Scunthorpe United 2-3 Doncaster Rovers

Scunthorpe United 2-3 Doncaster Rovers
EFL Trophy
Tuesday 9th November 2021

There are few better feelings in football than when players you've watched progress and develop from a young age make their professional debuts and that's precisely what happened here as Tavonga Kuleya, Will Hollings and Jack Goodman made their first ever appearances for Doncaster Rovers.

The trio were amongst seven current youth teamers included in the matchday squad which, in addition to five other academy graduates, meant a total of 12 current of former youth team players were involved - the largest quantity for any first team game since the Rovers Academy relaunched in 2004 (and, having checked with Club Historian John Coyle, quite possibly ever).

Needless to say, therefore, this was a big night for everyone at DRFC.

The game wasn't just simply a dead rubber either because both teams knew they had a chance of progressing to the knockout stages along with runaway Group E winners Rotherham United.

For Rovers, the task was straightforward; avoid defeat and a place in the Last 32 was confirmed. For Scunthorpe, they needed to win by at least a four-goal margin to complete one of the unlikeliest group stage comebacks in the history of the competition and progress. A Scunny win but by a three-goal margin or less, meanwhile, would put Manchester City's plucky U23s team into the knockout stages.

With so many injuries and absentees for a variety of different reasons, Richie Wellens, having stated it was '15' in total, also opted once again to leave out senior duo Ed Williams and Omar Bogle - this despite the fact they're fit and available for selection. You've got to wonder the true merits of keeping two players in enforced-isolation when numbers are so low and results have been utterly atrocious this season and whether it'd be more beneficial to just swallow his pride and re-integrate them in the group. Nevertheless, their absences did at least pave the way for a couple more youngsters to get their first ever taste of a first team matchday.

Scunthorpe also made six changes to their starting xi from the team that was beaten by quite a different-looking Rovers in the FA Cup First Round on Saturday, with some of their own academy graduates amongst the substitutes such as Cameron Wilson who put in a great performance (which possibly went a long way to him earning his first-year pro) when Iron's U18s won 4-2 at Donny back at the start of this year.

Rovers began the game aggressively and positively and reaped the rewards of their energetic start, albeit in somewhat fortuitous fashion as good initial work by Tommy Rowe, then also by Kuleya inside the box, found Rodrigo Vilca's whose deflected attempt crept past wrong-footed Iron 'keeper Rory Watson and into the net.

Tom Pugh (the younger brother of one-time DRFC youngster Joe Pugh) flashed a shot wide at the other end as Scunthorpe threatened a response five minutes later, but it was 2-0 on the quarter-hour mark when Vilca burst away on a counter-attack and threaded a ball through to Joe Dodoo who retained his composure to finish.

At this point, Donny were playing some neat and attractive football - many would say arguably their best at any point this season given that quite a few performances have been horrific, and Scunthorpe's chances of progression (considering they now needed to score six goals) was slim to none.

The Iron weren't going to meekly surrender under the watchful eyes of their new manager Keith Hill, and they spurned a big chance to get back in the game just past the half-hour mark. Aaron Jarvis got in-behind the Rovers' defensive line and was always the favourite to latch onto a floated through ball ahead of Rovers 'keeper Louis Jones who did the right thing in coming off his line and outside his area to narrow the angle. Jarvis' first touch forced him wide when, in hindsight, he might have been better poking it goalwards and as the Donny defence managed to scamper back into position, the chance petered out - had it resulted in a goal it may well have changed the course of the game.

Scunny applied more pressure in search of a route back into things. Pugh slid an inviting ball across the goalmouth which nobody could connect with in one move; Myles Hippolyte was narrowly off-target with a low drive from distance in another, and there was also a concerning moment when Devarn Green slipped and landed awkwardly on his arm/wrist when closing down Ben Blythe out wide - thus resulting in his early withdrawal from the game through injury.

The Iron had looked better in the run-up to half-time and seemed dangerous at set-pieces (of which they had a few) though Rovers began the second half by getting back on the front-foot and driving forward in search of a third goal. It almost unfolded when the excellent Lirak Hasani (who'll come out of this game with plenty of credit owing to a good performance) found Tommy Rowe whose subsequent low drive was spilled by Watson and recycled back to Vilca who clipped the crossbar.

