Saturday, September 1, 2012 at Huish Park, Yeovil
Npower League 1
Yeovil Town 2 Doncaster Rovers
Referee – Mr Dean Mohareb
Attendance –3,535 (330 visitors)
It was a warm, bright afternoon, there was a well grassed pitch and two teams that so far this season have started the season well, so a good game was expected. The Rovers lost Coppinger to Nottingham Forest halfway down the motorway yesterday but he was replaced by Ian Hume, brought in on loan from Preston North End. Playing for Yeovil were former Rovers players James Hayter and Byron Webster. The Rovers defended the uncovered away end in the first half.
The Rovers, in their white shirts and black shorts, kicked off and were straight into their stride, with Paynter shooting high and wide from 25yards. They continued to enjoy possession in the early minutes but in the 8th minute Marsh-Brown showed his pace to get down the Yeovil right before crossing for Foley to head wide at the far post. Over the next few minutes each side had a corner but without any reward. In the 18th minute a good attack by the home side led to Reid heading against the bar, with Jones putting the rebound out for a corner to the home team. In a good spell for Yeovil Foley put high and wide with an effort from 25yards. The Rovers came back with a corner from Cotterill that was headed over the bar by Jones. An even game developed, mostly in midfield, for the next ten minutes or so. Then in the 33rd minute, Cotterill spotted the keeper off his line and tried to beat him from 45 yards but only put it wide of goal and Stech was able to keep it in and collect. As half time came up Marsh-Brown curled a shot past the post.
Half Time – Yeovil Town 0 Doncaster Rovers 0
The home team took the game to the Rovers from the start of the second half and apart from the 49th minute, when Brown got into the penalty area before being tackled and winning the corner and also claiming handball, the home team piled on the pressure. A good run by Marsh-Brown down the middle and a pass out to Foley on the left gave the latter a crack at goal but he put wide of the far post. The pressure paid off in the 56th minute when a cross from the right was met in the middle with a bullet header from HAYTER that gave Woods no chance at all. Upson then fired just wide from 25yards.and minutes later put over the bar from closer in. Past the hour and the Rovers at last got to grips with the game. A cross from Quinn on the right caused mayhem in the Yeovil defence before being cleared. Some desperate defending by Yeovil kept the Rovers at bay. In the 83rd minute another cross from Quinn was headed wide by Paynter but a minute later and the Rovers fate was sealed when a ball out of the Yeovil defence was picked up by UGWU and with most of the Rovers defence upfield Gary Woods came out to meet him but the Yeovil man lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net via the post. In the 89th minute, a Cotterill free kick was pushed out for a corner by Stech then Jones headed wide from a Quinn cross. Four minutes of added time came up and in the last of those minutes Hume played a ball into the middle for PAYNTER to slide in and get a consolation goal for the Rovers.
Result – Yeovil Town 2 (Hayter 56 Ugwu 84) Doncaster Rovers 1 (Paynter 90+4)
Teams – Yeovil Town – Marek Stech; Luke Ayling, Richard Hinds, Byron Webster, Jamie McAllister; Keanu Marsh-Brown, Dominic Blizzard, Edward Upson, Sam Foley; James Hayter, Reuben Reid
Subs used – Lewis Young for Marsh-Brown 72 mins; Gozie Ugwu for Hayter 79 mins;
Subs not used – Gareth Stewart, .Nathan Ralph, Rohan Ince, Archange Nkumu,
Caution – Upson 40 mins;
ROVERS – Gary Woods; Paul Quinn, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones, Tommy Spurr ; David Cotterill, David Syers, Martin Woods, Kyle Bennett; Billy Paynter, Chris Brown
Subs used – James Harper for Brown 60 mins; Ian Hume for Bennett 61 mins; James Husband for M Woods 84 mins;
Subs not used – Shelton Martis, Robbie Blake, Paul Keegan, Neil Sullivan gk
Caution – Quinn 53 mins;