EFL Youth Alliance
Saturday 22nd February 2020
Doncaster Rovers’ title hopes remain in good health after the lads survived an almighty second half onslaught from Lincoln City to record their fourth straight win in the EFL Youth Alliance.
Everything was going perfectly to plan for Paul Stancliffe’s young table-toppers, who took the lead through Lirak Hasani’s low free-kick on the quarter-hour mark before Jack Watson added his name to the score-sheet prior to the half-time interval.
Some poor finishing meant Rovers were unable to bag a third goal (and thus put the result beyond doubt) and a starkly contrasting second half performance in comparison to the positive display in the opening 45 minutes, paved the way for a very nervy finale.
The Imps halved the deficit on 67 minutes when they seized upon a mistake involving Charlie Bell, and it felt as though they were camped in Rovers’ own half for the remainder of proceedings as they searched for an equaliser.
Despite pressing relentlessly; forcing Donny ‘keeper Ben Bottomley into a string of saves and also having what looked to be a strong penalty appeal waved away, the hosts couldn’t grab a leveller and Rovers somehow held on for what might prove to be a vital victory.
Results elsewhere saw Scunthorpe lose to Bradford, whilst Rotherham also slumped to a shock defeat at Huddersfield. It means the lads are now 10 points clear at the summit.
In blustery weather conditions at Riseholme College (which is situated on the northern outskirts of the city centre with the cathedral as something of a backdrop in the distance), there were two changes made to the starting line-up as Lewis Cunningham and Ben Bottomley both returned to action.
Rovers, sporting their black and blue away strip for the first time this calendar year, adjusted well to the conditions, grabbed the initiative, had plenty of possession and caused Lincoln several problems during the early stages of the game.
Inside the opening 10 minutes, Jack Watson latched onto a through ball and saw a powerful low effort tipped around the post by a full-stretch 'keeper, whilst Will McGowan's attempt from the edge of the area following a cleverly-worked set-piece caught a deflection and just went over the upright.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Lincoln's first opening saw Bottomley called into action but the first-year scholar got down well at his near-post to make a routine enough save.
The lads certainly looked 'up for it' as they moved the ball around well, which put the hosts firmly on the back-foot and the opening goal finally arrived on the quarter-hour mark.
Junior Smith won a free-kick on the edge of the area which offered a perfect-angle for the many players who consider themselves to be useful at set-plays. However, Lirak Hasani took responsibility and arrowed an accurate right-foot drive, low into the 'keeper's bottom-left corner, to make it 1-0 - a fine goal and well-deserved at this point.
Lincoln then enjoyed some pressure up at the other end but, in truth, their first half attacking threat was sporadic and they lacked menace. In contrast, Rovers' play was fluid, with purpose and whenever they broke forward, they looked capable of scoring.
The 4G surface was creating a 'faster' game than usual yet this actually went against the lads as Watson was unfortunate not to latch onto a couple of quick through balls from McGowan and Marius Conradi, respectively, and properly test the home 'keeper.
Nevertheless, the talisman didn't have to wait long to get his name on the score-sheet because soon afterwards, Cunningham 'fed him his dinner' with an intricate and well-weighted through ball which was slammed home to make it 2-0.
Confidence was flowing just as freely as the fine, pass-and-move football by this stage and it would have been 3-0 by the half-hour mark if either the linesman hadn't ruled out Conradi's strike for offside or if McGowan's speculative shot from distance had found the net.
On 33 minutes, Smith also tested the reflexes of the busy Imps 'keeper after more good midfield and flank play resulted in the visitors causing issues, whilst Elliott Walker saw a shot blocked and a Liam Ravenhill attempt was kept out (albeit in unorthodox fashion) during another attack.
A gulf between the teams was obvious yet what Rovers needed to do was bag a third goal to almost seal the win. It didn't happen and there was a momentum shift towards the closing stages of the first half - best shown when a counter-attack saw Bottomley called upon to make an important save before captain Ben Blythe's great follow-up challenge stopped a goal being scored from the rebound.
There was still one notable, gilt-edged chance of note which Doncaster squandered prior to half-time when Conradi was put clean through but the Norwegian frontman didn't possess enough composure to finish and his shot cleared the woodwork.
At half-time, things would have no doubt been quite positive in the away dressing room. The lads had opened up a comfortable enough two-goal cushion, they'd generally done well barring a few 'bits and bobs' and the positives far outweighed the negatives.
What unfolded in the second half was a complete contrast and, by the final whistle, they'd been hanging on for long periods having been put very much on the back foot by a rejuvenated Lincoln.
Rovers' afternoon took a turn for the worse just a few minutes into the second period when Ravenhill came off worse following a collision in the centre circle. Having received treatment, he was unable to continue and had to be replaced by fellow midfielder Charlie Bell.
