Rovers 0-2 Carlisle United
Tuesday, 9th April 2013 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Npower League 1
DONCASTER ROVERS 0 Carlisle United 2
Referee – Mr Andy Woolmer
Attendance – 7,884 (259 visitors)
A fine evening but a cold breeze blowing made it more like winter than spring. The Rovers were unchanged from Saturday but Carlisle made one change, with Sean O’Hanlon passing a fitness test and replacing Peter Murphy, who dropped to the bench. The Rovers defended the North Stand end in the first half.
The Rovers kicked off, won a corner in the third minute and spent the first ten minutes in the opposing half of the pitch, with just a shot from Furman going wide to show for it. In the 14th minute Cotterill had a go from 25yards that was wide of the posts. Then, a cross from the Rovers left by Spurr, was met on the edge of the penalty area by Bennett with a half-volley that was only just wide of the near post. Midfield play followed with the play mostly at a sedate pace. In the 25th minute a good build-up on the Rovers left gave Spurr the chance to put inside to Bennett. He laid the ball back to Griffin about thirty yards out and his rasping low drive was pushed away at the last second by Gillespie and cleared. The game meandered along, with the crowd not getting anything to warm them up but then, in the 35th minute, a free kick was awarded to Carlisle about thirty yards out in a central position. NOBLE took it and tried to lift it over the wall but it took a heavy deflection and looped over Woods and just under the bar. The Rovers hit back and won a corner, which reached Coppinger just inside the area. He laid it back for Furman but he fired just over the bar. The Rovers continued to press but were not having it all their own way. As the half time break loomed up a corner came to nothing and a free kick from the left of goal by Cotterill was just over the bar from 25yards.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers 0 Carlisle United 1
The visitors got the second half underway but it was the Rovers who went on to the attack. Good play on the Rovers left brought a corner, then a free kick near to the left corner flag and another corner all in the first five minutes but no reward. In the 54th minute a long ball out to the Carlisle right was met by Berrett on the half volley and went just over the Rovers bar. Back came the Rovers with a succession of corners. Lundstram had a go from 35 yards with a low drive that Gillespie saved. Carlisle lifted the siege by getting to the Rovers end and winning a corner but this was cleared. In the 67th minute Brown shot against the bar, Coppinger picked up the rebound and put it back in for Paynter to lift it just past the post. Then a quick break by the visitors had Welsh cutting in from the left and shooting but Woods saved. Carlisle were now having a fair share of the play but a corner came to nothing. A corner to the Rovers was followed by Noble, for the visitors, having a go from 30 yards but Woods saved. The Rovers were now leaving holes in their defence as they put everything into attack. In the 82nd minute Carlisle had an effort cleared off the goal-line. Four minutes later, following a Rovers attack breaking down, NOBLE collected the ball and surged through the middle. It was three for Carlisle against two for the Rovers but the Carlisle man didn’t need help because he just rifled in from 25yards. Far from defending in depth the visitors defended by attacking. A corner to the Rovers brought a header by McCombe but Gillespie made the save. Into added time and Potts, on the visitors right, got to the edge of the Rovers penalty area before putting wide of the far post. A corner to the Rovers came to naught and in the dying seconds a long ball into the Carlisle penalty area bounced nicely for Jones to head in from five yards but the ball went the wrong side of the post.
Result – Doncaster Rovers 0 Carlisle United 2 (Noble 35 86)
Teams – ROVERS – Gary Woods; Andy Griffin, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr; James Coppinger, Dean Furman, John Lundstram, David Cotterill; Kyle Bennett, Chris Brown
Subs used – Billy Paynter for Bennett 65 mins; Iain Hume for Coppinger 77 mins; James Husband for Griffin 88 mins;
Subs not used – Liam Wakefield, James Harper, Cameron Howieson, Neil Sullivan gk
Caution – Furman 37 mins; Spurr 72 mins; Griffin 78 mins;
Carlisle United – Mark Gillespie; Brad Potts, Danny Livesey, Sean O’Hanlon, Jordan Mustoe; Liam Noble, Paul Thirlwell, James Berrett, Jon-Paul McGovern; Andy Welsh, Lee Miller ©
Subs used – Danny Cadamarteri for Thirlwell 64 mins;
Subs not used – Peter Murphy, Rory Loy, Mathieu Manset, Mike Edwards, Mark Beck, Adam Collin gk
Cautions – Noble 45+1 mins;