Bradford Park Avenue 3 Doncaster Rovers 3
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Pre-Season Friendly
Bradford Park Avenue 3 Doncaster Rovers 3
Attendance – 296
Bradford got the game underway and went straight on to the attack. In the next few minutes a corner and a free kick from the right for the home team put the Rovers under pressure but they were both cleared. In the 7th minute, Bennett fed Martin Woods on the Rovers left but his cross was headed over by Cotterill.
The Rovers then took the lead in the 14th minute against the run of play. Blake picked the ball up in midield, played it out to Husband on the left and his low cross to the middle left COTTERILL with the simple task of slotting the ball into the net. However, the home team went straight downfield from the restart and O’Connor was adjudged to have fouled Jackson in the penalty area. Former Rovers man O’BRIEN took the kick and put to McNamara’s right hand corner.
Three minutes later, the 18th, and the home team attacked down the middle before the ball was played out to HOLLAND on the right. He took it on to the angle of the penalty area before firing low across the keeper into the far corner. This seemed to spur the Rovers into action. A couple of corners were forced but came to nothing. However, they began to have more of the play and just past the half hour a thirty-yarder by Bennett was was pushed away by Higginson sprawling to his right but there was no Rovers men anywhere near to pick up the loose ball. The game evened out as time ran down to the break but neither side added to their score.
Half Time – Bradford PA 2 Doncaster Rovers 1
The Rovers set the second half going but four minutes in they found themselves further behind when another ex Rover went down the home left to the byline before pulling the ball back for MARSHALL to shoot in from close range. The Rovers first effort at goal came in the 52nd minute when Syers had a go but Higginson saved. Gradually the Rovers got their game together and in the 56th minute the Avenue were lucky not to concede when Bennett hit the far post from the left, Stock had a goal-bound shot headed away before Hawley’s volley from the left was saved by the keeper.
Then, in the 58th minute, a long backpass to Higginson was dribbled out by the keeper but BENNETT closed him down, charged the ball down and slotted into an empty net. Two minutes later and BENNETT placed a thirty-yard free kick from the left into the top far corner for a third and equalising goal for the Rovers. The Rovers continued to have the better of the play but Bradford threatened once or twice but time ran out after a hard game that proved to be a good workout for the players.
Teams– Bradford PA – Ben Higginson; Adam Clayton, Martin Drury, Rob O’Brien, James Knowles, James Riley, Simon Baldry, Nathan Hotte, Danny Holland, Jordan Deacey, Jamie Jackson
All Substitutes came on during second half – Alan Hardy, Luke Sharry, Paul Walker, Tom Greaves, Richard Marshall, Matty James, Michael Duckworth, Matt Dempsey, Billy Law, Nick Matthews
Doncaster Rovers – Ben McNamara (Jon Maxted 63 mins); James O’Connor, Liam Wakefield, Tommy Spurr, James Husband (Jake McCormick 59 mins); James Coppinger (Amari Morgan-Smith 59 mins), Brian Stock (Paddy Mullen 76 mins), Martin Woods (David Syers 46 mins), David Cotterill (Chris Brown 67 mins); Kyle Bennett, Robbie Blake (Karl Hawley 46 mins)
Subs not used – Jordan Ball