A nostalgic glance at games gone by between Scunthorpe United and Doncaster Rovers.
Following on from yesterday’s first game revisited, we take a look at another fixture between two arch rivals in their highest ranking fixture to date, the second tier.Game 2
Sat September 26th 2009
Championship
Scunthorpe United 2-2 Doncaster Rovers
A sluggish start to the 09/10 campaign only yielded one win in eight for Sean O’Drisoll’s side before they headed to face newly promoted Scunthorpe at Glanford Park.
Nigel Adkins, who had overseen the Iron’s promotion, had got United off to a reasonable start and they would go on to reach the fourth round of the League and FA Cup, as well as stay in the Championship.
Firstly, however, a date with Rovers and a spicy affair which regularly boiled over and witnessed five yellow cards and two straight reds.
Rovers were in the ascendancy in the first half when Martin Woods fired home a penalty after future Rovers Captain Rob Jones had felled on loan striker Billy Sharp in the box.
On the hour mark, Sharp bagged his first ever Doncaster goal against his former employers, who he had helped to promotion during the 06/07 season.
O’Driscoll’s men, in cruise control, swiftly pressed the ‘self-destruct’ button and went in to meltdown, in front of nearly 8,000 in North Lincolnshire.
John Oster reacted angrily in an off the ball scuffle which left Iron midfielder Grant McCann needing treatment to a facial wound and the visitors were down to ten men for the remaining 20 minutes.
Cliff Byrne halved the deficit just three minutes after Oster’s departure as he rose highest to nod past Neil Sullivan.
Despite Rovers appearing to close the game out, a wild lunge from former Manchester United and South Africa midfielder Quinton Fortune three minutes from time, reduced the South Yorkshire side to nine.
Typically, the game wasn’t over and injury time, a patched up McCann rammed home a controversial penalty to leave honours even.
Rovers - N Sullivan, J Chambers, A Lockwood, G Roberts, S Hird, Q Fortune, M Wilson (J O'Connor, 83), J Coppinger (B Webster, 77), M Woods, J Oster, B Sharp yellow card (P Heffernan, 83)
For ticket information CLICK HERE.