Carling Cup Memories (Part 3)

When Doncaster Rovers were drawn against Gillingham in the Carling Cup Third Round, it wasn't quite the exciting tie which many fans had hoped for.

Following the dramatic penalty shoot-out success over Manchester City in the previous round on an occasion where Jan Budtz became an instant club legend, most supporters had eyes on a glamorous away day against one of the Premier League's big boys.

Would it be a trip to Manchester United or one to the capital to face maybe Chelsea, or Arsenal who were playing in their last season at Highbury? Or would Liverpool, Everton or another 'big' established club be heading to South Yorkshire trying to avoid a banana skin?

A home tie against Coca-Cola League One rivals Gillingham, therefore, wasn't quite what anyone had in mind - though it did at least represent a seriously good opportunity to progress further in the competition and ensure excitement levels increased by a few more notches.

And it was also a chance for Leo Fortune-West, on the front cover of the matchday programme, to get one over on his old employers!

By the time the fixture came around, Rovers' form could best be described as 'hit and miss'. There had been a noticeable improvement on the pitch after an extremely slow-start to the campaign which saw Dave Penney's side initially prop up the division, though a superb 2-0 downing of high-flying Southend United was sandwiched between away defeats at Bournemouth and Walsall.

Gillingham, however, weren't exactly anything spectacular. They'd won just once away from the Priestfield Stadium over the previous calendar year so there were genuine reasons to be optimistic. 

Trevor Kettle's appointment as referee (given his usual low standards) ensured there would be more than an element of unpredictably about what might happen during the game, whilst horrendous heavy rain for over an hour beforehand and miserably cold weather throughout ensured it'd be a night where the team who battled more strongly would likely come out on top.

As it was, Rovers put in a determined showing and had their opponents penned back for long periods even though it seemed at times that a goal might never arrive.

A fledgling James Coppinger, still yet to score since his arrival a year earlier, couldn't find the target with a couple of early openings and Paul Heffernan went close as Gillingham were forced to weather both the torrential downpour and Rovers' storming start.

Neale Cooper's team creates chances of their own though as both Jon Wallis and Steven Hislop went close, whilst Matt Jarvis bent a shot narrowly wide after the interval.

However, it was Rovers who attacked more menacingly, probed and looked stronger - applying pressure which culminated in a rewarding finale. With extra-time looming, Sean Thornton and Lewis Guy combined on the edge of the visitors' box before the latter floated a teasing cross towards Heffernan whose glancing low header crept beyond the 'keeper.

Gillingham's travelling fans, soaked to the skin on the Rossington End behind the goal, looked crestfallen and their low mood was compounded when Heffernan worked his way into the box and bagged a second goal in injury-time after some neat footwork.

As Tony Christie's 'Amarillo' played aloud after the final whistle, the rhetorical question of 'Who do you want in the next round?' was at the front of every Rovers supporter's lips!

It would be Aston Villa...