The decision-making also went awry; shown quite early on when another promising move came to nothing as Watson went it alone and couldn't score when Conradi was lurking nearby, potentially in an even better position.
Lincoln seemed to have more zest and desire than previously and they went close with a curling effort on 53 minutes which was well-watched and well-claimed by Bottomley, who saved another shot, this time straight at him, prior to the hour mark.
The team in red and white stripes continued to see more of the ball and were making inroads whilst Rovers seemed uncharacteristically sloppy in their play though they did force a corner where big centre-back Nathan Dimou headed wide from McGowan's delivery.
With a quarter of the game remaining, it was obvious that the third goal would be vital in regards to the outcome. If Doncaster scored it, then it'd likely ensure a nerve-free finale. If Lincoln scored it, then it'd undoubtedly be a backs-to-the-wall remainder of the game.
Crucially, Lincoln got the third goal and it came off a defensive mistake. Bell received a ball out from the back by Bottomley and was subsequently dispossessed - allowing the hosts' to quickly knock it forward and stab a shot into the bottom to reduce arrears.
It was something which they deserved for all their endeavour, without doubt, but a self-inflicted mistake and a poor goal to concede from a Rovers perspective.
Unsurprisingly, the final 20-25 minutes were filled with tension as Lincoln through the proverbial 'kitchen sink' forward in search for an equaliser and created a plethora of openings and near-misses as the game wore on.
Bottomley twice showed excellent reflexes to make key saves from shots, one ball was allowed to drift through the defence at a set-play, a dangerous free-kick in a promising position was wasted (blazed low and straight at the defensive wall) and a 'Ronaldinho' type attempt from wide out on the right flank had the young 'keeper frantically back-peddling but fortunately fell the wrong side of the post - causing much relief!
However, the big moment in the closing stages came when an Imps player went to ground inside the box - something which was met with loud appeals for a spot-kick. Their case looked very convincing, but the referee was situated only a few yards away and allowed play to continue.
It remained tense all the way up to the final whistle, especially during four minutes of injury-time as Rovers' back-line seemed to subconsciously drop back an extra yard with each passing minute whilst Bell was also booked after he conceded a dangerous free-kick out wide, but the lads held on to get the three points.
It was a win - but just!
Lincoln's endeavour, hard-work and determination had to be applauded even though it was ultimately their lack of a cutting-edge which stopped them from snatching a point. They made a game of it from a position around half-an-hour in where they could easily have caved in and suffered a hammering.
From a Rovers perspective, the lads will no doubt learn so much from this experience - from being ruthless to decision-making, individually and collectively through to game-management, etc. It was a strange day; a real game of two halves. The positive aspect is the result (and results elsewhere is a bonus for the lads) but they can do themselves better justice than they did at times today with the overall, complete, 90-minute performance.
Team: Ben Bottomley, Elliott Walker (Max Jemson), Nathan Dimou, Ben Blythe (C), Lewis Cunningham, Lirak Hasani, Will McGowan, Liam Ravenhill (Charlie Bell), Marius Conradi (Owan Derrett), Junior Smith (Luca Nelson), Jack Watson. Unused Sub: Kian Johnson.
In blustery weather conditions at Riseholme College (which is situated on the northern outskirts of the city centre with the cathedral as something of a backdrop in the distance), there were two changes made to the starting line-up as Lewis Cunningham and Ben Bottomley both returned to action.
Rovers, sporting their black and blue away strip for the first time this calendar year, adjusted well to the conditions, grabbed the initiative, had plenty of possession and caused Lincoln several problems during the early stages of the game.
Inside the opening 10 minutes, Jack Watson latched onto a through ball and saw a powerful low effort tipped around the post by a full-stretch 'keeper, whilst Will McGowan's attempt from the edge of the area following a cleverly-worked set-piece caught a deflection and just went over the upright.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Lincoln's first opening saw Bottomley called into action but the first-year scholar got down well at his near-post to make a routine enough save.
The lads certainly looked 'up for it' as they moved the ball around well, which put the hosts firmly on the back-foot and the opening goal finally arrived on the quarter-hour mark.
Junior Smith won a free-kick on the edge of the area which offered a perfect-angle for the many players who consider themselves to be useful at set-plays. However, Lirak Hasani took responsibility and arrowed an accurate right-foot drive, low into the 'keeper's bottom-left corner, to make it 1-0 - a fine goal and well-deserved at this point.
Lincoln then enjoyed some pressure up at the other end but, in truth, their first half attacking threat was sporadic and they lacked menace. In contrast, Rovers' play was fluid, with purpose and whenever they broke forward, they looked capable of scoring.
The 4G surface was creating a 'faster' game than usual yet this actually went against the lads as Watson was unfortunate not to latch onto a couple of quick through balls from McGowan and Marius Conradi, respectively, and properly test the home 'keeper.
