The last game of the season comes as the sun shines on a warm afternoon on a well grassed pitch that looks at it's best. Perfect for a game of football especially against near neighbours, Scunthorpe United. The Iron ensured their place in the Championship for next season when they came from two goals down to get a draw against Reading in midweek. Although there is nothing drastic at stake neither club will want to lose out to local rivals and will want to improve their final positions in the table.
The Rovers made two changes to their side, Sam Hird coming in for the injured (knee) James Chambers and James Coppinger returning from injury to take over from Paul Heffernan, who takes a place on the bench. A last minute change before the game started brought Brian Stock, originally on the bench, into the starting line-up for John Oster. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.
The Iron set the game in motion and spent the early minutes in the Rovers half. In the 5th minute, in the Rovers first attack, they won a corner on their right. This came out of defence to Mutch on the right. His left-footed cross went past the far post without anybody getting a touch. Five minutes later and Mutch put well wide from 25yards but a minute later he gave the ball to Coppinger in the inside left position. His curling effort from 20yards clipped the outside of the far post. In the 15th minute Woolford, for the visitors, received from a lay-back by Hooper and from the edge of the area hit the ouside of the left hand post. A couple of minutes laterand from a free kick on the Rovers left the ball came out of the Scunthorpe defence to Coppinger. He placed it back into the penalty area where Emmanuel-Thomas stabbed it goalwards from close range only to see Murphy beat it out. The first goal arrived in the 19th minute and it fekll to the visitors. A long ball was latched on to by HOOPER and as the Rovers defenders appealed for offside he went on to slot the ball past the oncoming Sullivan. However, the lead lasted just three minutes before EMMANUEL-THOMAS levelled matters with a delightful chip from 15yards over Murphy in the Scunthorpe goal. Then Coppinger, on the Rovers right, passed inside to Mutch, whose left foot drive from 25yards was held by Murphy at the second attempt. Minutes later and Coppinger, on the left, gave inside to Stock, who threaded it through to Mutch but his shot from the edge of the area went wide. In the 37th minute Woolford, for the visitors, beat the offside and got to the left byline but Sullivan, at his near post, blocked the low cross under challenge from Hooper at the expense of a corner. As the first half came to a close Emmanuel-Thomas got in a header to a cross from O'Connor on the Rovers right. He immediately followed this with a shot that Murphy pushed out for a corner following good work by Coppinger, who showed some nifty footwork to get in a shot that was blocked. The pressure paid off in the 45th minute when a high cross from Roberts on the Rovers left took out the whole of Scunthorpe's defence for MUTCH to meet at he far post and slam into the net to give a half-time lead to the Rovers.
Doncaster Rovers 2 Scunthorpe United 1
The Rovers got the second half underway and immediately won a free kick 10yards into the Scunthorpe half. This produced a corner on the Rovers left, which Mutch swung in towards goal causing Murphy to tip it out for a corner on the opposite flank. At the other end Hayes shot over the bar from 30yards. A corner for the Rovers came to nothing and in the 53rd minute the score was levelled. Woolford, just inside his own half on the lefrt, bulleted a header down the middle where Martis missed his kick letting HAYES in on goal to go on and slip it past the exposed Sullivan. Back came the Rovers. Emmanuel-Thomas shot wide from 25yards and a corner brought no reward but in the 58th minute some good work in the Rovers midfield led to Emmanuel-Thomas putting HAYTER in on goal to slot in and restore the Rovers lead. From the re-start the Rovers won a corner, which produced a shot from 25yards that was deflected for another corner. Past the hour and Hayes shot wide from 20yards following good work on the Scunthorpe right followed minutes later by McCann hitting a 30yard free kick wide and Thompson also putting wide from distance. In the 78th minute a Rovers attack went from Shiels to Hayter to Heffernan, who blazed over the bar from 12yards. With ten minutes to go Scunthorpe won a corner that was eventually tipped round a post by Sullivan. Minutes later, Forte on the Scunthorpe right hit a thunderous drive from 25yards that thudded against the bar, wasn't cleared and HOOPER eventually fired in to level the score again in the 84th minute. With the clock running down Coppinger had an effort from outside the area saved by Murphy and Hooper, in the clear to the right of goal, shot wide of the far post. At the other end Heffernan on the Rovers left, turned inside his marker and saw the keeper tip his shot over the bar. The corner was placed high to the far post where MARTIS sent a looping header into the far top corner of the net to make it 4-3 to the Rovers in the 89th minute. The Rovers pressed hard for more and Roberts had a terrific drive tipped over the bar by Murphy in added time. The referee brought proceedings to a close leaving the Rovers victors by 4goals to 3.
A terrific match to end a good season on. Both sides played their part in a match that entertained the large crowd particularly in the second half. Seven goals on a sunny afternoon, what more can a football fan ask!!!
Result - Doncaster Rovers 4 Scunthorpe United 3
Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; Sam Hird, James O'Connor, Shelton Martis, Gareth Roberts; James Coppinger, Mark Wilson, Jordon Mutch, Brian Stock; Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, James Hayter
Subs used - Dean Shiels for Stock 64mins; Paul Heffernan for Emmanuel-Thomas 75mins; Adam Lockwood for Mutch 81mins;
Subs not used - Sean McDaid, Mustapha Dumbuya, Waide Fairhurst, Ben Smith gk
Caution - Stock, Martis,
Scunthorpe United - Joe Murphy; Cliff Byrne, Andy Wright, David Mirfin, Kenny Milne; Matt Sparrow, Grant McCann, Martyn Woolford, Garry Thompson; Paul Hayes, Gary Hooper
Subs used - Sam Togwell for Mirfin 46mins; Josh Wright for Woolford 62mins; Jonathan Forte for Thompson 76mins;
Subs not used - Michael O'Connor, Donal McDermott, Nial Canavan, Josh Lillis
Caution - Sparrow
