A feisty local derby ends in a draw at Cantley Park.
Doncaster Rovers U18s – 0
Rotherham United U18s - 0
Saturday 30th April 2016, 11:00am
Cantley Park Training Ground, Doncaster
Youth Alliance League
13 miles separate the two teams in distance but there is only one point that separates them in the Youth Alliance League table, and after today’s game it will continue to be one point with two games to play.
The first real chance of the game did not come until the 30th minute of the affair, a lofted ball by Kevin Mbuti was initially cleared by the Rotherham defence but it fell to youngster Morgan James who fired his effort just wide of the right hand post.
We did not have to wait long for the next chance as it came two minutes later, the away side broke down the right before it was played inside to Benjamin Wiles, the midfielder took aim from 25-yards but it was never going to trouble Louis Jones in the Rovers goal.
There was one last chance of the first half and that fell to Rovers, another lofted ball into the box was headed down but Mbuti and somehow Ross Dickinson got back on the line to clear the danger.
Half Time: Doncaster Rovers U18s 0-0 Rotherham United U18s
Five minutes after the restart the referee had a massive decision to make, a ball over the top was miss-judged by the Rotherham defence and more importantly the goalkeeper who ended up punching Lewis Scattergood in the face, but the referee failed to point to the spot.
Just after the hour mark Scattergood had another solid chance to open the scoring but he could not squeeze the ball underneath goalkeeper Laurence Bilboe.
With 15 minutes of the game left the hosts should have taken the lead, a drilled ball into the box by Matty Parkin, was met by the head of full back Recce Fielding who headed just over the crossbar.
From that resulting goal kick the ball the ball landed at the feet of Lewis Hillam who decided to have a pop from 25-yards out, his strike on goal was expertly saved by Jones who ushered it out for a corner.
It was end to end stuff with 10 minutes remaining and once again Rovers could have taken the lead, another clipped ball into the box by Parkin was met by Mbuti’s head, however Bilboe made a stunning save to keep the scores level.
There were a few half chances before the referee brought this game to an end, a fiery game between two neighbours ended with both teams sharing the spoils.
Full Time: Doncaster Rovers U18s 0-0 Rotherham United U18s
DRFC STARTING XI: Jones, Bingley, Amos, Hillam, Mbuti, Fielding, James, Parkin, Scattergood (Barnett 80’), Overton (Townrow 88’), Prior (Horton 90’).
DRFC SUBS NOT USED: Leverton, Harrison.
RUFC STARTING XI: Bilboe, Bailey, Abraham (Murr 33’), Dickinson, Peace-McDonald, Saxton, Bailey-King, Potts, Muskwe, Wiles (Hinds 33’), Redmayne.