Notts County (U18s) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

Notts County (U18s) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)
Football League Youth Alliance
Saturday 31st October 2020

Doncaster Rovers exercised a ghost of yesteryear as Alex Wolny’s dramatic injury-time winner ensured it was a ‘Happy Halloween’ visit to Notts County. 

On a saturated pitch where Rovers’ youth team title hopes once went up in smoke, this time it was the hosts who were left having nightmares by how they managed to be beaten.

A point apiece would have been a fair outcome; both sides had spells on top at different points only to then be guilty of not converting chances when they were created.

Rovers twice hit the post through Will Hollings and Charlie Bell during a goalless first 45 minutes whilst Notts were also wasteful from their own openings at the other end.

It was Sam Geeves who eventually broke the deadlock in County’s favour when he found the bottom corner following a corner shortly after the re-start and that 1-0 lead would have been extended further had two chances in quick succession not gone begging.

The misses (as predicted at the time) proved crucial because Rovers soon levelled thanks to a scrappy goal which both Owan Derrett and Corie Cole were claiming afterwards.

A draw looked increasingly likely from this point until deep into injury-time when Wolny headed home after some great work by Tom Henson to spark jubilant scenes and earn the lads their second three points in the Football League Youth Alliance (North-East Division) this season.

It means Donny are now three games unbeaten in competitive action heading into next week’s FA Youth Cup tie away to Coventry Sphinx which may, or may not, take place - who knows?

Anyway, the game began amidst a heavy autumnal feel. The weather conditions were challenging due to a cross-field wind and driving rain, whilst one side of the grass pitch adjacent to the dugouts was littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of golden leaves that had fallen from the nearby trees.

Though Notts initially adapted the better of the two teams to begin with - forcing three corners inside the opening 10 minutes (two of which were dealt with by Max Jemson), it was Rovers who had the first proper chance. A right-wing cross was scuffed by Luca Nelson on the edge of the box in a central position but the ball fell nicely for Will Hollings, located just behind him, and his sweetly struck came back into play off the inside of the post before the defence scrambled away the danger.

The Magpies were on top, to a degree, and soon squandered a gilt-edged chance. A long free-kick was played into the box from both wide and deep on the right flank and it was headed across goal towards the opposite post where a County player somehow blazed it aimlessly over the top. Rovers’ defence had been caught out, unquestionably, and at a bare minimum the shot should have been on target.

The miss was a significant let off and it provoked a positive response by Rovers who soon went equally as close when Henson slipped Nelson through and under pressure his low shot was smothered by an advancing ‘keeper. The subsequent rebound almost spun straight into the path of Derrett before a hurried attempted clearance went straight to Nelson on the edge of the box and his second effort trickled just inches wide of the post.

More pressure followed as Lewis Cunningham’s left-footed, curling free-kick from out on the right flank caught the wind and had to be watched carefully by the home ‘keeper in order to avoid any embarrassment.

By the half-hour mark, although there had been scrappy and niggly exchanges, Rovers were beginning to get on top and play the better football in bits and pieces. Cunningham was enjoying lots of space and freedom down the left flank because his marker seemingly wanted to do anything but mark him, yet the lads’ ball retention needed improvement as too many direct balls from the back were being given too easily to the opposition.

Notts, however, enjoyed the next opportunity as a quick throw, in line with the edge of the area, ended with a striker unleashing a powerful effort which went straight into the arms of Ben Bottomley.

With half-time looming, Bell’s tenacity almost paid off as he came within a whisker of firing Doncaster ahead. The midfielder received possession around 25 yards out, looked up and hit a low drive which caught a slight deflection and cannoned back off the post. It was unlucky, and no one could quite react quickly enough to follow-up on the rebound as the hosts breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Jemson then underlined his defensive contribution with an important block in one move in first half stoppage-time before he also headed away the danger just moments later as the scoreline remained goalless.

In the early stages of the second half, Notts had what was undoubtedly their best of pressure and the opening goal arrived on 52 minutes when an outswinging corner wasn’t dealt with and the ball dropped inside the box for Geeves whose low stab-shot towards Bottomley’s bottom-left corner possibly went through Cunningham’s legs and into the back of the net.

Now leading, County were keen to further build up a head of steam and get a second goal but instead, they wasted two golden chances in quick succession - misses which would ultimately prove critical!

When Bottomley dived at the feet of a Magpies player who’d broken through there was a fear he might invite contact and concede a penalty. As it happened, he reached the ball first though it squirmed away from his grasp and towards an opponent located deep on the byline inside the area. With no realistic angle to shoot and the ‘keeper scampering back to where his covering defenders were, the ball was played invitingly to a team-mate in a much better position before the eventual shot, under pressure, somehow went wide.