A third then came shortly before the half-hour mark which all but put the game to bed as Dodoo received possession on the edge of the box, looked up and unleashed a thunderous drive into the bottom corner; 3-0 - and it was 'Goodnight Scunthorpe'.

Or at least it should have been...

Trailing by such a deficit, the Iron got in the ascendency but only after Branden Horton and Dodoo went close to adding to Rovers' lead with efforts a few minutes apart.

The game seemed flat; the result beyond any reasonable doubt and, at times, Scunthorpe had no other choice but to pass backwards as Rovers' shape remained good leading into the final quarter-of-an-hour when Hollings replaced Kuleya for his professional debut which was closely followed by Goodman coming on for Dodoo (and thus becoming the seventh youngest player EVER to feature for Doncaster Rovers at 16 years and 233 days).

Alex Wolny also 'got the nod' and was in the process of getting unchanged when things began to unravel in spectacular fashion. Jones had already done well to spring off his line and close down a clean-through Hippolyte in order to protect a clean-sheet which he deserved before Scunthope finally grabbed something to show for their efforts when Ryan Loft's dink found the net on 88 minutes.

Wolny was in his full kit and still waiting to come on when, incredibly, Jake Scrimshaw turned goalscorer to make it 3-2 - heading home from a corner to set-up three anxious minutes of injury-time. And for poor old Wolny, it meant his professional debut would have to wait until another time.

The drama wasn't yet completed though. Rovers' naivety in the final few minutes was evident and it wasn't helped by conceding two silly free-kicks inside their own half which allowed Scunthorpe, sensing blood at this point to force penalties, to put balls into the box.

In one instance when they did so, the ball ended up in the back of the net - but a re-take was ordered which spared Rovers' blushes (and even still, it wouldn't have counted anyway as the linesman's flag was up). The second attempt was claimed by Jones before another, from a similar position around a minute later, was partially-cleared away and met with the full-time whistle.

Overall, it was a convincing win for Rovers - one which should have been a lot more straight-forward than what ultimately proved to be, but they're still in the hat for the Round Two draw which takes place this weekend.

There were some good positives put in by individuals who've come through the academy as Ben Blythe looked every bit like a mature left-footed centre-back which I know he can be and performed well - carrying out his duties in a composed fashion; Lirak Hasani was industrious and hard-working and should come out of this game with a large amount of credit, and Branden Horton showed plenty of energy, desire and drive and on another occasion might have even bagged his first professional goal.

Added to the qualities showed by Tommy Rowe, Matt Smith, Rodrigo Vilca and Joe Dodoo, amongst others, who complimented the youngsters well, it meant it was actually enjoyable to watch at times.

As a competition, the EFL Trophy isn't without its critics (especially amongst lower league fans) and there are plenty of naysayers about who are quick to ridicule or dismiss the competition - often just because it nowadays includes U23s teams from Premier League clubs.

Regardless though of whether it's Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham or these lads, every player in the world who has ever played professional football will be immediately able to recall their first senior appearance and the thoughts/feelings that went with it - and I've got no doubts whatsoever that the memories of this game will be cherished and last for a lifetime for the young lads who were involved.

So this competition has value to them, along with loads of other lads throughout the country, and the naysayers ought to remember that when they next call the competition 'pointless' or 'meaningless' and throw a wobbly or threaten to boycott it - especially if they're a DRFC fan wishing to see young players emerge, progress and become part of the first team.

It was also brilliant to catch up with Harry Jessop and Fin Shrimpton beforehand - two players at Scunthorpe who although they weren't playing, still had to report for duty. Both are top lads with top class attitudes; absolute diamonds in terms of what a manager would want personality-wise, and they've got to where they are right now by sheer hard graft and absolute determination.

I'd be just as happy to see both of them get that lucky break (which every player needs at some stage) and then go on to forge sustained and enjoyable careers for themselves and I wish them luck with everything.

As always, I'll always be checking every week to see how they get on - good luck lads!

Team: Louis Jones, Kyle Knoyle, Tom Anderson, Ben Blythe, Branden Horton, Lirak Hasani, Matt Smith, Tommy Rowe, Rodrigo Vilca, Joe Dodoo (Jack Goodman), Tavonga Kuleya (Will Hollings). Unused Subs: Alex Wolny, Jack Raper, Alex Fletcher, Ben Bottomley, Corie Cole.