Rovers record away victory in the capital
Leyton Orient 0 DONCASTER ROVERS 2
Referee – Mr Nigel Miller
Attendance – 4,401 (620 visitors)
A fine but cool afternoon welcomed the Rovers to Brisbane Road for the first time in over four years. They made four changes from the Norwich City game, Rob Jones, David Syers, Chris Brown and Kyle Bennett coming in for Paul Quinn, Shelton Martis, Martin Woods and Robbie Blake. The home team made two changes from the last game Jimmy Smith and Mathieu replacing ex Rovers player Antony Griffith, suspended, and Martin Rowlands, injured. The Rovers defended the South Stand end, Buckingham Road, in the first half.
The Rovers kicked off and were soon on the attack, with Syers and Hume having shots from just outside the penalty area but both high over the bar in the first four minutes. Then the home team got into the game and forced a couple of corners, which were successfully defended. In the 10th minute, Cotterill played a long ball from his own half down the line for Brown, he put inside to HUME, who went between two defenders before shooting low across the keeper into the far corner of the net. Minutes later and a Cotterill cross from the right was headed into the sidenet by Bennett at the far post. In the 16th minute the O’s won three corners in a minute, all defended well. Then, a cross by Cook from the home left was headed wide by Baudry at the far post. However, in the 19th minute, the Rovers extended their lead when Bennett, on the left, crossed to the middle, the ball was headed out of defence to Syers whose shot from 25yards was steered past the keeper by COTTERILL Back came the Orient and won a couple of corners but gained noting from them. Past the half hour and the Rovers won their first corner but it was cleared. The Rovers continued to have a majority of the play to the break and looked comfortable in dealing with the home team’s efforts to attack.
Half Time – Leyton Orient 0 Doncaster Rovers 2
The home team set the game in motion and went down their left before the cross came in to the near post which Woods collected. Minutes later and the home team won a corner on the right. In the melee following Woods saved the ball on the line. Then Cox, on the home right, crossed to the far post where Lisbie’s header was well saved by Woods. In the 53rd minute the Rovers got their game going and a good move down the right saw Hume put Syers in on goal but a great tackle by McSweeney saved the day for the Orient. The home team were having the better of the possession since the break but the Rovers were defending well. In the 70th minute a long ball from Husband put Hume down the right and, cutting in, he shot across the face of goal and out for a goal kick. At the other end a corner to Orient was cleared. In the 75th minute a free kick to the Orient on their right was placed by Sawyer into the six yard box but ran through and out as players rushed in to meet it. Bennett then had a run before shooting from 30yards but the keeper easily collected it. Lisbie, in the Rovers area, passed back to Laird, who fired wide from 25yards and Cox, on the left, put a right footer over the bar from 30yards. The match got a bit feisty late on, with the referee issuing a number of yellow cards, and then he saw fit to bring the captains together and tell them to keep their players in check. The Orient tried hard to the end but had no cutting edge and the Rovers defence kept them well in check, to run out winners by two clear goals.
Result – Leyton Orient 0 Doncaster Rovers 2 (Hume 10, Cotterill 19)
Teams – Leyton Orient - Ryan Allsopp; Leon McSweeney, Ben Chorley, Nathan Clarke ©, Gary Sawyer; Dean Cox, Jimmy Smith, Mathieu Baudry, Lee Cook; Kevin Lisbie, Ryan Brunt
Subs used – Marc Laird for Baudry 61 mins; David Mooney for Brunt 68 mins; Moses Odubajo for Cook 68 mins;
Subs not used – Michael Symes, Afolabi Obafemi, Lloyd James,
Caution – Chorley 30 mins; Sawyer 85 mins;
ROVERS – Gary Woods; James Husband, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr; David Cotterill, James Harper, David Syers, Kyle Bennett; Iain Hume, Chris Brown
Subs used – Martin Woods for Bennett 80 mins; Paul Quinn for Cotterill 85 mins; Billy Paynter for Hume 87 mins;
Subs not used –Shelton Martis, Robbie Blake, Paul Keegan, Neil Sullivan gk
Caution – Bennett 67 mins; Brown 75 mins; Cotterill 80 mins; Paynter 90+2 mins;