Rovers were living very dangerously and rode their luck further on the hour mark when a Notts corner was met by a free header on the edge of the six-yard box but with the goal gaping again, the ball went over.

It was evident by this point that something had to change and Paul Stancliffe soon turned to his substitutes as Dan Wilds and Alex Wolny were introduced for Hollings and Nelson, respectively, whilst skipper Ethan Bojang was also replaced by Michael Nesbitt with around 20 minutes remaining.

The lads now began to ask questions of their own and Derrett almost created something when some good work on the right culminated in an attempted ball towards the near-post, but a Magpies defender slid in to make a vital interception before the danger was cleared away.

However, the pressure resulted in an equaliser on 73 minutes.

Derrett, again, was strongly involved because it was his initial teasing ball across the face of goal which just evaded Wolny, though the move was kept alive by Cunningham. He recycled it with an equally-inviting second ball across the face of goal where Derrett’s glancing touch took it goalwards and Cole was on-hand to convert from point-blank range.

Both players were claiming the goal afterwards and even having consulted with the ‘Dubious Goals Panel’ (otherwise known as a vote on Instagram) even that finished 50/50. There’s little doubt the ball was going in anyway, irrespective of Cole’s touch though that probably did take it over the line for sure!

Buoyed at being back level, Rovers now added Tavonga Kuleya for the final quarter-of-an-hour or so and he made an immediate impact through his quick pace and persistence. He twice got beyond Notts’ backline and on the first occasion he turned on the accelerators to carry the ball from just beyond the halfway line, but wasn’t quite able to release a pass to Wolny who was galloping alongside him in arguably a more promising position which meant the danger petered out.

Just minutes later, his persistence ensured he got through again and this time from deep inside the box on the inside-right, he did pick out Wolny who flashed a shot narrowly wide before letting out a frustrated scream as he knew he should have done better with it.

Bottomley and Nesbitt then both received a yellow card in the closing minutes after some ‘argy-bargy’ shenanigans inside the Doncaster area. It started after the ‘keeper reacted to a player leaving his foot in on him long after the ball had gone, but it was quickly dealt with by the referee.

In honesty, the Magpies had more of the territorial pressure during the closing quarter-hour whereas Rovers had created the better opening but been unable to convert them. It seemed as though both sides would be forced to settle for a point apiece until the lads launched one final attack during the fourth minute of injury-time when the whistle seemed imminent.

The move began from the back as Bottomley’s kick towards halfway was deftly brought down courtesy of a fantastic first-time touch by Josh Clemitson who’d been operating in midfield since Nesbitt’s introduction. He sprayed the ball out towards Cunningham, high up on the left channel, who then won (and took) a throw-in. Literally seconds remained, and the ball was quickly worked to Henson whose neat, nifty and direct running resulted in him getting into the box where he stood a perfect cross up for Wolny who headed it beyond the despairing ‘keeper and into the bottom-right corner.

It was harsh on the hosts given it was virtually the last action but delightful to see Rovers’ entire squad sprint down the touchline to join in the celebrations!

The referee (sporting the world's worst hairstyle - so I hope he's got an hairdressers appointment booked in the next few days) consequentially opted to add on some more time during which there were a couple of throw-ins following the re-start, albeit no further goalmouth action as Donny’s defence stayed solid to get the win.

Overall, it was a dramatic win (and there’s no better way to win a game - or a worse way to lose) but probably a draw would have been a fair outcome. Notts will certainly look back at their misses when the score was 1-0 and wonder ‘What If?’ and likewise, if they hadn’t won, Rovers would have been ruing their own missed chances.

Across the team, there were some good displays. Max Jemson deserves a mention as he made several blocks and used his aerial presence extremely well in this game to head away the danger on half a dozen occasions, whilst Tom Henson performed admirably, got an assist and should be applauded. Top boy!

The lads had to battle at times - it wasn’t easy, it was often scrappy, tough, tenacious and niggly. Sometimes, they conceded the ball too cheaply and made life difficult for themselves - especially by conceding the first goal. Perhaps a better team would have punished them more for their mistakes?

There’s no doubt the more impressive, more fluid team display (certainly from a passing perspective) was against Preston North End in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup last week. Nevertheless, they’ve got the job done and can use it as momentum to go into what will be a tough game against Coventry Sphinx in the FA Youth Cup next week.

That’s if, of course, the game is played… although a second lockdown has possibly come at the perfect time for one or two Notts County players who were ‘debating’ the defeat afterwards!

Team: Ben Bottomley, Tom Henson, Max Jemson, Josh Clemitson, Lewis Cunningham, Will Hollings (Dan Wilds), Charlie Bell, Ethan Bojang (C) (Michael Nesbitt (C)), Owan Derrett (Tavonga Kuleya), Corie Cole, Luca Nelson (Alex Wolny). Unused Sub: Luke Chadwick.