When Bristol Rovers got relegated...

Bristol Rovers 0-1 Mansfield Town
Sky Bet League Two
Saturday 3rd May 2014

Ever heard the story about the time when a football club got relegated after losing to opponents who'd forgot to bring their own kit to play in?

This is another bizarre tale from my time at Mansfield Town.

In 2013/14, we were safe from relegation with a few weeks to spare with a record of Won 14, Drew 15, Lost 16 and by the final day, we couldn't get promoted either. The previous week we'd been walloped by a Torquay side who'd already been relegated - the players were in holiday mode and couldn't wait to be on the beach somewhere. We just had to fulfil the final few fixtures.

For Bristol Rovers, meanwhile, this was a massive final game.

They began the day in 22nd position (and, crucially, just outside the drop zone) having beaten relegation rivals Wycombe, the previous week. They had a three-point cushion on Wycombe and knew that to guarantee safety they only had to avoid a defeat to us. Simple, right?

As it transpired, Wanderers cruised to an easy win at Torquay and their result was never in doubt because they were a couple of goals up from very early on. Consequentially, it meant the pressure was substantially cranked up on the Gasheads to get the result they needed.

When we arrived at the Memorial Stadium, it was glorious weather; boiling hot sunshine and it was a carnivalesque atmosphere with a band playing on steel drums and hot food stalls just outside the ground. There were dozens of balloons around which had already been filled up - presumably for the party afterwards!

Clearly, whoever had authorised this b*llocks, thought it was going to be a stroll and Bristol Rovers couldn't possibly be relegated. Knowing our preparation had been crap - with players actually rejecting the chance of an overnight stay and knowing a few youth teamers would be involved for us, I'd have even tended to agree.

A home win was what I expected and it was hard to see anything but that happening.

However, the script didn't go to plan and, just like earlier the same afternoon when Paul Caddis struck in injury-time to save Birmingham from relegation to League One, it was an 'edge of your seat' type game that was bizarre and unpredictable.

The worst thing was that somehow our kit man forgot to bring the kit! I don't know how. He had one job, but the kit never made it to the team coach - and thus we had to go begging to Bristol Rovers to wear their away kit instead.

Remarkably, it wasn't the first time the same kit man had forgotten the kit that season as he left it behind for the away game at Torquay, only for a friend of one of the directors to rush it down the motorway in a race against time before kick-off.

Other than the kit fiasco, what I remember most about this day is the umpteen renditions of 'Goodnight Irene' which were passionately belted out on several occasions. It was a sell-out crowd and you could sense the expectancy amongst the home fans.

Despite Wycombe's good start in Devon, there was still a party-like atmosphere inside the Memorial Stadium and Bristol Rovers - with Tom Lockyer, Mark McChrystal, Kaid Mohamed, John O'Toole and some other respectable names for League Two level, got on top in the early stages. In all honesty, I thought it'd just be a matter of time until they broke the deadlock and, thereafter, it'd be a routine home win. Instead, Junior Daniel (now at Burton Albion) scored, completely against the run of play, just before half-time and the mood changed in an instant. It became edgy. It became quiet around the press box. It became tense. Everyone knew fine well that if things stayed as they were, the Gasheads were going down!

Nonetheless, even at this point and during discussions at half-time (during which there were more renditions of 'Goodnight Irene' and passionate 'pump up the crowd' type emotive pleas from the PA announcer), nobody expected Bristol Rovers to get relegated.

And, in any case, our players still looked like cheeky b*stards by wearing their kit and having the audacity to have somehow gone 1-0 up!

The second half DID follow the script as it proved to be a case of relentless pressure with loads of opportunities and Bristol Rovers dominated. We were forced back, they had set-piece after set-piece, put in cross after cross, someone hit the bar with a header and then O'Toole flashed an effort narrowly wide. Lewis Price, our 'keeper on loan from Crystal Palace, made two or three outstanding saves as well - the sort of saves which made you think 'we might just win this'. It was relentless pressure but the minutes were ticking down. Frustration was growing, nerves were frayed and with about 10 minutes to go, I swapped my 'amber and blue' tie for a 'blue and white' one in the press box - sensing that I might have my face redecorated, if the worst came to the worst.

