Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 0-1 Grimsby Town (U18s)

Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 0-1 Grimsby Town (U18s)

Football League Youth Alliance

Saturday 30th January 2021

Having seen the footage, here are some thoughts on the latest youth team game...

Doncaster Rovers' frustrating start to the new year continued as they were beaten 1-0 by Grimsby Town in a clash played on the 4G pitch adjacent the Keepmoat Stadium.

In what was a game of extremely few chances, the decisive moment occurred on 54 minutes from a move which initially started deep inside the Mariners' own half. A ball was played down the left-flank and an attacker got the better of his marker, turned, continued into the box and retained his composure to squeeze his shot past Luke Chadwick.

Sadly, Donny weren't able to muster up any sort of meaningful response despite having a decent spell of pressure/possession in the final 20 minutes.

Lewis Cunningham's set-pieces into the box were 'hit and miss' throughout but from open play very little was created as the visitors' backline, including one centre-back who was wearing protective headgear, showed assurance in dealing with what they were required to - meaning the 'keeper behind them had nothing major to do.

Overall, it was a good showing from a Grimsby perspective and they are probably on a par with Burton Albion for being the best opponents I've seen in the North-East Division so far this season. From a DRFC viewpoint, whilst there were minor bits and pieces to be happy about, there remains plenty of work which needs to be done in order to achieve more positive results.

As has been the case for the past few games, Rovers again opted to field a mixed team.

In the absence of Ethan Bojang who has been selected to represent The Gambia at the U20 AFCON in Mauritania and therefore will be absent for the next month, the captain's armband was handed to Cunningham. Surprisingly, he was the only second-year scholar in the starting line-up though all eight first-years were included. The other two places in the xi were filled by trialists - one place was alongside Michael Nesbitt at centre-back whilst one was in midfield. Some Under 16s who were involved in last week's clash with Bradford City also featured again.

On what, by all accounts, was a bitterly cold freezing day, the first half was pretty much a tight midfield battle with very little created at either end - certainly nothing clear-cut anyway.

Rovers actually had the ball in the net inside 10 minutes only to see it (correctly) ruled out for an offside flag which had long since been raised by the linesman.

Grimsby then created some openings with Chadwick being forced to smother the ball at the feet of an opponent before a 25-yard attempt was deflected wide only for a goal-kick to wrongly be indicated in an entirely separate move. A speculative effort from distance on the half-hour mark cleared the upright altogether, but arguably the visitors' best opening of the first 45 minutes was when an attacker was afforded a free header with a deep corner played beyond the back-post. His connection went across goal only for the danger to be cleared away pretty quickly.

Up at the other end in what was probably Rovers' only noteworthy opening other than the disallowed effort, Tom Henson had a powerful shot bravely blocked by a defender. 

In the second half, the Mariners went ahead with their composed breakaway finish on 54 minutes and thereafter there remained little in the way of goalmouth action as both sides counteracted one another to good affect. 

Frontman Alex Wolny was forced off having sustained a couple of knocks whilst he was battling to win the ball and replaced by second-year Luca Nelson whilst Charlie Bell was also introduced around the same point along with some faces from the Under 16s team.

But despite a decent spell of possession for a 5-10 minute period and growing intensity with the collective display as the full-time whistle edged ever nearer, nobody was able to provide a 'magic spark' or something special as Grimsby soaked up the pressure, kept their shape and looked composed in dealing with what they were required to.

Next up for Rovers is a trip to Lincoln City next Saturday where they'll be hoping to get revenge for a 1-0 reverse at Cantley Park earlier this season.