500 up at the Keepmoat

After Reece James grabbed the accolade of scoring Doncaster Rovers' 500th goal at the Keepmoat Stadium last week, it seems an appropriate time to look back on some of the other memorable strikes by those who've donned the red and white hoops over the past 14 years.

Whether it be Billy Sharp's famous finish against Middlesbrough, James Coppinger's sublime hat-trick against Southend or one of Ben Whiteman's ice-cool penalties in an important game, everyone no doubt has their own personal favourite which they will look back on fondly.

Below is a chronological selection of goals which are certain to bring plenty of memories from yesteryear flooding back. To see more, visit the Doncaster Rovers Video Archive by clicking here where most DRFC goals from the Keepmoat Stadium are available to watch on demand.

The Keepmoat Stadium's most memorable goals:

Goal 1: Mark McCammon (vs Huddersfield Town: 01/01/2007)

Although Sean O'Driscoll's sides were renowned for their free-flowing 'pass and move' style, it's somewhat ironic that the first ever goal scored at the Keepmoat Stadium was a textbook 'Route One' manoeuvre. The bounce on Ben Smith's long, speculative punt downfield was misjudged by a visiting defender which resulted in the ball sitting up perfectly for Mark McCammon to smash an emphatic half-volley into the net - cue equally as emphatic celebrations from the masses in the stands wearing commemorative red and white shirts to mark the occasion!

Goal 14: Jason Price (vs Crewe Alexandra: 12/02/2007)

Two-nil down at the break after a disjointed first half performance and grappling with a flu bug which had knocked many of the squad sideways, few expected Sean O'Driscoll's team to mount any sort of comeback in this televised Johnstone's Paint Trophy Area Final clash against Crewe - especially considering the manager himself spent the half-time interval laying down on the physio's bed through illness. Somehow, the unlikeliest of comebacks materialised as Paul Heffernan bagged a brace to level things up at 5-5 on aggregate, before who else but 'Afro Goal Machine' Jason Price poked the ball home from close-range in the last minute to book DRFC a trip to the Millennium Stadium.

Goals 73, 74 and 75: James Coppinger (vs Southend United: 16/05/2008)

Few nights will EVER rank alongside this one in Doncaster Rovers' history. It was quite simply the 'coming of age' performance which catapulted James Coppinger into being a club legend and also booked the club their first ever trip to Wembley. Already leading 2-0 in the game, Copps took centre stage with two pieces of sublime 'twinkle toes' trickery and purposeful low finishes either side of half-time, and then grabbed a hat-trick with a clever free-kick. Each goal oozed quality and the fact it happened live on Sky Sports raised his profile substantially.

The programme from THAT game against Southend United.

Goal 76: Lewis Guy (vs Cardiff City, 16/08/2008)

A much-maligned player in Rovers' recent past, Lewis Guy was someone who despite his flaws (and falls - mostly inside the penalty area) had a tendency to begin each season with a real flourish. Having scored the club's first goal in English football's second-tier in 50 years at Derby on the opening day, the striker was also claimed the first 'home' goal in half-a-century with a great volley which gave Tom Heaton no chance. Sadly, Ross McCormack equalised late on to earn Cardiff a point.

Goal 110: Billy Sharp (vs Sheffield Wednesday, 08/12/2009)

You're a Sheffield United fan and you're playing against Sheffield Wednesday, the arch-enemy managed by your old boss who is on the brink of the sack. It was almost the perfect script for Billy Sharp and his dramatic, late, match-winning header resulted in chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning!' echoing around all four stands of the Keepmoat. Brian Laws survived a few more days in the Owls before being sacked... and then somehow ending up in the Premier League with Burnley!

Goal 114: Jordan Mutch (vs Middlesbrough, 26/01/2010)

Until recent years when the number of loanees has increased substantially, goals scored by non-permanent DRFC players were relatively few and far between. Although Rovers were terrorised in this match by a Middlesbrough team containing a certain Adam Johnson (the less said about him the better!), it was a young Jordan Mutch, making his debut, who scored the goal of the night with a 30-yard blockbuster finish into the top corner!

Goal 156: Steve Brooker (vs Leicester City, 30/04/2011)

Steve Brooker's career at Donny was exceptionally strange given that he scored in his first and last appearances for the club; goals which were two-and-a-half years apart! His strike against Leicester in April 2011 was, however, enough to prevent Sean O'Driscoll's team from sliding into League One after an horrendous second half of the season and brought tongue-in-cheek jokes that he should get 'one more year' as a reward.

