Peterborough United (U18s) 2-1 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

Peterborough United (U18s) 2-1 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

FA Youth Cup Third Round

Friday 19th March 2021

Charlie O'Connell scores for Peterborough (Photo: Peterborough United FC).

Doncaster Rovers' FA Youth Cup journey reached its conclusion at the Third Round stage as they let slip a half-time lead in losing to Peterborough United at London Road.

Played on a disgraceful pitch which had more bobbles than Primark could flog in a year and under the watchful eye of first team manager Andy Butler, things were going well for Rovers who took the lead just past the half-hour mark when Liam Ravenhill converted a spot-kick after Tom Henson was upended.

Posh equalised through a penalty of their own on 70 minutes (ironically conceded by Henson) with Charlie O'Connell converting from 12 yards, before the game was turned completely on its head as Nicky Gyimah-Bio fired home on the rebound in the dying minutes to set-up a Fourth Round tie against Sheffield United.

From a Rovers perspective, it was an encouraging display - far better than what was produced in losing to Mansfield six days earlier and the heart, desire, application, effort, commitment and energy couldn't be faulted. Plenty of positives could be taken away, despite the result, because the lads weren't out-played or out-classed and if anything, they were actually the better team for 50 minutes or so. It was ultimately two mistakes in the final quarter of proceedings which led to defeat - proving just how fine the margins were!

Needing a reaction to the league defeat in their previous outing, two changes were made to Rovers' starting line-up with Bobby Faulkner thrown straight in to partner Lewis Cunningham at centre-back, whilst Ethan Bojang returned following his successful month-long stint on international duty with Gambia at the U20s AFCON, and was named in midfield. The two players to make way were Michael Nesbitt and Charlie Petch, with the former named amongst the substitutes.

The switches in personnel also brought about a change in some players' positions with Charlie Bell, who has been in consistent form since the turn of the year, moved to left-back for the first time this season.

Peterborough's line-up, meanwhile, contained some faces who've already figured for their first team such as the aforementioned O'Connell and Ricky-Jade Jones who has played 20 times at senior level.

The game began with Rovers attacking towards the empty home terrace (the last standing section remaining at London Road) and in the early stages it's fair to say the lads took a good few minutes to adapt to their surroundings with some tentative play and loose passing. The uneven, bobbly and downright terrible playing surface which resembled a ploughed field, certainly didn't help anyone!

Posh created an early opportunity when a Shaun Keane cross picked out Hameed Ishola who could only head wide, before Jones had the first attempt on target with a strike which was straight at Bottomley.

A couple of early corners from the hosts were defended competently with Bottomley looking assured between the sticks for Doncaster who gradually, from 10 to 15 minutes in, started to see more of the ball, dictate play and ask a series of questions of their counterparts.

Alex Wolny had a shot blocked in Rovers' first major move and the hard-working frontman then linked up with Cunningham for a short-corner routine which culminated in the set-piece taking left-back delivering a teasing ball just beyond the far-post area.

Donny were knocking the ball around with fluidity and showing confidence which was a pleasure to watch and although there was a momentary cause for concern when Jones broke in-behind and hooked a looping narrowly over the crossbar, it was the team in red and white who finally made the breakthrough just past the half-hour mark.

Ishola's boot was deemed to be too high in a challenge with Tom Henson following a corner and the referee showed no hesitancy in pointing to the spot to award Rovers a penalty. Liam Ravenhill, who saw an effort saved in the defeat at Mansfield, bravely stepped up from 12 yards and this time showed superb composure as he blasted the ball powerfully home to deservedly put his team into a 1-0 lead.

The goal was exactly what Rovers deserved and between this point and half-time, they continued to show promising signs with plenty of movement, over-lapping and clever play on both flanks, along with tremendous energy and desire, though they couldn't carve out any further openings as the scoreline remained the same come the interval. Ravenhill had seen plenty of the ball and was an instrumental figure.

More would have been said in Peterborough's half-time team talk, given the scoreline and balance of things up to this point, and in the first 10-15 minute period after the re-start they showed few signs of being able to get an equaliser with Jones wasting one promising move when he inadvertently ran the ball straight out of play, having previously put some very ineffective balls through (to nobody) just minutes beforehand - serving to only give possession back to Rovers.

On 57 minutes, there was a half-chance for the visitors when Corie Cole beat Peterborough's 'keeper to a battle for the ball on the edge of the area but with two covering defenders between Cole and the goal, the Posh defence fortuitously came out on top.

With half-an-hour remaining, Peterborough finally began to get a stranglehold on the game once again and they pretty much dictated things from this point onwards - albeit without exactly applying tremendous pressure or throwing the kitchen sink at Doncaster.

Jones was slightly unfortunate when he burst into the box and placed an effort goalwards but with Bottomley beaten and the ball heading for the net, Cunningham was in the right place at the right time to hoof the ball away to safety.

