlet which looked destined to get them back into the game. I'd have him at right back over Partington right now if that is the limit of our options.
Broadbent - 8. I was really impressed with Broadbent. The balance with him and Sweeney was clearly not what you would ideally have against Donny's lineup but they dug in well and threw themselves at everything.
Sweeney - 7. Again, it was a really committed effort. I thought Broadbent caught the eye a bit more for me but they both did very well even though they were out of their comfort zone a great deal.
Clarke - 8. The midfield get these marks as a unit really because I thought they were absolutely terrific. Early on we were clearly in trouble and they just galvanised the team and acted as a proper engine room. Ollie's defensive effort was top class on Saturday - if he could do that regularly then he really could be our proper defensive midfield option.
Lines - 8. Best I've seen of Lines in ages. Really dangerous delivery all game from over the pitch. Drove forward on a number of occasions but also mopped at the back very well which is not something you normally say.
Sercombe - 8. An impressive performance - again, there was real creativity to what he did on the ball and he linked very well with the front 2 all game. It felt he was off the shoulder when Gaffney or Ellis were holding the ball up.
Sinclair 8+. He gets that little bit more for me because of the value that his pressing gave us at the start of the second half - it just felt like Donny couldn't get past him. I am one of those who often says we should be moving on from Sinclair as a first choice player and I do still think that. But performances like this show that he can still offer real value in certain types of game and he was immense on Saturday.
Gaffney - 9. A proper old fashioned centre forward's performance. He held it up really well and bought others into it - he was always an option and he ran all day. Their Centre Backs would have come off knowing they'd been in a proper battle.
Harrison - 10. I cannot speak too highly - it was a magnificent effort. So much work rate, so much consistent threat. It really was a Jason Robertesque performance in terms of the physical dominance both on and off the ball and the air of confidence he exuded and I have no higher praise then that. Absolutely top notch stuff.
Brown - 7. Brown delivered the standard Brown 7/10 but did so for 22 mins instead of 90. Still one of the most reliable performers we have. Having said that I do see why Clarke is leaning towards Bola a bit now; Bola does have a bit more about him going forward and can cover more ground. You can see the attraction in terms of the overall balance of the team particular if he has to go with someone as stay at home as Partington is on the other side.
Menayense - 7. I have to admit to having a moment of utter confusion because I misheard the stadium announcer and thought he'd said 'Mensah' and I'd not seen either of them before. So I spent 5-10 minutes massively confused that our new Centre Forward signing seemed be settling in at the back! Then the penny dropped - quick on the uptake me! But he was sent on to sure things up and I think he did. They didn't seem to get another chance in the box after he came on.
Summary- Fantastic! I watch mostly away games these days and even when we're playing well it's generally always going to be backs to the wall kind of stuff; travelling in hope not expectation etc etc. But I'm struggling to think of the last time I was that impressed at a Rovers away performance. I've seen us beat some crap teams who were playing badly in the last few years but I've not seen us get the better of a team who looked pretty good on the day like Saturday for a long time. It was very heart-warming stuff - relegation fears look faintly comical now. I almost didn't go due to the distance, the weather and the tricky drive over - glad I did, I'll remember this one for a long time.