REPORT
Oldham Athletic 2
(Flynn 45+1, McKay 53)
Doncaster Rovers 1
(Mandeville 90+4pen)
Saturday, November 5
SportDirect.Com Park, Oldham
Emirates FA Cup
Rovers bowed out of the Emirates FA Cup with defeat at Oldham Athletic.
Liam Mandeville's late penalty was not enough, after Oldham had scored either side of the break.
Darren Ferguson made a number of changes, with Craig Alcock making his first appearance since a pre-season curtailed by injury. Liam Mandeville Alfie Beestin, Tyler Garratt, Harry Middleton and Frazer Richardson also came into the starting XI.
Rovers started well and had the first chance. Mandeville beat his man down the right and fired in a dangerous low cross which just evaded Matty Blair. Minutes later Alcock fired over after a cross was headed back into his path.
There was a real let-off after 15 minutes, though, as Ryan McLaughlin's ball found Lee Erwin right in front of goal. The latter poked wide from six yards.
Rovers were handed a great opportunity after 25 minutes when Mandeville was pulled down just as he was looking to get a shot away, resulting in a free-kick from just outside the area.
John Marquis, captaining the side in the absence of James Coppinger, took the set-piece but it did not trouble home keeper Conor Ripley as he fired the ball over the bar.
Oldham had a flurry of chances after 35 minutes, all falling to Lee Erwin. Marko Marosi did well to palm away his first powerful shot, then he couldn't get his follow-up header on target after Ryan Flynn kept the ball in.
Moments later he flicked a header wide, for his third chance inside 90 seconds.
Oldham snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time when Peter Clarke nodded the ball into the path of Flynn, who cooly finished with a low slot past Marosi.
HALF-TIME: Oldham 1 Rovers 0
Ferguson made one change at the break, bringing Cedric Evina on in place of Tyler Garratt.
Marquis had an early shot on target, with Ripley turning it away at the near post. The ball fell to Matty Blair after the corner, he drilled it back into the area but it bounced away to safety.
But Rovers fell further behind after 53 minutes. Mathieu Baudry was crowded out and lose the ball to Flynn, who raced forward and fed Billy McKay. The forward finished clinically into a bottom corner.
Marosi had to be alert on the hour mark to keep Erwin at bay, getting down low to block a shot. McKay was lurking, but he blasts the loose ball over.
Paul Keegan and Andy Butler came off the bench as Ferguson rotated his side, with Middleton and Wright making away.
Alfie Beestin had a chance after 67 minutes after his run was picked out by Keegan. The young attacking midfielder cut inside to lose his man, but his shot was straight at Ripley.
Blair also broke away moments later, with his low right-footed shot going just wide of the far post.
Flynn, though, should have put the tie beyond any doubt when he broke free after 79 minutes. He found himself one-on-one with Marosi, but his effort rolled just wide.
Rovers enjoyed plenty of the ball in the final stages, but stuggled to create real chances. Beestin beat several players with a mazy run into the area before running into trouble, while Marquis saw a volleyed effort held by Ripley.
Ripley also palmed away an effort from Evina in stoppage time. The ball fell to Marquis, who fashioned space for a shot but his effort went wide.
Rovers were handed a lifeline in stoppage time when Mandeville was pulled down in the area by Banks.
Mandeville quickly got himself up to take the penalty, which he slotted home past the dive of Ripley.
The match had a sour end, though, with Butler suffering an injury in stoppage-time and needing to be carried off on a stretcher.
FULL-TIME: Oldham 2 Rovers 1
ROVERS | Marosi, Richardson, Garratt (Evina), Wright (Butler), Alcock, Baudry, Middleton (Keegan), Blair, Mandeville, Beestin, Marquis (c). ROVERS SUBS | Etheridge, Longbottom.
OLDHAM XI | Ripley, Dummigan, Clarke, Burgess, Dunne, Banks, Green (Fane), Winchester (Flynn), McLaughlin, Erwin (Law), McKay. OLDHAM SUBS | Kettings, Wilson, Jahraldo-Martin. BOOKED | Dummigan
ATTENDANCE | 2,984.