James Coppinger scored a last minute winner as Doncaster Rovers are promoted to the Championship as League One Champions!
Saturday, 27th April 2013 at Griffin Park, Brentford
Npower League 1
Brentford 0 DONCASTER ROVERS 1
Referee – Mr Michael Oliver
Attendance – 12,400
It’s a winner-take-all game at Griffin Park, where Brentford have to win to get automatic promotion and the Rovers need a point to do the same. But only one of them can progress, the other has to go through the Play-Offs. Both sides made changes from last Saturday. For the Rovers, Paul Quinn returned to the side after injury. The home team made three changes, Tom Adeyami, Harry Forrester and Clayton Donaldson coming in.
The home team kicked off, with the early minutes spent sounding each other out. The game was being played at a cracking pace and it was the Rovers who got the frist strike on goal when Brown went down the right, laid the ball back for Cotterill to shoot low from 25 yards but he put just wide of the far post. Minutes later a free kick by Spurr from just outside of the home penalty area was blocked. The home team then attacked down the left and from about ten yards Donaldson hit a low shot that hit the far post and was cleared. On the quarter hour Brentford won a corner but it was well cleared. The fast and furious pace continued until the 21st minute when, following a Rovers free kick, Furman had a go from 25 yards but it was blocked. Then a corner to the home team was well caught by Sullivan off the top of Wright-Philips head. Past the half hour and Brentford were having the better of the possession, which brought about a couple of bookings for the Rovers, for McCombe and Lundstram. The Rovers now had their fair share of the play as time ran down to the break, with the pace of the game barely having slackened. In the 44th minute a Coppinger strike from 25 yards was beaten away by Moore, in the home goal. At the other end Wright-Philips had a shot saved by Sullivan. In the fourth minute of added time good work by Hume up front, saw him lay the ball back to Cotterill but his low shot was saved by Moore.
Half Time – Brentford 0 Doncaster Rovers 0
The managers have had 15 minutes to work their magic on the two teams. Whose season is going to end at ten to five? The Rovers started the game, which took up from where the first half had ended. The pace was the same but play was mainly in midfield. Then within a couple of minutes the home team won a couple of corners but nothing came from them as the Rovers defence cleared them. Play settled down as a midfield battle. The home team made two substitutions just past the hour, which seemed to give them an impetus. A corner to the Rovers in the 67th minute was headed wide at the far post by Jones whilst under challenge, then Douglas had a go from 20yards but it was so high it went over the stand. Another corner to the Rovers came to nothing. As the last fifteen minutes came up the home team began to have more of the possession but the Rovers kept their shape and discipline so that Sullivan wasn’t unduly troubled. In the 75th minute, however, with the home side pressing the ball was cleared down the right to Cotterill. He put down the line to Hume, who took it on before hitting a low cross to the middle where Cotterill was trying to get to but he didn’t quite make it. Back came Brentford, with all-out attacks. A cross from their left by Forshaw was met by Dean with a header but Sullivan saved comfortably. Then a corner to the Bees reached Saunders some 25 yards out but he fired over. In the 85th minute Cotterill charged down a clearance, went down the right before putting in a low cross but Paynter couldn’t quite get there. More Brentford attacks were thwarted before the 88th minute when good work by Coppinger on the Rovers left brought a cross to the far post where Paynter, coming in from the right fired into side-netting. Five minutes of added time was displayed and in the 95th minute Brentford were awarded a penalty after a goalmouth melee. Trotta had the task of taking it, with a number of his team-mates giving him some advice. He hit the bar, the ball was cleared up to Paynter, in his own half on the right near the touchline. He went down the right as Coppinger raced down the middle. The low cross came in as the goalkeeper came out. COPPINGER rounded the keeper and slotted into the empty net for a famous victory. The referee eventually re-started the game and immediately blew for full time. The Rovers fans and players celebrated for the next twenty minutes.
Result – Brentford 0 Doncaster Rovers 1
DONCASTER ROVERS ARE PROMOTED TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP AS LEAGUE ONE CHAMPIONS!
Teams
Brentford – Simon Moore; Shaleum Logan, Harlee Dean, Kevin O’Connor ©, Jake Bidwell, Jonathan Douglas, Toumani Diagouraga, Tom Adeyemi, Harry Forrester, Bradley Wright-Philips, Clayton Donaldson
Subs used – Aaron Pierre for Adeyemi 62 mins; Adam Forshaw for Logan 65 mins; Sam Saunders for Forrester 70 mins; Marcello Trotta for Douglas 79 mins;
Subs not used – Farid El Alagui, Lee Hodson, , Antoine Gounet gk
Caution – Wright-Philips 60 mins; Douglas 75 mins; Donaldson 90 mins;
ROVERS – Neil Sullivan; Paul Quinn, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr; David Cotterill, Dean Furman, John Lundstram, James Coppinger; Iain Hume, Chris Brown
Subs used – Paul Keegan for Lundstram 67 mins; Billy Paynter for Hume 79 mins; David Syers for Brown 84 mins; Coppinger 90+7mins;
Subs not used – James Husband, Liam Wakefield, Cameron Howieson, , Kyle Bennett, Gary Woods gk
Cautions – McCombe 34 mins; Lundstram 38 mins; Quinn 76 mins; Syers 85 mins;