A hot summer's afternoon welcomed the new football season for the Rovers at Watford today. New boys John Oster and Mustapha Dumbuya were on the bench,
where, this season, seven players are accommodated of which three can be used. A minutes applause was rendered in respect of the death of Sir Bobby Robson.

The Rovers attacked the Vicarage Road end in the first half. The home team kicked off and progressed into the opposition half but nothing came of it. The Rovers replied with Chambers going down the right and putting over a good cross but Loach was out of his goal immediately to make the catch. In the fifth minute the Rovers won the first corner of the game and four minutes later DeMerit slipped as he went for the ball on the Rovers right touchline. Heffernan took advantage and made ground into the Watford penalty area before squaring for Roberts on the left but Mariappa intercepted and the keeper collected the ball. General play followed over the next twenty minutes, with the Rovers having a good percentage of the possession. Then, on 28minutes, came the first goal, to Watford. A free kick on their left wasn't fully cleared and went to Smith on the Watford right. A low cross behind the Rovers defenders and cutting out Sullivan left GRAHAM the simple task of stabbing into the net. Back came the Rovers but it was the home team who had the next crack at goal with a twenty-five yard free kick going over the bar. In the 38th minute came a stunning equalizer by the Rovers. Chambers, at right back, made good ground into the opposition half before giving to Hayter, who swept it back to Stock in the inside left position. A superbly weighted cross to HAYTER on the 18yard line was met with a terrific header that looped over the 6foot plus Loach and dropped under the bar. Attack and counter attack followed as time ran down to the break. In the 41st minute Sullivan came out to the left hand side of his area to punch away from Graham. The ball went straight to McAnuff on the Watford right touchline thirty five yards out for him to lob an accurate ball goalwards. Sullivan couldn't make it back in time but Lockwood was there to head away. Two minutes later and Spicer hit a cracking shot from 25yards that was only just wide of goal. The break came on a good first half reflected in the scoreline of 1 goal apiece.

Half Time: Watford 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

The second half took a while to warm up in the scorching temperature out on the pitch but in the 53rd minute Stock, for the Rovers, had a thunderous drive beaten out by the diving Loach but the follow-up from Heffernan was ruled offside. Three minutes later and a corner to the Rovers was headed on at the near post by Lockwood for Heffernan to sweep in at the far post. It was cleared for another corner but the Rovers players claimed the ball went over the line for a goal but the linesman and referee did not share that view. Just past the hour, following a free kick on the Watford left, Lockwoods header out of defence fell to Jenkins but he blasted well over the bar. On 71 minutes a long throw from Mariappa into the Rovers penalty area was headed just past a post by Smith. The heat was possibly taking it's toll on the players because as time ran down the play was of a general midfield quality that saw the keepers relatively unemployed.

Time came with the Rovers taking home a well-earned point

Result - Watford 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

Teams - Watford - Scott Loach; Adrian Mariappa, Mike Williamson, Scott Severin, Jay DeMerit, Don Cowie, Jobi McAnuff, Lloyd Doyley, Ross Jenkins, Tommy Smith, Danny Graham
Subs used - Will Hoskins for McAnuff 77mins;
Subs not used - Jon Harley, Nathan Ellington, John Eustace, Michael Bryan, Lee Hodson gk

ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, Sam Hird, Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts; John Spicer, Brian Stock, Dean Shiels, Martin Woods; Paul Heffernan, James Hayter
Subs used - James Coppinger for Shiels 66mins; John Oster for Heffernan 74mins; James O'Connor for Spicer 87mins;
Subs not used - Lewis Guy, Mark Wilson, Mustapha Dumbuya, Ben Smith gk