Scunthorpe 2-3 Rovers
Saturday, 23 March 2013 at Glanford Park, Scunthorpe
Npower League 1
Scunthorpe United 2 DONCASTER ROVERS 3
Referee – Mr Scott Mathieson
Attendance – 5,288 (2,120 visitors)
With the country reeling after the snow fall of yesterday, Scunthorpe did well to get their pitch and the surrounding area cleared with the help of volunteers so that the game could be played. However, a freezing cold wind and grey skies could well be a portent of what was to come, hopefully after the match. The Rovers made one change to their starting line-up, Iain Hume coming in for Billy Paynter, who dropped to the bench. Scunthorpe were unchanged.
The Rovers defended the Railway end in the first half and immediately went on the attack. A free kick was awarded to them on the right but Cotterill overhit the cross and the ball went out for goalkick. A corner was then won by the Rovers which was played past the far popst to Husband who shot from aboiut 12yards was saved by Johansen. Then, in the 5th minute, Cotterill got to the right corner flag before crossing low to the middle. The goalkeeper didn’t come for it and MIRFIN, trying to put it out put it into his own net. Continuing to attack, Cotterill crossed from the right in the 9th minute, Brown laid it back to Coppinger but his shot was blocked. The home team then went upfield and Ryan tried his luck from about 30yards but hit it high over the bar and over the Stand. Continuing to have the better of the play, Hume, for the Rovers, cut in from the right and hit a good left footed effort from the edge of the area straight at the keeper, who saved comfortably. A couple of corners to the Rovers followed over the next five minutes. The second one brought a header from Jones at the far post that was blocked on the goal-line, Hume recovered the ball but couldn’t get in a shot and the ball was eventually cleared. Scunthorpe then got to the Rovers end where Sodje shot wide from 25yards. Then Ryan hit the ball high and wide from a similar distance. Past the half hour and a throw in on the Rovers left was headed on by Brown for Hume to take it down the left but his shot from an oblique angle went past the far post. Minutes later and Lundstram chipped the ball for goal but put wide from just outside the penalty area. In the 39th minute, good work on the Rovers left led to the ball being played back to Jones on the half way line. He threaded a good low pass through for HUME to run on to and slot past the keeper. The home team hit back by going on the attack and maintaining it for the first time in the game. They were awarded a free kick about twenty-five yards out in a central position in the 42nd minute. DUFFY took the kick and flighted it into the top corner of the net where Woods couldn’t get to it.
Half Time – Scunthorpe United 1 Doncaster Rovers 2
The home team got the second half underway but three minutes in the Rovers went further ahead. A good build-up on the Rovers right led to Brown crossing to the far left where it was played back low to the middle for BROWN to slot in. A corner to the Rovers a couple of minutes later came to nothing. Scunthorpe then got into the game and won a corner that came out to Ryan, who shot wide. In the 55th minute, a cross from Quinn, on the Rovers right, was put out for a corner, which came out of defence to Husband but his shot was saved at the near post by Johansen. Minutes later and a poor clearance by the home keeper went straight to Brown. His shot was blocked and came back to him. He gave it to Hume in the middle but he side-footed wide. Past the hour and the home team won a corner. Coppinger got the ball and played it out to Spurr on the left. He took it on before shooting wide of the far post. Minutes later and Coppinger gave to Hume, who played it out to Husband on the left but his shot was saved. Scunthorpe won a corner, which came out to Ryan, with his shot deflected for another corner. In the 73rd minute after a good build-up Coppinger shot over the bar. The last ten minutes came up and Scunthorpe went for broke. In the 85th minute it paid off following a corner, the ball pin-balled about in the six-yard box before rolling over the line for a second goal to the home team. They pressed on and in the third minute of added time they won a corner, which came out to Ryan, who skewed the ball wide. Time went and the Rovers got the win they deserved.
Result – Scunthorpe United 2 (Duffy 42 Hawley 85)) Doncaster Rovers 3 (Mirfin o.g 5 Hume 39 Brown 48)
Teams – Scunthorpe United – Eirik Holmen Johansen; Eddie Nolan, David Mirfin, Paul Reid ©, Tom Newey; Mark Duffy, Michael Collins, Jimmy Ryan, Anthony Forde; Karl Hawley, Akpo Sodje
Subs used – Niall Canavan for Mirfin 46 mins; Andy Barcham for Forde 54 mins; Mike Grella for Sodje 71 mins;
Subs not used – Christian Ribeiro, Luke Hornsey, James Alabi, James Severn gk
Cautions – Sodje 37 mins; Barcham 80 mins;
DONCASTER ROVERS – Gary Woods; Paul Quinn, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr; David Cotterill, James Coppinger, John Lundstram, James Husband; Chris Brown, Iain Hume
Subs used – Billy Paynter for Hume 83 mins;
Subs not used – Mark Wilson, Liam Wakefield, Emile Sinclair, Andy Griffin, Kyle Bennett, Neil Sullivan gk