Hammering Chorley!

Doncaster Rovers 7-0 Chorley
FA Cup First Round
Tuesday 20th November 2018

The night under the lights when Alfie May set a Doncaster Rovers record.

Even though he departed in a controversial manner, there's no doubt Grant McCann's reign at Doncaster Rovers coincided with some of the most memorable matches in recent times.

Rovers were fast-flowing, free-scoring and relatively carefree during his season-long tenure, reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Cup and clinching a top six position in League One on the final day of the campaign before succumbing to Charlton Athletic in the Play-Offs.

It was arguably the best period for DRFC since they dropped out of the Championship and one record which was set during McCann's era was the 'record win (at the Keepmoat Stadium)' as National League North outfit were mercilessly put to the sword in an FA Cup First Round replay. 

The initial tie on Remembrance Sunday had ended in a 2-2 draw with Herbie Kane's double cancelling out goals from Josh O'Keefe and Courtney Meppen-Walter which had twice put Chorley ahead. Matt Challoner, memorably, was also shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on the goalscoring loanee which could quite easily have broken his leg. It was one of the worst which I've seen, anywhere, in recent times.

By the final whistle of the first game, it's fair to say that there was no love lost between the teams and a replay at the Keepmoat provided Rovers with an opportunity to beat the non-leaguers in surroundings which were more comfortable to them and on a miles better pitch.

The replay would also be a night where Alfie May would enhance his popularity amongst most supporters, silence some naysayers, and emphatically write his name into the record books.

Chorley were no doubt happy to have just earned a replay at a Football League ground because it meant a share of the gate receipts which could aid their promotion challenge in the National League North. Though they contributed only a few hundred fans to the 3,048 crowd, the way a small contingent amongst their following conducted themselves in and around the ground hardly endeared them to anyone!

On the pitch, it didn't take long for the feeling to set in that a proper 'walloping' might be on the cards as it took May just seven minutes to bag the opener; showing an exquisite touch to bring down a floated ball forward by Kane before firing home via the woodwork.

A 1-0 lead quickly became a two-goal cushion with former Mansfield man Matty Blair on target from close-range and the outcome was all but settled before the half-hour mark when Kane combined with Blair on the counter-attack before drilling a low ball past the Chorley 'keeper.

Although the minnows were being mauled, Rovers showed no signs of 'easing up' and May soon made it 4-0 with what was arguably the goal of the night; tucking a low drive into the bottom corner following a quick, clever, intricate defence-splitting, one-touch passing exchange which was simply far too good for Chorley's defence.

If the visitors weren't already longing for the half-time whistle, they ought to have been - especially when May completed his hat-trick, in the process making it 5-0 on 36 minutes, with a predatory close-range finish after Andy Butler's initial attempt was parried straight into his path by the 'keeper.

Despite Tom Anderson being red carded just before the hour mark and John Marquis seeing a penalty saved - much to the annoyance of some home fans for some bizarre reason, playing against 10 men couldn't stop Chorley's suffering and more misery was to follow.

Despite 316 competitive games having been played at the Keepmoat Stadium before this one, no player had ever scored four goals in a single match but that changed in the closing stages when more 'May-Day' alarm bells were sounding with the hat-trick hero left unmarked to slot home from a left-wing cross and create his own little piece of DRFC history.

At 6-0, the score would have been Rovers' best ever since moving to the Keepmoat in 2007 - simultaneously equalling the overall record set by Ipswich Town when they triumphed by the same scoreline in a midweek Championship clash in the 2010/11 season.

However, with just five minutes left on the clock, Marquis finally got his name on the score-sheet to set the outright record as he curled inside from the right channel and floated a shot into the top corner beyond Matt Unwin who was rooted to the spot.

It really was a proper hammering!