The balloons at the back of the stand now looked absolutely stupid!

McChrystal then lashed a thunderous drive against the crossbar with about five minutes remaining in yet another attack which didn't bare fruit and, by now, it was dawning on everyone that this was serious sh*t and it wasn't going to be Rovers' day. To sum up the mood, some bloke turned round and started punching the wooden press box several times. I was glad I'd taken the tie off!

Strangely, though we'd been under pressure for the entire second period, we kept the ball brilliantly during the three or four minutes of injury-time. We stifled things, they couldn't get anywhere near us and Sam Clucas was winding them up.

The final whistle was met by silence. People were stunned. It was quiet. It was flat for a good 30 seconds. Disbelief, despair and shock then slowly turned into anger as our players trudged off and the pitch was soon filled with invaders - many of whom went straight for our fans whilst the others vented their fury towards the directors box.

It was the polar opposite of everything before the game. It was madness!

The police and stewards did a brilliant job of 'just about' keeping fans apart before the cavalry (quite literally) arrived and mounted police cleared the pitch. These shenanigans went on for a good 20-30 minutes afterwards and fans, very slowly, dwindled outside - though most sat in despair with their head in their hands for a good while.

As the bus we'd travelled down in had 'Mansfield Town FC' plastered on the side of it (absolutely brilliant if you want to discreetly escape), we received a police escort to the motorway to get us the hell out of the place as quickly as possible. We had plenty of 'eye balls' from fans who were roadside as we passed, whilst one or two d*ck heads at the ground behaved like idiots; including some tosser who wanted to stand infront of the bus to stop us leaving in a protest of some sort.

It was a fun day and I've not been back to the Memorial Stadium since, but Bristol Rovers escaped the Conference Premier by winning promotion at the first attempt, the following season.

Away shirt sales might have nosedived in the summer of 2014 for them, however, as a result of our kit man's f**k up!

Pitch invaders at full-time (Photo: Chris Holloway)

Stags players on the pitch ahead of proceedings.

The packed terrace full of Bristol Rovers fans!

Junior Daniel celebrates the opener - in Bristol Rovers' away strip! (Photo: Chris Holloway)

Liam Marsden holds off Kaid Mohamed (Photo: Liam Marsden)

Mansfield fans dressed up shortly before kick-off.

Bradford City (U18s) 0-3 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

Bradford City (U18s) 0-3 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)
Football League Youth Alliance
Saturday 23rd November 2019

Doncaster Rovers’ youth team maintained top spot in the Football League Youth Alliance as they cruised to a 3-0 victory at Bradford City.

In wet West Yorkshire weather, the lads displayed tremendous character and applied themselves brilliantly to deliver their best collective performance in weeks.

Junior Smith continued his eye-catching recent form by grabbing an opener in the early exchnges, before Jack Watson netted the pick of the goals with a nonchalant close-range flick on the half-hour mark.

Substitute Marius Conradi then struck within seconds of his introduction, to extinguish any hopes of a home comeback.

Rovers were dominant in all areas; teasing, tormenting and playing their frustrated counterparts off the park at times and could have won by a wider margin as they created more chances late on but were unable to convert them.

For the watching Paul Stancliffe and Gary McSheffrey on the sidelines, it was a morning filled with positives - not just due to what the lads did when they were in possession, but also because of their work-rate and application when they were without the ball.

The organisation, shape, structure and discipline was spot on, whilst the midfield trio of Charlie Bell, Lirak Hasani and Liam Ravenhill were superb driving forces and pivotal to this victory.

Without doubt, the task which the lads now have is to replicate this display in every game, keep up the good traits, maintain these high standards and prevent any complacency or carelessness from slipping back into performances.

Going into this contest, there were many lingering pre-match questions and, whatever happened on the pitch, it was going to reveal answers.