Goal 162: John Oster (vs Crystal Palace, 24/09/2011)

For a player who was often accused of passing instead of shooting, it's probably not a huge surprise that John Oster scored only one goal at the Keepmoat Stadium. His long-range attempt came in this clash against Crystal Palace and gave new manager Dean Saunders a winning start, just 24 hours after replacing the much-respected Sean O'Driscoll.

Goal 165: Billy Sharp (vs Middlesbrough, 01/11/2011)

Without doubt, this is the most iconic goal ever scored by any player at the Keepmoat Stadium - something which is unlikely ever to change. On an emotional night and just a few days after his newborn son Luey Jacob Sharp tragically passed away, his dad popped up with a well-placed volley to put Rovers ahead before unveiling a shirt printed for him by kit-man Dave Richards which had the words 'That's For You Son' printed on it. Referee Darren Deadman, sensibly, chose to turn his back instead of following EFL protocls and booking him for removing his shirt.

Goal 192: Jordan Ball (vs Chesterfield, 09/10/2012)

Imagine making your professional debut, coming off the substitutes bench and immediately bagging the match-winner with your first touch of the ball. Sound to good to be true? Well, it may seem like a fanciful fairytale but it's exactly what Jordan Ball achieved in this Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie with Chesterfield which dumped the cup holders out of the competition. Sadly, things didn't quite work out in football for the youngster who was last known to be working in retail in Mansfield.

Goal 224: Kasper Schmeichel's Own Goal (vs Leicester City, 05/10/2013)

There's dropping a clanger and then there's dropping a clanger! Who would have envisaged that just three years later, Kasper Schmeichel would be a Premier League title-winner playing Champions League football after his howler in this game? Mark Duffy's corner-kick should have posed zero problems whatsoever for Denmark's number one but despite being under next to no pressure, the Leicester 'keeper inexcusably screwed up a routine catch and dropped the ball straight into his own net. What an idiot!

Kasper Schmeichel can't get his handling right (Photo: Mike Walker)

Goal 273: Harry Forrester (vs Bury, 08/08/2015)

No goal scored at the Keepmoat Stadium (not even any of Portsmouth's in the game infamously overseen by Mick Russell) has sparked more controversy than this one by Harry Forrester. He connected a bit too well with a half-volley back to the 'keeper following a re-start from a throw-in and the ball ended up in the back of the net. Que arguments and chaos which ended with manager Paul Dickov sportingly allowing Bury to score an unopposed immediate equaliser. The grand gesture did him no favours in the long-term though as he was sacked for poor results less than a month later and has never managed a club since!

Goals 291 and 292: Cameron Stewart and Andy Williams (vs Crewe Alexandra, 12/12/2015)

Sorry! Not Sorry! This was snatching a win from the jaws of defeat! When Crewe scored in the 90th minute to go 2-1 up, they would have been excused for thinking they'd got a match-winner. It proved to be anything but that, however, because Cameron Stewart's sublime 35-yard free-kick immediately drew Rovers back level and a breathtaking turnaround was complete when talisman Andy Williams found space on the edge of the box and popped home what actually was the winning goal. Imagine being one of those people who left early...

Goal 330: Liam Mandeville (vs Grimsby Town, 17/12/2016)

If ever there was a player to have emerged from the DRFC Academy who looked to have everything, it was Liam Mandeville. With an 'EFL Young Player of the Month' award already stashed away in his locker, the youngster produced his best goal for the club with a curling right-footed free-kick from 30 yards which flew into the top corner and silenced the 4,000 away fans who were visiting the Keepmoat Stadium for the first time. Grimsby weren't battered (that was in the away game) and, sadly, this was as good as things ever got for Mandeville who is now playing in the National League with Chesterfield.

Goal 347: Tommy Rowe (vs Mansfield Town, 08/04/2017)

Such was the mid-season collapse in 2015/16, some people would argue that Rovers should never have been relegated to League Two in the first instance - but so they were and, having spent pretty much the entirety of the campaign around the top of the table, achieving instant promotion back to the higher division was just a case of 'when' rather than 'if'. The deal was finally sealed in this encounter against Mansfield with Tommy Rowe sparking a promotion party with the match-winning goal on 74 minutes.

