- by Tony Bluff at Damson Park

The Rovers broke new ground today when they visited Solihull Moors of the Blue Square (Conference) North for their last warm-up game before going down to Devon for the South-West Tournament, starting on Monday.

The home team kicked off but the Rovers soon got their game going, with Fairhurst getting in a crack at goal but it lacked power and the keeper saved comfortably. In the seventh minute good work by Sharp brought a corner for the Rovers, which Woods put back to Stock 18yards out but his first time effort was just over the bar. Enjoying considerable possession over the first fifteen minutes without any end product Friend went on a long run down the left to the byline before his cross was blocked at the expense of a corner. Minutes later another corner on the Rovers left was cleared out to Friend, who crossed to the middle for Martis to put wide. In the 22nd minute, Cunnington, on the home right, got the better of Friend cut in and shot from an angle but Sullivan collected easily. Two minutes later, a great ball from the centre circle by Stock to Logan on the right, gave the full back chance to cut in on goal, round a defender in the area before firing goalwards. The keeper blocked his shot resulting in a corner for the Rovers. In the 27th minute a good run by Sharp down the inside right channel ended with a low cross to the middle for the onrushing Clark but a defender got to it a split second earlier. As the half hour came up, Cunnington got in a fierce drive from 20yards but Logan blocked well and cleared. The home team followed this up with English crossing from the left over to the far right where Alps put the ball back into the middle where there were plenty of white shirts but Logan was quickly across to clear. On 32 minutes a well worked move put Sharp in on goal but a cracking shot from 20yards was well blocked by the keeper, spun into the air and caught by Singh. Minutes later and Sharp was again thwarted by the keeper, who went down at his feet to put the ball out for a corner. Five minutes from the break and Sharp, on the right, pulled the ball back for Hayter to go round a defender and lash in a goalbound shot that somehow the keeper palmed away at the near post for a corner.

Half Time - Solihull Moors 0 Doncaster Rovers 0

The Rovers, having made six changes at half time, went straight on to the attack at the start of the second half. Good combination by the Rovers put Coppinger in on goal but somehow the keeper managed to push his effort away for a corner. Then a high cross by Sharp from the right byline was tipped over the bar by Singh. As the hour mark approached the home team got up a head of steam and won their first corner of the game but Gary Woods punched clear. Then Beswick hit a 30yard effort just over the bar. English then headed a free kick over minutes later but in the 70th minute the Rovers got the break they had worked for. A poor header back to Singh let in Dumbuya who beat the keeper to the ball, gave to SHARP, who tapped into the empty net. Back came the Solihull team and English had the best chance of the game when a cross from the right went low across the goal with the home player only having to connect to score but somehow he missed it. Five minutes from time Grandison put a chip from the right on to the top of the bar but otherwise the home team tried hard to find an equaliser but the whistle went on a single goal victory for the Rovers.

Teams - Solihull Moors- Jasbir Singh; Phil Midworth, Joe Cob, Joe Clarke, Theo Streete, Dominic Langdon, Josh Alps, Junior English, Adam Cunnington, Alex Price, Ryan Beswick

Subs used - Tom Overfield for Alps 40mins; Courtney Sowe for Langdon 76mins; Dean Lea for Beswick 76mins; Mark Gardner for Cunnington 76mins; Ross Dempster for Joe Clarke 76mins; Jamie Atkins for Singh 78mins; Ngungu Xavier for English 80mins;
Subs not used - Ngungu Xavier, Dean Lea, Ross Dempster, Mark Gardner, Courtney Sowe, Jamie Atkins

ROVERS - 1st half - Neil Sullivan; Shalem Logan, Adam Lockwood, Shelton Martis, George Friend; Waide Fairhurst, Brian Stock, Robbie Clark, Martin Woods; Billy Sharp, James Hayter

2nd half - Gary Woods; Mustapha Dumbuya, Adam Lockwood, Sam Hird, George Friend; Joel Grandison, Brian Stock, Simon Gillett, Martin Woods; Billy Sharp, James Coppinger
Subs used - Shelton Martis for Friend 75mins; Robbie Clark for Martin Woods 75mins; Waide Fairhurst for Sharp 75mins; Richard O'Kelly for Stock 80mins;