Would the lads be able to raise their game against opposition who beat them quite comfortably, earlier in the season? Would they be able to produce a team display better than other ones which they’ve delivered in recent weeks? Would they have the mental strength to overcome yet more rainy, cold and downright horrid weather and play well? Would they be able to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in, if it became a battle, and stamp their blueprint on proceedings?

Also, for the lads who've produced 'hit and miss' individual displays in recent weeks, would they be able to effect this game in a really positive way?

Two changes were made to the side which drew 2-2 at Chesterfield last week with Bell replacing Will McGowan in midfield and right-back Elliott Walker returning in place of Josh Clemitson, having served a one-match ban for picking up yellow cards too often.

McGowan’s absence also posed another question: how would the lads cope without their influential passing midfielder?

All of the questions were met with a resounding, positive and emphatic YES!

Only five minutes had been played when Rovers took the lead in bizarre fashion as a Bradford player, inexcusably, passed the ball straight to Owan Derrett who was lurking dangerously on the edge of the hosts' area. He immediately played it goalwards towards Smith and the second-year opened his body up brilliantly and subsequently slid a shot beyond the 'keeper and into the bottom-left corner.

It was the perfect start for the lads and they were 'in the wars' over the next few minutes as Bell, typically combative and full of energy, suffered a bloody nose. Watson also needed treatment in the centre circle as it was already quite a physical contest.

Rovers were moving the ball around well - creating space, finding it with through balls and running Bradford ragged (to an extent) with Hasani, in particular, standing out.

It was energetic and positive and two openings in quick succession were created; firstly as Derrett had the ball inside the box but couldn't get a shot away quickly enough and then, more dangerously, as Watson showed great strength to work his way inside before playing a teasing ball along the six-yard line though nobody was there to connect.

Smith then drew a good covering challenge in another foray forward, whilst Bell had a shot blocked too.

The Bantams were on the back-foot for the large periods and when they did have the ball, sometimes instigated their own problems by constantly trying to play out from the back.

However, they are a good passing side and they demonstrated this when Ben Bottomley was tested for the first time; standing firm to save a 20-yard drive which was straight at him following a good initial pass from the right-winger between Lewis Cunningham and Ben Blythe opened up the visitors' backline.

Rovers remained on top though and it was soon 2-0 thanks to a moment of sublime skill by Watson.

Cunningham's free-kick from the wide-right was cleared out to Walker on the same flank, and the right-back floated a sumptuous cross into that uncertain zone between defence and 'keeper. Watson, who'd timed his run perfectly, flicked the ball on the volley using his heel and it looped up over the 'keeper and nestled beautifully in the net.

Whether he meant it or not is open to debate but it was a 'sublime' finish in any case.

By this point, trailing 2-0 and being out-moved, out-thought and out-classed, Bradford were evidently becoming frustrated and they were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men when a blatant elbow on Ravenhill went unnoticed by both the referee and nearby linesman.

In fairness, the officials' general decision-making wasn't the best throughout the game - something which benefited both sides at different points.

Smith then saw an effort deflected wide as Doncaster threatened to bag a third goal, though it was the hosts who had the last opportunity of the first period with a free-kick which was routinely saved by Bottomley.

All Rovers needed to do in the second half was replicate their display from the opening 45 minutes and that's pretty much what they did.

Walker, Ravenhill and Smith linked up in a fine, free-flowing move which saw the latter of the trio draw a solid save from Bradford's 'keeper on 49 minutes, whilst Blythe went close with a set-piece header from a Walker delivery, just moments later.

It was evident by now that the third goal, whichever way it went, was going to have a big impact on the outcome.

A goal for Bradford would have issued them with a lifeline; a chance to seize the initiative, snatch the momentum and get back into things and on 55 minutes they came within a whisker of scoring as one of their frontmen twisted, turned and flashed a right-footed shot across the goalmouth but nobody was there to tap it home and it eventually drifted wide.

It was quite a significant let off and Donny soon took complete advantage of it by striking again to, essentially, put the result beyond any doubt.