Tommy Rowe bags the winner against Mansfield (Photo: Rob Waite).

Goals 402, 405, 406 and 407: Alfie May (vs Chorley, 20/11/2018)

Two records were broken on this freezing cold November night when non-league Chorley were sent packing back to Lancashire with their tails firmly between their legs. The 7-0 scoreline is Rovers' best ever result since moving to the Keepmoat Stadium whilst Alfie May's four-goal haul (which included a hat-trick before half-time) is the best by any player in a single game.

Goal 443: John Marquis (vs Coventry City, 04/05/2019)

With former Doncaster manager Darren Ferguson in charge at Peterborough and ex-Posh boss Grant McCann holding the reigns at the Keepmoat, and with both teams battling to reach the play-offs, there were always going to be winners and losers in this end-of-season tussle. The battle went down to the final day and amidst nail-biting tension, Rovers already led 1-0 against mid-table Coventry when John Marquis popped up with what turned out to be his final game on home turf in the 85th minute - thus a play-off place was assured, bedlam unfolded and there was even a mini-pitch invasion.

Goal 455: Ben Whiteman (vs Rotherham United, 07/09/2019)

There are two late penalties by Doncaster Rovers' current skipper which could have made this list. The other was his ice-cool last-gasp conversion in the FA Cup Fourth Round against Oldham Athletic, just eight months earlier, but this one against arch-rivals Rotherham United earned local bragging rights and even caused some Millers fans in the away end to start scrapping amongst themselves. It was also 'pay back' for the injury-time defeat at the New York Stadium in the previous meeting in February 2018.

Swallownest 5-2 Rossington Main

Swallownest 5-2 Rossington Main
Northern Counties East League
Saturday 19th December 2020

Sometimes there are no other words you can use and Rossington Main's performance in this 5-2 hammering by Swallownest can only be described as a complete shambles.

From start to finish, Main were out-battled in every area and performed like a bunch of strangers who'd only just met one another. With the exceptions of Jordan Buckham, Bailey 'Mascher' Conway and Bobby Faulkner (whose efforts were at least noticeable), the hunger, desire and body language shown elsewhere across the outfield team wasn't good enough; nor was it remotely close to being anywhere near good enough.

It was the worst Rozzo performance this season by a country mile and a far cry from the free-scoring and free-flowing displays which were produced by largely the same group of players before lockdown. Therefore, that's what makes it all the more disappointing because so much potential/capability is there and, for whatever reason, it just wasn't shown.

Even the most timid managers would have thought about venting expletives in response to what was witnessed and, if marks were given out, nobody would have scored anymore than a '5/10'. Some lads would have got just a '2/10' or a '3/10' and it's only kindness which stops me from mentioning names. It was just very bad, too many heads weren't on it and, collectively, almost everyone let themselves down.

Swallownest could only beat what was put infront of them and although a quick glance at the league table will show they're hardly the most formidable of opponents, the 5-2 scoreline was a true reflection so they thoroughly merit every plaudit which they'll receive in the coming days. Such was their dominance that missing two penalties, plus having three other shots rattle the woodwork, didn't matter one bit - if they'd put any of those chances away, the scoreline would have been frightening!

Even during the quarter-hour or so in which the game was goalless, the warning signs that this might be a long afternoon were apparent because the hosts adapted better to the heavy pitch, got to grips with the task at hand and went within a whisker of scoring with their first attempt when a warning shot clipped the top of Rossington 'keeper Callum Fielding's crossbar.

On 14 minutes, the opener finally arrived as Swallownest's Richard Williams found space to meet a cross between the last defender and the out-rushing 'keeper and having taken the ball round Fielding, he slotted it calmly into the net.

Even at this relatively early stage, Rossington were in need of inspiration from somewhere and Bailey 'Mascher' Conway showed glimpses that he could provide the required spark with his trademark combativeness and fearlessness in centre-midfield though it simply wasn't being matched by anything around him. Elliott Walker, operating at right-back, did however throw the gloves he was wearing back to the dugout to signal that he meant businesses and it wasn't long before he provided a good delivery into the box from which Tyla Bell managed to force the 'keeper into a save.

