Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Blackpool

Doncaster Rovers 0-1 Blackpool
Sky Bet League One
Tuesday 17th September 2019

Despite the scoreline courtesy of Arnand Gnanduillet's late header, I actually quite enjoyed this game as it involved two decent teams.

Blackpool were just about the better side; big, strong and direct when they needed to be but also sensible on the ball, and although they were a bit blunt going forward, their eventual injury-time winner will give them a big confidence boost.

If they can 'kick on' from this point and put a run together, which they're more than capable of doing, then there's absolutely no reason why they won't be challenging for a return to the Championship come the end of the season.

Donny, on the other hand, didn't play as well as they have done in their previous home games yet still had enough chances to bag all three points.

Rovers' ball retention and decision-making wasn't great at various points and too often 'trying to play through the middle' just ended up with possession being conceded when balls out wide to the usually over-lapping full-backs (Brad Halliday and Reece James) may have posed more danger - even if there was a clear lack of height in the frontmen when balls did go into the box.

However, in the second half, Rovers posed problems and had momentum in the final minutes with James Coppinger's introduction for the unusually quiet Kieran Sadlier being a notable point where things took a turn for the better.

Had Niall Ennis not been unlucky with an effort which was brilliantly blocked after he expertly latched onto a long ball and rounded the 'keeper, then I suspect the 'doom mongers' might not have been so vociferous in their post-match reflections of 'It was sh*t, terrible. awful' etc.

The negativity afterwards was just a knee-jerk reaction to Blackpool snatching the points in injury-time with a fantastic breakaway counter-attack goal.

Once things have been dissected properly, some folk may come to realise that the visitors are a very good side who were pretty much nullified for the 90 minutes whilst Rovers are quite young and inexperienced in comparison. It also has to be remembered, that up to now Darren Moore's players have performed to a very high standard (possibly above expectations) and this is just a setback which they'll be able to learn plenty from.

On a pleasant enough evening at the Keepmoat Stadium weather-wise, the first half saw Blackpool have vastly superior possession and create one or two openings, but Rovers lurked and loitered with intent, too, and both teams cancelled each other out very effectively.

The first goalmouth action came around the half-hour mark when Ryan Hardie's goalbound shot drew a fantastic save from Ian Lawlor, whilst Joe Nuttall was unlucky not to properly latch onto of a long downfield ball before a separate attempt went straight at Lawlor a few minutes later.

At the other end, the closest Rovers came was when Sadlier ventured forward with the ball at his feet and let fly with an attempt which drifted low and wide.

Shortly after the re-start, Donny went close to breaking the deadlock when Ben Whiteman's low drive drew a full-stretch save from Jak Alnwick which bizarrely was somehow missed by the officials, and a goal-kick was awarded!

Naturally, Rovers fans weren't happy with this clear and obvious error and they were soon up off their feet complaining again when Ennis was penalised for a full-stretch foul on a Blackpool player when both were attempting to get to a long ball first.

The natives thought it should have been a free-kick to Rovers and the referee was having a 'nightmare', yet in reality (and not through the eyes of a blinkered fan), the Wolves loanee was lucky not to get a yellow card as some officials could have interpreted his challenge as dangerous play, but instead Anthony Coggins just talked to him.

Later in the game, Ennis had a coming together with another player inside the Seasiders' six-yard box, but again the referee sensibly chose to speak to both men as opposed to flashing cards about like Messers Kettle, Drysdale, Salisbury, Ilderton, etc, would have done.

Therefore, whilst referees/officials do make mistakes; the obvious example being the goal-kick given after Alnwick's diving save, they do also deserve a bit of credit where it's due for having an understanding of the game.

Anyway, Blackpool squandered a glorious chance presented to them on a silver plateau at the midway point in the second period when Hardie seized upon a sloppy, careless pass by Lawlor to have a one-on-one with the Donny 'keeper, who atoned for his error with a save.

It was a chance out of absolutely nothing and had the ball gone in the back of the net, Lawlor would have no doubt been lambasted for his error!

Rovers, who'd had more of the ball in the second half, themselves nearly made a breakthrough on 71 minutes when Ennis peeled off the shoulder of his marker, to get clear, rounded the 'keeper but saw his attempt blocked as Blackpool's defence was cut open.

Coppinger was then introduced to give Donny some fresh impetus whilst Simon Grayson's side made two changes of their own ahead of the last quarter-hour with Sulley Kaikai and Gnanduillet altering their attacking threat.

Rovers were pressing more by now as Blackpool by now seemed content to hold out for a point and although there were one or two corners and long-throws and Halliday posed a threat on the right flank and linked up well with Coppinger, there were no more clear-cut opportunities.

Instead, in injury-time, the Seasiders seized upon a sloppy pass to launch a counter-attack down their right flank before a ball was whipped in to Gnanduillet who did everything perfectly with his header to send it past Lawlor and give the visitors the three points.

It was a great example of counter-attacking football, even if Reece James should have 'took one for the team' and fouled his marker to stop his marker breaking away to a position where he could deliver a ball into the box.