Just three minutes after Cunningham curled a left-foot drive narrowly wide, Conradi came off the bench and was in the right place at the right time to latch onto Hasani's through ball and slot it past the 'keeper to make it 3-0.

The final half-hour or so passed without too much incident as Rovers made a plethora of changes to ensure those on the bench got game-time.

The lads continued to see plenty of the ball and would have scored again when more good pressing resulted in them winning the ball on edge of the hosts' box. It was quickly worked into the area where Conradi (in a great position to score) played a pass towards Derrett which just lacked accuracy, otherwise it would have been an easy finish.

Ravenhill also curled a drive just wide of the target whilst Smith had a penalty appeal, oddly waved away, despite a clear foul in the area. Luca Nelson also pressed and probed in his cameo appearance as Bradford found themselves under relentless pressure.

At the opposite end, the closest the hosts' went to a consolation was with a quarter-of-an-hour to go when a set-piece was straight at Bottomley.

Ultimately, there were to be no further goals but standards remained high from every Donny player through five minutes of injury-time and all the way up to the final whistle. It had been an exceptionally good performance with each of the pre-match questions answered in the best possible, most positive manner.

Individually, each of the lads did well - some more than others but every player stepped up and played a part in this success.

Ben Bottomley, whilst not having the busiest of games, just did what he had to do by saving three shots. It was a solid enough display, a well-deserved clean-sheet and one which will improve his end of season statistics.

At left-back, Lewis Cunningham delivered a much better performance than last week. He took time to almost relax into things, but once he did, he looked composed and it didn't seem as though he'd get caught out in any way. He got forward more, had a shot too (which is rare) and seemingly grew with confidence. Work is, however, still needed on that left-sided understanding with Junior Smith; things such as when Junior should make a run and whether it's going to be a short, long or floated ball, into feet or over the top, etc.

Nathan Dimou and Ben Blythe were fine and they're clearly a good defensive pairing with a decent understanding. Dimou appeared cool under pressure and didn't do anything wrong apart from one occasion just before half-time when he cheaply gave the ball away (despite having options available) and it could have led to a quick counter-attack. However, he was immediately back 'in position' to stop any overload - thus meaning the defensive shape couldn't be pierced and what looked initially to be a potentially threatening situation just petered out to nothing. It was a good recovery after a mistake. Blythe, alongside him, had his usual 'solid' game with a bit less of the work to do.

At right-back, Elliott Walker got forward well, got an assist and looked assured in the position. He constantly caused problems in an attacking-sense by finding space to creep into, thus stretching the defence, and was involved in some good moves.

In midfield, Lirak Hasani had one of the best games which I've seen in a while. His strength meant that Bradford's players could barely knock him off the ball, and his passing and involvement in many moves was excellent. He was at the heart of most things.

Liam Ravenhill applied himself extremely well, got whacked in the 'elbow' incident but didn't wimp out of anything. He got stuck in - especially late on when he made a full-blooded, committed tackle and cleanly won the ball and played a key part.

Charlie Bell, likewise, was just as combative - providing energy and was like an angry Jack Russell; nipping at the ankles, making tackles and stifling things. His positional sense was usually decent and he afforded the opposition nothing. It was a good performance - even though he was lucky to avoid a yellow card until past the hour mark. With Will McGowan absent, he needed to step and deliver such a display to catch the eye and did just that.

In attack, Junior Smith scored again and posed problems and it was a continuation of quite a few decent individual performances in recent weeks. Jack Watson delivered a strong performance and 'bullied' the defence a bit with his movement and technique - the best example being when he cut in across the byline and flashed a ball across the box. It was his best game in a few weeks and the goal (sublime, fortuitous - decide for yourself) should help his confidence.

Finally, Owan Derrett got an assist and maybe on a different day would have scored. He's definitely added something to the frontline in recent games, having waited for an opportunity for much of the season up to now, and probably the next task for him is to deliver a big individual display, score a goal and announce his arrival in that sense.

