Skippers double enough for a point.
Doncaster Rovers Development – 3 (Linley, 13, 90+3 (pen); Longbottom, 70)Grimsby Town Development – 3 (Clifton, 16; Wroot, 80, 83)
Wednesday 10th February 2016 (1pm)
Final Third Development League
Cantley Park Training Complex
Jordan Linley, through coolly slotting home an injury time penalty, proved to be the inspiration for a youthful Rovers side to earn a draw despite having twice thrown away leads.
The Youth Team captain – joined by eight of his U18’s teammates and first year professional Matty Davies – opened and closed the scoring on a windswept afternoon at Cantley.
Linley’s first was routine; good pressure from the front lead to a Rovers corner on 13 minutes and a deep cross from Matthew Parkin was duly smashed in to the roof of the net at the back post.
Anything Linley could do though so could his opposite number - the impressive Harry Clifton - who broke in to the box less than three minutes later to restore parity after he got on the end of Kris Cawcett’s square ball and bundled home.
HALF TIME: Rovers 1-1 Town Chances were at a premium at the start of the second half and there was little by the way of goalmouth action until Will Longbottom fired the hosts back in front just after the hour. A chipped ball over the top was chested down by the striker and away from the defender before he unleashed a left footed drive in to the corner.
The protestations of the young Mariners that there may have a hint of handball cut little ice with the officials.
Grimsby never seemed out of the contest though and when, on 80 minutes, substitute James Wroot was the recipient of a perfectly weighted through ball he drilled home from the edge of the area having beaten the offside trap.
Less than three minutes later, the game had turned on its head completely when forward Callum Jennings drifted to the wide right position and crossed low for Wroot to firmly place his volley past a stranded Marosi.
Rovers still had something in the tank however and a speculative ball over the top deep in to injury time resulted in Town ‘keeper Oakley Heath-Drury racing out of his goal and, according to the referee, flooring Davies in the process. Heath-Drury was subsequently injured and, after a delay, Linley tucked away the resultant spot-kick with all but the last play of the game.
Rovers XI: Marosi, Walker, Carberry, Fielding (Henderson, 46), M’Buti, Barker, Davies, Linley (c), Wanless, Longbottom, Parkin.
Unused: Jones, Pugh, Williamson.
Cautions: Davies – 72
Town XI: Heath-Drury (Pearson, 90+3), Finnegan (Lawis, 78), Doig (Keeble, 46), Hough, Crowther, Sibbick, Clifton, Sawyer, Wright, Jennings, Cawcett (Wroot, 46).
Unused: Phillips, Loft.
Cautions: None
Referee: Mr Hull