REPORT
Portsmouth 1 (Baker 41)
Doncaster Rovers 2 (Marquis 7, Williams 34)
Satuday 1st October 2016
Fratton Park, Portsmouth
Sky Bet League Two
Doncaster Rovers claimed an impressive win at Portsmouth thanks to early goals from John Marquis and Andy Williams.
They had to dig deep to hold on, but claimed three points against a side fancied to push for promotion this season.
Darren Ferguson made one change, with Frazer Richardson coming back into the side for Rovers. Matty Blair moved back up to the right of the midfield diamond, with Riccardo Calder dropping to the bench.
Rovers started well and took the lead after seven minutes. A clearance from Andy Butler caused confusion in the home defence and Marquis took full advantage against his former club. He controlled the ball, calmly rounded the home keeper David Forde, and fired it into the now empty net.
Pompey fought back quickly, with Marquis back in his own area getting a vital clearance from a corner and Joe Wright also required to put in a vital header.
Rovers looked the most likely to get a second goal, with a long free-kick from James Coppinger headed on by Andy Butler and finding Williams. The ball didn't sit down well and his looped effort ended up being comfortable held by Forde.
Pompey threatened for the first real time after 18 minutes after good work from Enda Stevens and Gary Roberts. The ball fell to Carl Baker, whose snapshot was parried away by Marko Marosi.
Kal Naismith was a real danger for the home side, with Marosi having to be alert to smother one low cross and another delivery finding Chaplin. He seemed to scuff his shot, allowing Butler to get a vital clearance.
Rovers were forced into a change with 29 minutes on the clock, when Richardson came off with an apparent knock and Calder coming on in his place. That brought a slight reshuffle, with Blair reverting to right-back and Calder taking his place in midfield.
Rovers should have made it 2-0 shortly afterwards when a Coppinger corner caused panic in the home defence. Wright and Butler both almost got shots away before Forde, finally, claimed the ball.
Williams did make it 2-0 with a little over 10 minutes to go. A long clearance from Marosi was headed on by Butler and Williams was on hand to turn it home.
Pompey pressed well and causes problems, eventually pulling one back with 42 minutes on the clock when a clearance from Wright fell to Baker who smashed the ball home.
HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 1 Rovers 2
Neither manager made changes at the break, with the opening period of the second half continuing to be an open affair. Marquis almost had a second of the match when he firest just wide of the bottom-left corner after combining well with Coppinger down the right.
Butler became the first Rovers player to go into the notebook after ending a Pompey counter-attack by fouling Chaplin.
Williams also looked dangerous as he looked to add to his goal, beating two men down the right before his low shot was blocked by Michael Doyle.
Chaplin missed a golden opportunity to level after 63 minutes when he got on the end of great deep cross from Roberts. He was unmarked, but somehow managed to head the ball back away from goal rather than threaten Marosi.
Ferguson made his second change with 20 minutes to go when Niall Mason came on for Calder, in a tactical change. Mason slotted in at right-back, with Blair pushed back up to midfield.
Baker almost hauled Pompey level after 73 minutes, though he didn't know much about it. Milan Lalkovic's shot deflected off him and bounced off the crossbar.
Williams almost put the result beyond doubt after 77 minutes when he capitalised on a mis-kick from Matt Clarke to bear down on goal. He brought a great save from Forde in the home goal.
Gary Roberts went closer than anyone to a leveller after 81 minutes when he met Baker's cross, with only a goal-line clearance from Butler denying him.
Pompey had one final chance as we went into second-half stoppage-time when they were awarded a free-kick just outside the area. Baker stepped up, but did not make Marosi work as he fired the set-piece over.
FULL-TIME: Portsmouth 1 Rovers 2
ROVERS: Marosi, Evina, Butler, Wright, Richardson (Calder) (Mason), Blair, Houghton, Rowe, Coppinger (Middleton), Marquis, Williams. ROVERS SUBS | Etheridge, Baudry,Beestin, Mandeville.
BOOKED: Butler, Evina, Marquis.
POMPEY: Forde, Doyle, Burgess, Stevens, Evans, Clarke, Rose (Linganzi), Baker, Naismith (Lalkovic), Roberts, Chaplin. POMPEY SUBS | O'Brien, Davies, Bennett, Smith, Main.
BOOKED : Evans.
ATTENDANCE | 16,950 (449 away)