Of the substitutes, Marius Conradi scored one, should have got another, but it's another decent display as he made an impression last week when he was used in a similar way. Luca Nelson was full of energy - running, chasing things, etc, and was involved in the physical aspects of the game straight away and it didn't phase him whatsoever. Josh Clemitson, coming on at right-back, and Max Jemson (at centre-back) did okay, though they weren't really on the pitch for long enough to make a major impression.

Going back to what I said earlier, this victory - and more the performance, answered every one of the pre-match questions in emphatic style. The lads had to step up against good opponents; they did just that and it was the best collective display in weeks.

A benchmark, therefore, has been quite clearly set.

Certain standards and levels must be maintained, if not improved upon, in the weeks ahead. This type of performance has to become the minimum requirement every week, because the lads have proved they're capable of delivering it.

If they can replicate it over and over again, then there's going to be more days which are rich with positives and encouraging for the future.

Team: Ben Bottomley, Elliott Walker (Josh Clemitson), Ben Blythe (C), Nathan Dimou (Max Jemson), Lewis Cunningham, Lirak Hasani (Luca Nelson), Charlie Bell, Liam Ravenhill, Owan Derrett, Jack Watson (Marius Conradi), Junior Smith. Unused Sub: Kian Johnson.

Doncaster Rovers 2-0 AFC Wimbledon

Doncaster Rovers 2-0 AFC Wimbledon
FA Cup First Round Replay
Tuesday 19th November 2019

Despite being in the twilight years of his career, James Coppinger proved yet again how invaluable he is to Doncaster Rovers by scoring one and bagging an assist in this FA Cup win over AFC Wimbledon.

The veteran turned on the style as he showed lovely composure and technique to burst through, fool the defender, and slot home for the opener just after half-time, before he turned provider as Rakish Bingham bagged a second goal.

It was a comfortable success for Darren Moore's side and only a couple of fantastic blocks on the line in the closing stages denied them a wider margin of victory.

That said, it may have been an altogether different story had Wimbledon capitalised on a sluggish, rusty and lethargic first 45 minutes by the hosts. They carved out some good openings; none more so than when an unmarked Kwesi Appiah struck the post with the goal gaping!

The Dons should have made their pressure pay, didn't do, and subsequently got punished. I've little sympathy for any team that doesn't take their chances when they're on top.

Given it was bitingly cold inside the stadium; undoubtedly the coldest night so far this winter, and with a slightly lower than usual crowd also meaning it was quite drafty in the West Stand, it's fair to say that most folk were happy that extra-time and penalties weren't needed.

A lot of criticism fell Seny Dieng's way during the course of the match for playing the ball short too often - thus making it predictable for the opposition.

Whilst I can understand the reasoning behind some of the critical comments (and actually believe that a bit variation to stop the opposition from 'second-guessing' what you're going to do isn't a bad thing), it's not as if this current Rovers side is full of personnel that suit a more 'direct' approach.

In the rare instances when Dieng or others did choose to go long, often the ball just came straight back as quite a few duels from downfield kicks either weren't won at all, or weren't won effectively enough.

I don't expect things to change because it's not universally popular amongst supporters and I admire the manager for sticking to his philosophies.

On a personal level, this FA Cup replay - something which I was very thankful for when the initial tie in South London ended in a 1-1 draw, means that I've now watched 968 competitive professional games in the United Kingdom.

Last season's FA Cup replay with Chorley at exactly the same stage was my 900th game and from that point up until the end of the season, I managed to fit in another 33 games.

So, unless Diane Abbott does the maths, there's every possibility in my mind that I could reach the 1,000 milestone by the time this season draws to its conclusion.

Doncaster Rovers (U23s) 1-1 Scunthorpe United (U23s)

Doncaster Rovers (U23s) 1-1 Scunthorpe United (U23s)
Central League
Tuesday 19th November 2019

Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at a freezing cold Cantley Park.

Rieves Boocock's early opener gave Rovers the lead, but despite this the hosts were on the back foot for the majority of proceedings and only remained infront thanks to a string of saves by Kian Johnson, coupled with many defensive blocks and also some poor finishing by Scunthorpe's attackers.