Despite a further shot on target soon afterwards, matters quickly unfolded and things got a whole heap worse for Main who conceded a second goal when Callum Greaves was on target on 34 minutes, not long before Fielding was then caught out by Tom Cropper's speculative cross-cum-shot from the wide-right which sailed over him and into the back of the net to put Swallownest into a 3-0 lead. Such was the magnitude of the visitors' already appalling display that even a certain Roy Cropper (nevermind Tom Cropper) would have fancied his chances of being able to get into the team and make more of an impact!

With the half-time whistle fast approaching, Jordan Buckham provided the faintest glimmer of hope with a curling free-kick from 25 yards but any optimism about a comeback was quickly extinguished as Alex Lill easily worked his way past a defender and fired home to make it 4-1 within 10 minutes of the re-start.

The floodgates were now well and truly open and with Rossington showing zero signs of fight or determination, they were very much there for the taking. A missed penalty prevented any further immediate damage to the scoreline whilst a combination of luck (as another shot rebounded off the upright) and profligate finishing (a striker couldn't convert from a few yards) spared more embarrassment.

Jason Stokes squandered a gilt-edged 'sitter' to reduce arrears to 4-2 having been put through with a large target to aim at, and more misery was to be had as Swallownest soon added a fifth goal with Tyler Bradley becoming the latest player to add his name to the score-sheet.

Rozzo's Tyla Bell responded with a scrappy finish for his sixth league goal of the campaign on the brink of injury-time but there was still enough time for the hosts to win (and miss) another spot-kick, though it didn't matter in the slightest bit.

With the 'Donny Derby' against Armthorpe Welfare coming up next on Boxing Day, Rossington know they'll need to play a million times better if they're to earn local bragging rights. If there's one certainty following this bruising reality check, it's that they can't play any worse!

Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 4-1 Huddersfield Town (U17s)

Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 4-1 Huddersfield Town (U17s)
Football League Youth Alliance
Saturday 12th December 2020

This was as straightforward and comfortable as victories get as Doncaster Rovers eased to a 4-1 success over Huddersfield Town in their latest Football League Youth Alliance outing.

On a damp and cold morning at Cantley Park, the lads warmed the appetite with a positive and encouraging performance and, similar to the away fixture at Huddersfield in October, desire and determination were the key attributes on the path to three points.

Luca Nelson got things going as he opened the scoring with a close-range finish after just three minutes, though the visitors soon levelled things up from the penalty spot.

Tavonga Kuleya restored Rovers' advantage on the half-hour mark with an attempt which was judged to have crossed the line before the lads stepped up a gear and produced a dominant second half performance during which Owan Derrett converted a spot-kick to make it 3-1 and Nelson bagged his second of the game in the closing stages.

Though Huddersfield once again showed that they're quite a technical team - highlighted by some prolonged periods of possession during the first 45 minutes, once Doncaster denied them from seeing as much of the ball after half-time, the Terriers were comfortably second best.

The scoreline would have been greater had Nelson, Dan Wilds and Charlie Bell been able to convert any of the chances they had in promising positions.

Despite quite a lot of positives, there were some negatives as both Josh Clemitson and Lewis Cunningham were forced off injured whilst it's another game played yet still no clean-sheet - something which needs to change soon given that we're now almost halfway through the season!

With South Yorkshire currently classed as a 'Tier 3' area with severe restrictions, it meant the game was played behind-closed-doors at Cantley Park and with that came the challenge, once again, of how would it be possible to watch it.

Although some people would argue that a bang on the head might do me a few favours, I didn't really want to fall out of a tree so that option was ruled out on safety grounds. Sneaking into one of the nearby allotments which back onto the pitches was another alternative but given the legalities and potential ramifications if I got caught, it was probably wise to leave that one well alone too. 

In the end, my viewing position was in some overgrown nettles behind a barbed wire fence and adjacent to a dirt track which was that slippy I spent half the bloody game practising moves which Torvill & Dean would be proud about. Somehow, I only ended up on my backside the once - therefore I do wish to sincerely apologise to anyone in the local area who might have experienced an earth tremor just before 11.00am.

Whilst this part of Cantley Park was wholly unfamiliar, it was good to see a recognisable face back in Rovers' starting line-up as Liam Ravenhill returned to youth team action following a prolonged spell in and around the first team set-up.