Nevertheless, the talisman didn't have to wait long to get his name on the score-sheet because soon afterwards, Cunningham 'fed him his dinner' with an intricate and well-weighted through ball which was slammed home to make it 2-0.
Confidence was flowing just as freely as the fine, pass-and-move football by this stage and it would have been 3-0 by the half-hour mark if either the linesman hadn't ruled out Conradi's strike for offside or if McGowan's speculative shot from distance had found the net.
On 33 minutes, Smith also tested the reflexes of the busy Imps 'keeper after more good midfield and flank play resulted in the visitors causing issues, whilst Elliott Walker saw a shot blocked and a Liam Ravenhill attempt was kept out (albeit in unorthodox fashion) during another attack.
A gulf between the teams was obvious yet what Rovers needed to do was bag a third goal to almost seal the win. It didn't happen and there was a momentum shift towards the closing stages of the first half - best shown when a counter-attack saw Bottomley called upon to make an important save before captain Ben Blythe's great follow-up challenge stopped a goal being scored from the rebound.
There was still one notable, gilt-edged chance of note which Doncaster squandered prior to half-time when Conradi was put clean through but the Norwegian frontman didn't possess enough composure to finish and his shot cleared the woodwork.
At half-time, things would have no doubt been quite positive in the away dressing room. The lads had opened up a comfortable enough two-goal cushion, they'd generally done well barring a few 'bits and bobs' and the positives far outweighed the negatives.
What unfolded in the second half was a complete contrast and, by the final whistle, they'd been hanging on for long periods having been put very much on the back foot by a rejuvenated Lincoln.
Rovers' afternoon took a turn for the worse just a few minutes into the second period when Ravenhill came off worse following a collision in the centre circle. Having received treatment, he was unable to continue and had to be replaced by fellow midfielder Charlie Bell.
The decision-making also went awry; shown quite early on when another promising move came to nothing as Watson went it alone and couldn't score when Conradi was lurking nearby, potentially in an even better position.
Lincoln seemed to have more zest and desire than previously and they went close with a curling effort on 53 minutes which was well-watched and well-claimed by Bottomley, who saved another shot, this time straight at him, prior to the hour mark.
The team in red and white stripes continued to see more of the ball and were making inroads whilst Rovers seemed uncharacteristically sloppy in their play though they did force a corner where big centre-back Nathan Dimou headed wide from McGowan's delivery.
With a quarter of the game remaining, it was obvious that the third goal would be vital in regards to the outcome. If Doncaster scored it, then it'd likely ensure a nerve-free finale. If Lincoln scored it, then it'd undoubtedly be a backs-to-the-wall remainder of the game.
Crucially, Lincoln got the third goal and it came off a defensive mistake. Bell received a ball out from the back by Bottomley and was subsequently dispossessed - allowing the hosts' to quickly knock it forward and stab a shot into the bottom to reduce arrears.
It was something which they deserved for all their endeavour, without doubt, but a self-inflicted mistake and a poor goal to concede from a Rovers perspective.
Unsurprisingly, the final 20-25 minutes were filled with tension as Lincoln through the proverbial 'kitchen sink' forward in search for an equaliser and created a plethora of openings and near-misses as the game wore on.
Bottomley twice showed excellent reflexes to make key saves from shots, one ball was allowed to drift through the defence at a set-play, a dangerous free-kick in a promising position was wasted (blazed low and straight at the defensive wall) and a 'Ronaldinho' type attempt from wide out on the right flank had the young 'keeper frantically back-peddling but fortunately fell the wrong side of the post - causing much relief!
However, the big moment in the closing stages came when an Imps player went to ground inside the box - something which was met with loud appeals for a spot-kick. Their case looked very convincing, but the referee was situated only a few yards away and allowed play to continue.
It remained tense all the way up to the final whistle, especially during four minutes of injury-time as Rovers' back-line seemed to subconsciously drop back an extra yard with each passing minute whilst Bell was also booked after he conceded a dangerous free-kick out wide, but the lads held on to get the three points.
It was a win - but just!
Lincoln's endeavour, hard-work and determination had to be applauded even though it was ultimately their lack of a cutting-edge which stopped them from snatching a point. They made a game of it from a position around half-an-hour in where they could easily have caved in and suffered a hammering.
From a Rovers perspective, the lads will no doubt learn so much from this experience - from being ruthless to decision-making, individually and collectively through to game-management, etc. It was a strange day; a real game of two halves. The positive aspect is the result (and results elsewhere is a bonus for the lads) but they can do themselves better justice than they did at times today with the overall, complete, 90-minute performance.
Team: Ben Bottomley, Elliott Walker (Max Jemson), Nathan Dimou, Ben Blythe (C), Lewis Cunningham, Lirak Hasani, Will McGowan, Liam Ravenhill (Charlie Bell), Marius Conradi (Owan Derrett), Junior Smith (Luca Nelson), Jack Watson. Unused Sub: Kian Johnson.
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