The Iron eventually forced an equaliser with less than a quarter-of-an-hour to go when Lewis Butroid headed in following a right-sided cross by the impressive John McAtee.

Despite creating one or two further chances in the closing minutes, the visitors couldn't force the ball home again and they'll undoubtedly be frustrated not to have won.

Initially, this fixture was meant to be played in Scunthorpe but was switched to Cantley Park only yesterday as a consequence of the recent weather. Although there was no rain at all during the game, a combination of overnight frost and a lunchtime start, meant that it was bitingly cold throughout the contest.

Scunthorpe named a more experienced line-up; their side containing just one youth-team scholar in centre-back Charlie Barks and a few others on the periphery of their first team. Rovers, meanwhile, opted to field five current youth team players, three first-year professionals, and a trialist who went by the name of Vinnie Steels.

The referee, Dane McCarrick, was the same official who dished out seven yellow cards in the 6-2 win over Huddersfield Town a fortnight ago - though today he opted to keep his cards in his pocket and only blow for the most crystal clear of fouls.

In what seemed like freezing conditions, Scunthorpe began well and carved out their first of several chances when Reon Potts arrowed a shot over the woodwork inside the opening five minutes, after some good build up play involving John McAtee and Andy Dales.

Tom Pugh then had an effort blocked moments later whilst McAtee, who was at the heart of many visiting attacks, was also narrowly off-target with a shot.

Surprisingly, Rovers sprung away and opened the scoring on eight minutes with Harrison Myring getting into space on the right channel and cutting a perfect ball back to Rieves Boocock, who slotted calmly into the bottom corner from inside the area.

Despite taking the lead, it was Scunny who began to really enjoy success in the midfield area. They soon enjoyed a sustained 90-second spell of possession which forced Rovers back, but the lads kept their shape extremely well to see out the danger.

That was just one instance, however, and on the quarter-hour mark McAtee went close again - drawing a save from Kian Johnson with a low shot. Then, under a minute later, the same player went even closer - curling a 25-yard free-kick over the defensive wall which clipped the 'keepers right-hand post after Blaney was penalised for a foul.

With Rovers starting to appear a bit ragged and losing shape, Blaney then made a timely block when Jake Bedeau skipped Ben Blythe's challenge to get into a shooting position. From the resulting corner, McAtee rose highest but despite being afforded a free-header, he couldn't direct it on target and it remained 1-0.

Although the Iron didn't carve out any further openings of note by the half-hour mark, they were still looking very positive in their general play and were tactically on top.

Nevertheless, Rovers soon enjoyed a couple of quick chances as Barks was forced to block an effort by Myring, whilst a teasing corner by the trialist caught the wind and ricocheted off the woodwork before it was hacked away by a visiting player towards the byline where Branden Horton clumsily committed a foul and was fortunate to escape a yellow card.

From the resulting kick, the ball was played long towards the box where it was flicked on and Johnson made an instinctive save with his feet. Seconds later, the young 'keeper then held a powerful 20-yard pot-shot from Lewis Butroid.

The visitors were now clearly back on top with Rovers needing to regroup a bit, and the lively McAtee was the next to go close on 34 minutes; again though Johnson was equal to the attempt and used his feet once more to deflect the ball wide of the target.

An equaliser seemed inevitable and the Iron were handed the perfect chance to equalise only two minutes later when some quick, clever and incisive football led to Potts being played clean through, only to be felled on the edge of the six-yard box by Johnson.

It was a definite spot-kick and one where the young 'keeper, remarkably, came out on top - denying Potts, who stepped up to take responsibility, by diving low to his right to make a save.

Nobody on the sidelines quite knew just how Donny still led, such was Scunny's dominance of matters in the middle. However, it was the hosts who enjoyed the last chance prior to the interval and they came within a whisker of making it 2-0 as Blaney struck the post following a cross into the area from out wide.

