Doncaster Rovers 0-4 Sheffield United

Doncaster Rovers 0-4 Sheffield United

Pre-Season Friendly

Wednesday 28th July 2021

You can never read a great amount into what happens in pre-season and whilst Sheffield United were clinical infront of goal, it's fair to say that Doncaster Rovers were also masters of their own downfall in this game.

The Blades seized upon sloppy play on more than one occasion to deservedly chalk up a three-goal cushion by the interval before Luke Freeman later added a fourth goal. The result will have actually sent the majority of the crowd home happy considering the away end was sold-out whilst the home ends were very sparsely filled.

I hadn't planned to go to this game (my initial intention was to visit Staveley Miners Welfare versus Nottingham Forest Under 23s instead) but the wet and wild weather coupled with a few other things meant it was easier to head here, rather than venture too far away from home.

A lot of Donny fans have an obsession with trialists at this time of year and there was a sprinkling of unfamiliar faces in Richie Wellens' line-up once again with no fewer than seven included in the matchday squad in total. I don't know their names and there's usually so many trialists over the course of a normal season that I don't get bogged down in watching their every movement in these kind of games. If I know the player personally, it's a different story, but my theory is if they're deemed to be good enough by the manager who has given them the trial anyway then ultimately they'll be offered a contract - and no team ever signs what's probably close to 100 or so unfamilar faces that rock up on trial at different points of the season!

You can only feel sympathy towards the trialist, however, who was stretchered off injured as a consequence of an aerial challenge within the first 30 seconds. Hopefully, any damage he may have sustained won't be long-lasting and he'll be fit and able to play again soon enough to try and win a contract with someone.

Again, you can't read an awful lot into pre-season - it's essentially glorified training session infront of a public audeince, though it was surprising to see the quality of what Slavisa Jokanovic has at his disposal at Bramall Lane. The Blades looked sharp (even without King Billy on the pitch) but took the lead in fortuitous circumstances.

A low ball back to Louis Jones, wide of his goal, coupled with him being closed down quickly resulted in an error as his intended pass across the goalmouth to a defender was intercepted by visiting forward Oliver Burke who was gratefully able to tap into an empty net from a couple of yards. 

More often than not when a 'keeper makes a mistake it results in a goal and that's exactly what happened. Once he'd taken the touch to come inside, the idea (to try and play a ball across goal) was correct - 

the execution of the intended pass wasn't and it got punished. Shit happens and LJ just now needs to brush it off and take it on the chin - and anyone who has doubts regarding his ability/potential should remember that he's been rated and respected enough by his managers to get this far in his career, or think back to games such as against Exeter City in the U23s Premier League Cup just before the pandemic struck when he single-handedly helped to prevent a hammering with his saves.

Nevertheless, with the Blades full of confidence, a division higher and playing with a real zip and zest, they pounced upon more mistakes elsewhere on the pitch to effectively wrap things up by half-time. Lys Mousset added a second goal after Sander Berge was allowed to power forward with the ball far too easily, before the Frecnchman finished again on the stroke of half-time after his team-mates cut through the heart of the Rovers team.

The second half saw plenty of changes - one of which was the introduction of Ed Williams who was playing infront of my eyes for the first time since he completed his move to DRFC last year. Though his future is unclear at present, considering I've watched him various times in previous years and tracked his career all the way from his days in Cheltenham Town's youth team, it was pleasing on a personal level to see him 'live' playing for my hometown club.

He linked up a couple of attacks as Rovers pressed for a route back into proceedings but instead the scoring was wrapped up courtesy of a Luke Freeman strike in the closing stages.

It could have been 5-0 as Regan Slater (another player I rate phenomenally and may be on the brink of a 'proper' breakthrough season in the first team at Bramall Lane) unleashed a ferocious attempt from 20-25 yards which was spectacularly tipped wide by the trialist 'keeper who'd come on.

Had that shot gone in then not only would it have been the best goal of the night but the bloke on the PA system, instead of regular MC Jonathan Heath, would have no doubt shouted: 'The score is now Doncaster Rovers 0, Sheffield United 5' - just as he did after every other goal.

Quite why you need to shout when you have a microphone makes the mind boggle!

Next Up: Belper Town vs Boston United this evening - dependent on the weather.