Rovers progress to the next round of the Youth Cup after seeing off Accrington Stanley on penalties
Rovers U18s - 1 (Pugh 71')
Accrington Stanley U18s - 1 (Hickey pen 53')
Saturday 29th August 2015, 12:00pm
Cantley Park Training Ground, Doncaster
Youth Cup, Round One
Doncaster started brightly and inside the first five minutes they had the first chance to open the scoring through striker Joe Pugh, a long ball over the top by stand-in skipper Kevin Mbuti was met on the half-volley by Pugh who rocketed his effort just over the crossbar. A sign of things to come.
Ben Greasley was one of the stand out players during the first period and he made a solid block tackle to keep Stanley from going one up. Shortly after that brilliant tackle the visitors were up in arms appealing for a penalty but the referee was having none of it.
It was Greasley again who set Rovers alight, but this time it was on the attacking front. He played a superb reverse-through ball to Pugh who had already made a defence splitting run but Stanley's onrushing goalkeeper Christian Evans managed to nick the ball off the feet of the striker.
The last chance of the half fell to the Lancashire side, some tricky feet from Reuben Dass managed to bamboozle the Rovers defence, he chipped the ball to the back post where Jack Hartley was waiting but his volleyed effort flew harmlessly over the bar.
HT: Rovers U18s 0-0 Accrington Stanley U18s
Stanley started considerably better than the hosts and really should have taken the lead, a superb piece of skill by Hartley saw him pass Joshua Barker as if he was not even there. He then pulled the ball back to the penalty spot where Tyler Scarth was in acres of space but he somehow fell over the ball when it looked easier to score than fluff his lines.
Then came the turning point in the tie, referee Mr Carpenter was left with the easiest decision he will make all season, as a reckless challenge from Greasley in the box was rightly awarded with a spot kick.
Up stepped captain Roman Hickey who blasted his penalty kick into the roof of the net giving Rovers goalkeeper Louis Jones no chance. Jones was called into action just after the hour mark, a cross-cum-shot from Dass looked to be heading into the top-right corner but out came the fingertips from the youngster to help it over the bar.
A pinpoint corner from Matthew Parkin was met by the head of Pugh at the back post but he could not squeeze the ball past Evans.
Three minutes later Rovers were back on level terms, a route-one ball from Mbuti was missed by the Stanley defence before Pugh scored the most bizarre goal you might possibly ever see, the striker managed to knee the ball over the onrushing Evans to make it all square once again.
That turned out the last action of normal time, due to cup regulations it went straight to the lottery of penalties.
FT: Rovers U18s 1-1 Accrington Stanley U18s
PENALTIES (Rovers won 4-2)
DRFC ASFC
Joey McCormick - SCORED Dylan Smith - SCORED
Matthew Parkin - SCORED Roman Hickey - MISSED
Matthew Davies - SCORED James Wolfenden - MISSED
Joe Pugh - MISSED Harry Blackburn - SCORED
Conner Williamson - SCORED
DRFC STARTING XI: Jones, Greasley, Barker, Williamson, Mbuti (C), Walker, Parkin, Longbottom, Pugh, McCormick, Davies.
DRFC SUBS: Sampson, Fielding, Morris, Bingley, Slater.
ASFC STARTING XI: Evans, Ogle, Roberts, Moran, Gunner, Smith, Hartley, Hickey (C), Scarth, Blackburn, Dass.
ASFC SUBS: Sykes, Little, Wolfenden, Waterhouse.