Saturday, 15 December 2012
Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
npower League 1
Referee – Mr Carl Berry
Attendance – 6,623 (872 visitors)
The Rovers made one change from last Saturday’s starting line-up, Billy Paynter replacing Chris Brown, who drops to the bench. Coventry City also made one change to their starting line-up, which won 5-1 at home to Walsall last week, Adam Barton replacing Carl Baker. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.
The Rovers kicked off and had a good chance in the second minutewhen a long throw from Spurr was headed down to Paynter, 8yards out to the left of goal, but he fired across the face of goal. The visitors then attacked down their right flank with McGoldrick before pulling the ball back for MOUSSA on the edge of the penalty area. He had time to line up his shot before lifting the ball perfectly into the top corner of the goal well away from Woods in the 3rd minute. Hume, at the other end, tried his luck from 20yards but Murphy saved comfortably. A couple of minutes later and Hume, to the left of goal, had another go at goal from 15yards but put wide of the far post. The Rovers continued to press and in the 12th minute, Hume was played in to space, saw the keeper off his line and tried to lob him from the angle of the area on the right but didn’t get enough height on it and Murphy caught it easily. Five minutes on and a free kick from McGoldrick on the right went wide of the far post. The Rovers had to make a change after 25 minutes, with Chris Brown coming on for Cotterill. Two minutes later and the visitors increased their lead when a good cross from the left by Adams was glanced into the net from close range by McGOLDRICK. Past the half hour and a free kick by Keegan from the right touchline was headed goalwards by Jones but Murphy caught it under the bar. The Rovers were trying hard but in the 39th minute Bennett was dispossessed halfway in the visiting half and Adams quickly broke with the ball before putting McGoldrick in down the left. He cut inside and shot from the edge of the penalty area as Woods came out but the ball went wide of the far post. The visitors then won successive corners but they were well defended. As time ran down McSheffrey came in from the left before firing high over the bar from 20yards.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers 0 Coventry City 2
Andy Griffin replaced Quinn for the Rovers at the start of the second half. The Rovers kicked off but Coventry were soon in possession and won a corner four minutes in but nothing came from it. The Rovers were getting nowhere against the Coventry defence and when Brown lost the ball in the opposition half in the 58th minute another quick break by the visitors saw the ball go from the left to the extreme right for Clarke to go on and cross low to the middle where McGOLDRICK had an easy tap in. Minutes later, following a free kick by Coventry, Clarke received the ball out on the right and hit a high shot goalwards for Woods to tip over the bar. A couple of corners following over the next few minutes for the visitors but in the 76th minute the Rovers pulled a goal back. The ball was played to Paynter eight yards out, his header crashed against the bar but BROWN followed up to head into the net. Two minutes later and Jones headed wide following a Rovers corner. Then a clearance by Woods was headed down by Jones for Paynter to blaze hi over the bar from 25yards. The Rovers tried hard to get through again but Coventry kept them at bay and hit back, with McSheffrey crossing from the left for Bailey to head just over the bar in the 86th minute. The visitors then increased their lead in the 90th minute when McGoldrick crossed from the left to the right and the ball was played back to BARTON to rifle low into the bottom corner from 30yards. The Rovers were well and truly beaten.
Result – Doncaster Rovers 1 (Brown 76 mins) Coventry City 4 (Moussa 3 McGoldrick 27 58 Barton 90)
Teams – ROVERS – Gary Woods; Paul Quinn, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr, James Husband; David Cotterill, Paul Keegan, James Harper, Kyle Bennett; Iain Hume, Billy Paynter
Subs used – Chris Brown for Cotterill 25 mins; Andy Griffin for Quinn 46 mins; Sammy Clingan for Harper 73 mins;
Subs not used – Shelton Martis, Robbie Blake, Jamie McCombe, Jon Maxted gk
Cautions – Keegan 81 mins; Husband 85 mins;
Coventry City – Joe Murphy; Cyrus Christie, Richard Wood ©, William Edjenguele, Blair Adams; Franck Moussa, James Bailey, Steven Jennings, Adam Barton; David McGoldrick, Gary McSheffrey
Subs used – Jordan Clarke for Moussa 49 mins; Conor Thomas for Barton 90+1 mins;
Subs not used – Nathan Cameron, Cody McDonald, John Fleck, Roy O’Donovan, Chris Dunn gk
Cautions – Wood 56 mins;