A minute later, another game-changing turning point occurred when Bell, who'd epitomised everything good about Rovers' performance with his work-rate, desire and sheer energy, was booked after a challenge on the halfway line for which he also needed treatment.

Rovers soon had Bottomley to thank after he pulled off a fantastic reaction save at the far-post to thwart O'Connell after Kellan Hickinson (who'd just moments earlier replaced Jones) whipped in a superb set-piece cross out on the right flank.

With minutes starting to seem longer and longer following the passing of the midway point in the second half, disaster then struck as Henson was penalised for a poorly-timed tackle on the problematic Hickinson inside the box - leaving the referee no choice but to award Peterborough a penalty.

O'Connell, not always the first choice spot-kick taker for Posh's youngsters, shouldered the responsibility from 12 yards and despite having placed one to his left in an earlier round, this time the skipper went to the right-hand side and Bottomley was beaten.

By now there was 20 minutes to go and though Rovers responded well initially to the set-back - going close to regaining the lead when Bojang's free-kick drew an excellent diving save from the 'keeper, there was a sense that overall momentum was with the hosts.

Nevertheless, Posh still weren't exactly battering the door down and Rovers were holding their own in terms of defensive shape - even if they were indebted to Bottomley on a couple of occasions as he firstly denied Gyimah-Bio from a speculative free-kick which needed to be tipped over, then made another stop to ensure the scoreline remained level.

With less than five minutes to go and extra-time looming, the game was turned on its head though as the team donning blue shirts got what turned out to be an all-important winner.

Will Hollings was dispossessed on the halfway line following a suspect pass to him, and it allowed Peterborough to launch a quick attack which culminated with Hickinson (again, causing problems) driving a low shot goalwards. Bottomley did well to get down to it but could only knock the ball into the path of an on-rushing Gyimah-Bio who tucked home the rebound to make it 2-1.

It was heart-breaking for Rovers who'd given so much and could hardly be faulted for their efforts and in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the game, Tom Parkinson from the Under 16s was immediately thrown into the action.

However, despite a teasing ball across the face of goal deep into added time which both Owan Derrett and Wolny couldn't quite reach, Rovers were unable to force an equaliser as their FA Youth Cup journey came to its end.

The lads involved will still be able to take away plenty of memories from their run to the Third Round; whether it be winning infront of a tough crowd in the freezing cold at Coventry Sphinx back in November, Luca Nelson's sublime showing in the 3-2 victory at Hull City, or experiencing the world's worst football pitch in this clash with Peterborough.

As already stated the overall display was so much better from so many players than what was produced at Mansfield six days earlier, and the task now is to replicate it but be more crucial in both boxes during the remaining games this season.

Special mentions are warranted for Charlie Bell (deservedly 'Man of the Match'), Ben Bottomley (so many good saves and fine commandment of his penalty area), Alex Wolny whose hold up play was as good as anyone but also Will Hollings who worked hard, put a shift in, grafted and showed his value.

Team: Ben Bottomley, Tom Henson, Bobby Faulker, Lewis Cunningham, Charlie Bell, Will Hollings (Tom Parkinson), Ethan Bojang, Liam Ravenhill, Tavonga Kuleya (Owan Derrett), Corie Cole, Alex Wolny. Unused Subs: Luke Chadwick, Dan Wilds, Michael Nesbitt, Luca Nelson, Max Jemson.

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Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 2-3 Bradford City (U18s)

Football League Youth Alliance

Saturday 20th March 2021

With the FA Youth Cup contest out of the way, a younger than usual team was fielded in the penultimate game of the regular Youth Alliance (North-East Division) season against Bradford City.

Although Rovers were 'officially' the home side - this because fixtures involving the two clubs were switched at short notice due to snowy weather earlier this term, the match was played at Bradford's rented Rawton Meadows training complex.

The familiar second-year names who featured for Rovers were Max Jemson, Luca Nelson and Owan Derrett (a used substitute in the loss at Peterborough). The first-years involved were 'keeper Luke Chadwick, defender/midfielder Dan Wilds and winger Tavonga Kuleya (another who was involved at Posh), whilst the other players were made up from both the Under 16s squad and those who've been offered scholarships with the club for the next two seasons.

Despite trailing 2-0 at the interval, the scoreline was made better in the second half with recent stand-in skipper Lewis Cunningham emerging from the substitutes bench and converting two penalties - ironically, just a week after he missed one at Mansfield.

It wasn't enough to earn the lads a point, however, as Bradford also scored in the second half to run out 3-2 winners but the experience for all the younger lads involved is only going to stand them in good stead when they step-up to regular, full-time football youth team football next season.

The final game of the regular Youth Alliance season takes place next weekend when Rovers host Mansfield - a win over the Stags will ensure finishing above them in the league table whilst a defeat, coupled with unfavourable results elsewhere over the next week, could mean they end the campaign in last spot.