The 18-year-old, who made his senior debut in last month's FA Cup tie at FC United, was named alongside fellow second-year scholars Charlie Bell and skipper Ethan Bojang in midfield. Tavonga Kuleya formed part of a three-pronged attack alongside Owan Derrett and Luca Nelson, whilst the back four (left to right) were Lewis Cunningham, Michael Nesbitt, Josh Clemitson and Tom Henson. Ben Bottomley was named as goalkeeper.

Making slow starts has been a problem which has hampered the lads' season so far, but on this occasion they got to grips with things from the first whistle and needed just three minutes to score the opener. The returning Ravenhill was heavily involved because it was his low ball into the six-yard box from deep on the outside-right channel which was perfectly slotted home by Nelson.

Those watching may have expected Rovers to go from strength-to-strength but, surprisingly, it was Huddersfield who started to enjoy more possession and it paid dividends when a clever, defence-splitting through ball released an advancing striker. He was subsequently brought down by Bottomley, leaving the referee with no other option but to award a spot-kick which was duly converted - meaning the scoreline was 1-1 with just 10 minutes on the clock.

Doncaster were soon forced into a reshuffle when Ravenhill inadvertently clattered into Clemitson on the edge of his own box whilst dropping back to help deal with the danger posed from an intricate passing exchange by the visitors. It soon became apparent that Clemitson would be unable to continue and he was replaced by midfielder Will Hollings - consequentially meaning that Cunningham, Bell and Henson all had to change positions too.

Chances remained few and far between but on 27 minutes, Rovers re-established a lead as visiting 'keeper Michael Roxburgh didn't claim what seemed to be an easy ball at his near-post following a cross. The rebound fell fortuitously for an unmarked Kuleya whose follow-up struck a defender positioned on the goal-line and sparked huge appeals with the linesman quickly raising his flag to signal that the ball had indeed crossed the line and a goal was given.

A one-goal lead should have soon become a two-goal cushion because from Doncaster's next opening an unmarked Nelson got on the end of Ravenhill's corner but his downward eight-yard header lacked accuracy and went wide of the target. The frontman should have done better; it was a good chance.

Huddersfield responded with some pressure of their own as Henson was forced to put the ball behind following a teasing open-play delivery across the area. From the subsequent set-piece, Bottomley was called into action - showing expert reflexes to tip over a cross-shot which was right under his upright.

It was the closest the visitors had come to scoring since their early spot-kick and despite actually seeing quite a bit of the ball and knocking it around well, it was Rovers who finished the first half with something of a flourish as Henson forced a near-post save after a slaloming run into the area whilst Nelson clipped the top of the crossbar with another header from a Ravenhill corner.

Another substitution had to be made during the half-time interval as Cunningham, who appeared to have strained a muscle, was replaced by Dan Wilds.

Doncaster then seized the game by the scruff of their neck and stepped things up because just a couple of minutes after the re-start, Henson - growing more into the unfamiliar left-back position where he was now operating, went on another lung-busting run which culminated when he was clattered into by a Terriers defender inside the area. It left the referee with little alternative but to award a spot-kick and Derrett dispatched the resulting penalty to open up a 3-1 lead.

A fantastic short-corner routine almost cut Huddersfield open again on 52 minutes with a triumvirate of Ravenhill, Derrett and Bell combining superbly, before the former whipped a dangerous delivery towards the back-post where Wilds was lurking. The ball sat up well for the first-year who snatched at his attempt and unleashed a half-volley which didn't trouble the 'keeper.

There was a moment of brief worry at the opposite end just a minute later when Nesbitt's knee connected with a deep left-wing cross under little pressure and looked goalbound until Bottomley scampered across the goal-line and scooped the ball up in order to spare his team-mates blushes.

The Terriers weren't allowed as much possession as they'd enjoyed during the first half; quite simply down to Rovers' determination to stop them from doing so. However, they did enjoy an opportunity when a forward carried the ball, caught a glimpse of goal and let fly with a delightful, curling right-foot shot from 20 yards or so which cannoned back off Bottomley's right-hand post and was eventually cleared away.

It was the closest they came to a comeback because Doncaster really asserted their dominance and created a plethora of further openings during the final quarter of proceedings.

The lively Kuleya, who'd shown quite a few nifty touches, had shots blocked in separate attacks - the latter in which the ball span across the edge of the six-yard box to Bell who blazed a shot over the upright when he knew he could have done better and got a goal that his performance merited.