Both teams made changes at half-time with Myron Gibbons introduced for Boocock for Doncaster, whilst Potts was replaced by youth team striker Harry Jessop for Scunthorpe. Meanwhile, Rovers also changed shape in a bid to negate the visitors' dominance and to prevent being as over-run as much in midfield.

That said, the second half was still pretty much a continuation of the first 45 minutes as McAtee was again the chief instigator in causing problems and he just lacked accuracy with his shots.

On 52 minutes, the undisputed overall 'Man of the Match' linked up well with Mason O'Malley and peeled into space on the edge of the area though his subsequent attempt was a scuff-shot and didn't trouble Johnson in the slightest.

Defenders Ben Blythe, Blaney (twice) and Elliott Walker all made important blocks in quite quick succession as Rovers' rearguard remained strong though McAtee squandered yet another opportunity with a wild and woeful effort from a tight angle, having initially done brilliantly to carve his way into a shooting position from near to the byline.

A few minutes shy of the hour mark, Rovers made a double change with midfielders Will McGowan and Cody Prior replacing Myring and Steels, respectively.

The substitutions meant another tactical shuffle in shape and, though it helped, Scunny remained a constant threat and finally registered another effort on target when Jessop rose highest to meet McAtee's right-wing cross, but Johnson got down low at his far-post to make a save.

No player deserved to equalise more than McAtee and he got even closer to making it 1-1 on 69 minutes with a swerving strike which cannoned off the post and was fortuitously knocked behind at the expense of a corner by Johnson. The Iron playmaker screamed in total frustration as he was doing everything right apart from having an end product.

Rovers' right-back Walker twice nearly proved to be an unlikely scorer as there was some rare action at the other end of the pitch. Having ventured forward down the channel and into a great position, he shanked his first effort disappointingly wide from just inside the box, but connected more firmly to a second pass he received minutes later - drawing a strong save from Iron 'keeper Adam Kelsey.

Sandwiched between Walker's two shots, McAtee (who else) had yet another effort at the other end... and yet again, it was off-target!

With less than a quarter-of-an-hour to go, there was a brief stoppage when Blaney received treatment for a head injury. Rovers were a bit slow to switch on when play resumed and as a consequence, it led to the visitors netting a long-awaited and richly-deserved equaliser.

A contentious drop ball was won by the visitors and it was immediately knocked out to McAtee in a wide-right position who showed more silky footwork and movement, then delivered a teasing high ball towards Butroid who headed past Johnson from close-range.

It was a sloppy, poor and disappointing goal to concede, but it had been an awfully long time in coming and the visitors totally deserved to be on level terms.

Only two minutes later, the turnaround would have been completed had Jessop not spurned a golden one-on-one with Johnson having been played through by McAtee, in a breakaway attack which came about after Blaney drifted forward and sloppy misplaced an intended pass.

Blaney was then in the thick of the action with five minutes remaining as he got up high on the edge of the six-yard box to meet McGowan's out-swinging free-kick from the right-side, but the Irishman couldn't get his header on target.

In a finale every bit as frantic as the rest of the game, McAtee drew a save from Johnson and Gibbons went close for Rovers yet despite the fast-paced and energetic nature of things, there were no further goals and the teams had to settle for a share of the points.

In reflection, it's absolutely undeniable that Scunthorpe were the better team, utterly dominant in the middle of the park and a fair reflection of the game would have been an away victory by a few goals.

Nevertheless, drawing on the positives this experience will be beneficial to some of the younger lads such as Lirak Hasani and Liam Ravenhill in the longer-term, it was also a very good defensive test in a 'proper' game situation and it's better to have challenges like this one rather than cosy games where sometimes things can be too easy.

From a performance perspective, in my view, it did improve in the last half-hour or so - shortly after Will McGowan and Cody Prior came on and when a diamond midfield formation was implemented to contain and combat Scunthorpe. If the game was split into three parts, the last half-hour would definitely be the most positive one.

