Rovers U18's knocked out of the FA Youth Cup after Gateshead scored an extra-time winner.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
FA Youth Cup 2nd Round
DONCASTER ROVERS Youth1 Gateshead Youth 2
Referee – Mr W Grunnill
Attendance – 298
A cold but fine evening awaited our visitors from the North-East, Gateshead Youth, for this FA Youth Cup match. Gateshead have already played five games in the competition, scoring 22 goals in the process. However, they only got through the last Round by scoring 4 penalties to 1 for Preston North End, after the match ended in a one-all draw after extra time. The Rovers were unchanged from the previous tie against Morecambe. Gateshead made two changes to their previous line-up against Preston, Levi Oman and Meesha Kanda replacing Ryan King and Dan Taggart, who drop to the bench.
The Rovers set off well , with Whitehouse getting in a good strike from 30yards that had McGregor diving to his right to hold. The next ten minutes or so were fairly even as the visitors found their feet. But just past the quarter hour the Rovers began to get a grip on the game. Peterson headed on a throw-in for Brown to sidefoot wide from close range. Then a good cross by Finnegan was put out for a corner to the Rovers. This was cleared but the Rovers were back on the attack a couple of minutes later when a good run down the right by Whitehouse led him to pull the ball back for Middleton to shoot from 25yards but it was deflected just over the bar. The resultant corner had the Rovers laying siege to the Gateshead goal but their efforts at goal, and there were a few, were all blocked as the visiting defenders put their bodies on the line. Continuing to have the better of the play the Rovers took the lead in the 26th minute. Some good play let Peterson play in Middleton to the left of goal and his square pass let WHITEHOUSE slot in from close range. Past the half hour and the Rovers had a corner that was placed to the far post where Middleton put it back to the middle for Peterson to head over. Gateshead forced a corner in the 34th minute but it was cleared. However, they gradually got back into the game and a cross from their left in the 42nd minute was headed wide by Nichol at the near post. They were awarded a free kick on their right as the break loomed up. Busby could only tip it out for a corner, which was then cleared.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers Youth 1 Gateshead Youth 0
Gateshead got the second half underway and went straight on to the attack, ending with Nichol getting in a shot that Busby had to go full length to his left to save. The Rovers then went to the other end and won a corner. This produced a bout of head tennis before Burnyeat headed over the bar. The match settled down and just past the hour Burnyeat had a good case for a penalty when he was brought down but the referee wasn’t interested. However the Rovers did win a corner although nothing came from it. Minutes later and Finnegan put wide from 30yards. As the last quarter of the game came up the visitors came more into the game. Then, in the 76th minute, Taggart fed NICHOL in the Rovers penalty area and smartly turning his marker he rifled low into the net for an equaliser. The visitors tails were now up and they pressed on to the attack pushing the Rovers back on defence. Fisher put a shot wide from 25yards and a high cross from the right by Brereton was just wide of the far post with Busby struggling to reach it. Extra time was looming as King put over the bar from 7yards. Extra time was four minutes of added time because in the first minute of that the match was decided when TAGGART headed in from close range looking suspiciously offside. The four minutes came to an end and the Rovers were out of the second Cup competition in the space of four days.
Result – Doncaster Rovers Youth 1 (Whitehouse 26) Gateshead Youth 2 (Nichol 76 Taggart 90+1)
Teams – ROVERS – Aaron Busby; Mitchell Lund, Jacob Dawson, Harry Middleton ©, Jordan Binns, Scott Brown, Bill Whitehouse, Joshua Meade, Alex Peterson, Ryan Burnyeat, Evan Finnegan
Subs used – Jack Steadman for Whitehouse 73 mins; Spencer Lund for Burnyeat 86 mins;
Subs not used – Jack McKay, Paul McKay, Callum Myers gk
Gateshead Yth – James McGregor; Matty Lowrie, Lewis Davison, Mark Brereton ©, Jordan Lee, Curtis Coppen, Matthew Fisher, Levi Oman, Cameron Nichol, Leon Watson, Meesha Kanda
Subs used – Dan Taggart for Lowrie 61 mins; Ryan King for Kanda 73 mins;
Subs not used – Jack Wilson, Lee Clay, Dean Briggs