A minute later, Nesbitt thought he should have been given a penalty when he was on the receiving end of an untidy challenge. Nothing was given; Hollings ended up being played the loose ball and found Bell, whose cross in ended up with Nelson having a shot deflected over from a promising position before the resulting set-piece came to nothing.

Rovers did make their pressure count on 80 minutes when Nelson bagged his second of the game - driving a low shot beyond the despairing 'keeper from inside the area with Henson claiming the assist, and it rounded off what was a pleasing and confidence-boosting team display - even if the margin of victory should have been greater than just the 4-1 scoreline.

There were some good showings across the pitch. Even though he didn't manage to keep a clean-sheet, Ben Bottomley otherwise put in a good performance and dealt effectively with bits and pieces when he was required to do so.

Considering the reshuffles brought about from the substitutions, the defence - especially Michael Nesbitt (who had three centre-back partners over the course of the game) performed admirably and testament to that is the fact that Huddersfield created little from open play, despite their possession. Tom Henson grew into the left-back berth, improved after some initially unsteady moments towards the end of the first period and can be happy with the work he put in whilst Charlie Bell, the stand-in right-back for three quarters of the morning, epitomised a ratty 'ankle nipping' dog - constantly sniffing around, unafraid to put a challenge in when he had to, and generally making things difficult for opponents when they were braved enough to try and get past him.

In midfield, Liam Ravenhill showed some good touches and was heavily involved in some of the moves (and also got a yellow card for a tackle which would have made his old man proud). Will Hollings came on and got clattered a few times and overall, led by captain Ethan Bojang, there was generally a good balance, whilst upfront Tavonga Kuleya was lively at times and Luca Nelson's two goals will help to keep his name in the spotlight.

Huddersfield, on the whole, appeared to be a very good technical team but without much of an end product - and my thoughts were similar after the away game in West Yorkshire two months ago. There is potential within their ranks, nonetheless, so good luck to them for the rest of the season.

Finally, one glance at the latest Football League Youth Alliance table shows that the division is completely wide open this year. Therefore, if the lads are able to replicate (and improve upon) this performance and also generate some consistency with their results, they'll no doubt climb a few places quite quickly.

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

Belle Vue's last FA Cup tie

Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Mansfield Town
FA Cup Second Round
Tuesday 12th December 2006

Had it not been for Brian Stock's last-ditch injury-time equaliser at Field Mill ten days earlier, this game would never have happened.

The midfielder, on loan from Preston North End, struck just seconds before the final whistle to force a largely undeserved Second Round replay and consequentially give supporters one more chance to visit Belle Vue and witness what would be the last ever FA Cup tie at the old ground.

As things materialised, it actually turned out to be the penultimate game at Belle Vue (and the last midweek clash under the floodlights) because the following weekend's League One fixture against Yeovil Town was postponed due to bad weather.

Naturally, with a move to the newly-constructed Keepmoat Stadium looming in the New Year, these were strange times for everyone - including those on the pitch who were still getting used to the philosophies put forward by newly-appointed manager Sean O'Driscoll.

Both results and performances up to this point in his tenure had been quite haphazard though encouraging signs were starting to become apparent. His team went into this clash on the back of successive away wins at Brentford and Northampton Town, hadn't conceded at home since Chris Porter's equaliser for Oldham Athletic over two months earlier, and were steadfastly working their way up the League One table - sitting just a few points outside of the play-off positions.

Therefore, with Mansfield hardly pulling up any trees in the division below, Rovers were expected to win to progress to Round Three and the reward if doing so would be an encounter with an established Premier League outfit in the shape of Sam Allardyce's Bolton Wanderers.

In the end, the replay was hardly a classic but the majority of the 5,338 crowd left Belle Vue with smiles on their faces as Doncaster simply dispatched what was put infront of them with Mark McCammon firing home the opener on 23 minutes before Paul Heffernan bagged a second goal - his third in as many games - not long after the half-time interval.

The Stags, it has to be said, didn't offer much and were very underwhelming. They caused young Rovers 'keeper Ben Smith few problems, looked a shadow of the team which actually gave a good account of themselves at Field Mill in the original tie, and it hardly came as a shock when they parted company with boss Peter Shirtliff just seven days later.

A few years further down the line I'd witness another FA Cup Second Round replay involving Mansfield Town on '12th December' but that's a story for a different time...

All photos by Dan Westwell.