Individually, Kian Johnson had yet another good game between the sticks to follow up some other impressive performances in recent weeks. He displayed confidence again, made saves to keep the scoreline down and also had to take a ridiculous amount of goal-kicks as it was that type of game where the ball was never too far away from him. It's another challenging test for him considering he's only just turned 17, and fair play, he's again risen to it and done well.

At the back, skipper Shane Blaney had a mixed game, on the whole. He made two or three crucial blocks at times to thwart opponents and performed well in that respect. On the flip side though, there were also two (maybe three) set-plays where the marking was awry and it led to opponents having 'free headers' on goal.

In my view it's the captain's responsibility to organise the defence as much as possible and there were times when some harsh words were needed to maintain high standards. He's definitely got good leadership qualities and was showing a positive aggressive presence, communicating and leading well, on several other occasions.

In terms of physical strength, compared to very early games in the season he's getting better and that's a positive.

When he's got the ball at his feet, he looks composed and calm, not flustered in any way, and he isn't afraid of carrying it forward. Ironically, he did it really well at one point in the closing stages but then, carelessly, misplaced a pass which led to a two-on-one counter-attack and a gilt-edged miss by Harry Jessop who should have scored. In a stadium environment, some idiots would slaughter a player for such a 'mistake' but it was just a bad pass. Actual credit has to be given for displaying the capability to drive forward with the ball in the first instance.

On the whole, he's still a work in progress... but there is clear progress and hopefully he can keep it up!

Ben Blythe, playing alongside him, will definitely learn plenty and that's as beneficial to his progress as are tests like this where the ball is coming back so fast because things are being over-run in the midfield. It's just a case of staying focused, learning, developing and there wasn't anything that seemed to daunt him - despite some really good opposition players causing chaos.

It was pleasing to see Elliott Walker supplementing attacks more so than in a lot of recent games. He did it well in August's games, has plenty to offer in an attacking sense and today, when moves did break down (quite frequently), he was quickly dropping back in to make sure that the shape was as good as possible. Branden Horton, at left-back, was challenged but had good positional sense for long chunks and like the others, tests like these are welcome as they're going to improve defensive players when their capabilities/limitations are pushed as much as possible.

The game was dictated in midfield and, as touched on, Scunthorpe completely, 100%, dominated in this area. That's where they got all their success and it was only when there was a change in shape to a diamond formation that it looked to become more bearable - prior to that it was just a constant case of needing to keep shape and be disciplined whilst Scunthorpe saw all of the ball and created things.

Liam Ravenhill struggled to impose himself on the game - but given his youthfulness, this will help his development. Lirak Hasani got better as the game progressed, whilst Will McGowan and Cody Prior's introduction was a mini changing-point as it allowed the lads to function better as a team.

The trialist, Vinnie Steels, showed a couple of nice touches and neat footwork but his display wasn't anything to rave about and it'd be unfair to judge him solely on a game like this.

Whilst there were several attack-minded players on the pitch at different stages, it wasn't really a day for attackers. Rieves Boocock scored and took his goal well, which is fair enough, but had in and out periods. He cut a frustrated figure as did Max Watters who was isolated quite a few times during the first 45 minutes as the team were pushed back. Harrison Myring got an assist but wasn't greatly effective otherwise, whilst Myron Gibbons came on and had 45 minutes where he got a shot away but again was isolated quite a bit due to the nature of what was occurring further down the pitch.

The team probably missed AJ Greaves who was part of the first team squad for the FA Cup game against AFC Wimbledon. He, potentially, would have been the battling dynamo that would have put tackles in, stifled things and not let Scunthorpe dictate. That type of player, also with a bit more experience compared to Ravenhill and Hasani, was what was sorely needed in the middle to stop wave after wave of relentless, intense pressure.

Team: Kian Johnson, Elliott Walker, Shane Blaney (C), Ben Blythe, Branden Horton, Liam Ravenhill, Harrison Myring (Will McGowan), Lirak Hasani, Max Watters, Rieves Boocock (Myron Gibbons), Vinnie Steels (Cody Prior). Unused Subs: Ben Bottomley, Nathan Dimou.