Goals galore at Cantley Park as Rovers net five.
Rovers - 5 (Pugh 6’, Linley 30’, Whitehouse 46’, Longbottom 61’, Henderson 81')Iron - 3 (Dyche 19’, Adelakun 59’, Shilling 75’)
Tuesday 22nd March, 2016
Cantley Park, Doncaster
Final Third Development League
It was a young team fielded by Paul Stancliffe and Paul Wilson with Liam Mandeville and Billy Whitehouse being the only first team squad members to be named. However, this didn’t stop the excitement at Cantley Park as an eight goal thriller ended with a Rovers victory.
There was early pressure straight away from the home side and it took just 6 minutes for Rovers to take the lead, Joe Pugh getting the goal. A brilliant ball from Michael Carberry down the left found Liam Mandeville. Cutting inside to lose his defender, the striker crossed perfectly for an unmarked Pugh who headed the ball home with ease.
Rovers looked good, but the visitors could and should have equalised on 15 minutes. Louis Jones made an excellent first save as the Iron striker broke through one on one and Levi Sutton somehow smashed the rebound against the post from two yards.
Just a minute later Rovers could have doubled their lead through Will Longbottom. Working his way through the defence he fired a dipping shot at goal from distance, with Ben Ledger beaten it was only the crossbar that denied him.
Despite the home side being on top, the Iron drew level as a mix up at the back between Williamson and Jones presented Jack Dyche with the chance to lob the Rovers keeper.
On the half hour mark the referee awarded Rovers a penalty for a late tackle on Matty Davies. Captain Jordan Linley stepped up and scored, sending Ledger the wrong way.
Ledger was called into action again as Pugh turned in the box and shot from range but he was denied by the keeper. He then kept out a good effort from Mandeville on the stroke of half time.
HALF TIME: Rovers 2-1 Iron
Straight from kick off and with a stroke of luck Rovers got their third. As Billy Whitehouse dribbled down the right wing, his looping cross caught Ledger off guard and somehow ended up in the top corner!
The home side continued to dominate and Mandeville again went close with a neat flick in the area following a Pugh cross, but Ledger again made a save.
Against the run of play however, Scunthorpe pulled another goal back. Hakeem Adelakun picked up the ball and curled one beautifully into the top corner narrowing the deficit to just one goal.
It was end to end football and just two minutes later Rovers got their fourth. More great play from Whitehouse saw his persistence pay off as he kept the ball in the corner, before driving into the box. Drilling the ball across the face of goal Will Longbottom was there to tap the ball into the net.
Michael Carberry then drilled one against the cross bar from 30 yards, before Sonny Shilling hit the post for Scunthorpe from 6 yards.
The visitors got their third in bizarre fashion as Shilling delivered a corner into the box but it somehow found itself in the back of the net, however Rovers sealed victory with ten minutes to play as substitute Lloyd Henderson headed home from a Mandeville corner.
Team Lineups-
Rovers: Jones, Fielding, Carberry, Linley, Mbuti, Williamson (Barker 79’), Whitehouse, Davies (Parkin 34’) , Pugh (Henderson 75’), Mandeville (Wanless 86’), Longbottom
Unused Subs: Leverton
Cautions: Linley 66'
Iron: Ledger, McMichael, Sithole, Dean-Atkinson, Goode, Butroid, Sutton, Adelakun, Burdett, Dyche, Vose (Shilling 55’)
Unused Subs: Parker, Sackey
Cautions: Atkinson 30'