Jamie McCombe scored a late winner, in a game that Rovers dominated, to extend the lead at the top of League One.
Easter Monday, 1 April 2013 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Npower League 1
DONCASTER ROVERS 1 Swindon Town 0
Referee - Mr Paul Tierney
Attendance – 8,106 (677 visitors)
The Rovers made two changes from the starting line-up against Coventry City, Dean Furman coming in for James Husband and Kyle Bennett replacing Iain Hume. Swindon made three changes from their last game, against Oldham, Nathan Byrne replacing Nathan Thompson, James Collins and Adam Rooney coming in for Gary Roberts and Andy Williams. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half before the Sky Sports cameras, who were showing the match live.
The Rovers got off to a bright start on a hard, bumpy pitch that militated against good football. The visitors, however, got the first strike on goal in the 4th minute but Parrett fired over from 25yards. The Rovers had the better of the play over the next ten minutes but only had a 30yard strike from Furman that went wide to show for it. Then Furman had a terrific shot from just inside the visitor’s penalty area that was blocked and cleared. In the 19th minute a good run down the Rovers left by Cotterill but his cross to the near post was pushed out by Foderingham for a corner, which the keeper caught well and cleared. The game evened out a bit but was mainly being played out in midfield. Past the half hour and Swindon won successive corners but they came to nothing. In the 37th minute a loose pass by Griffin was picked up by McCormack, who took it on before firing high over the bar from about 25yards on the left. Griffin then linked with Cotterill on the right and from the byline hit a low cross for Brown at the far post but it was intercepted by Flint, who nearly put it into his own net but Ward cleared off the line, Minutes later and Parrett, for Swindon, fired over the bar from 30 yards. The Rovers attacked to the half whistle but were not troubling the keeper. In fact neither keeper had a real save to make throughout the first half.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers 0 Swindon Town 0
Swindon got the second half underway but the Rovers were awarded a free kick for a foul on Bennett in the second minute. The ball was cleared out to Furman but he fired wide from the edge of the penalty area. Minutes later and Lundstram was first to a ball out of the Swindon defence. He linked with Furman, who put out to Bennett on the right but his shot from the edge of the area was saved and collected at the second attempt by the keeper. In the 53rd minute, Brown crossed from the left high to the far post where, under challenge by Bennett he could only punch it out for a corner, which Cotterill placed to the far post where in a bit of a melee it went out and after some indecision the referee gave a goal kick. The Rovers pressed on, with only sporadic attacks from Swindon. Past the hour and Cotterill went down the left before crossing low to the middle for Brown, who was ready to pull the trigger when a defender stuck a foot in front of him. In the 66th minute, a free kick from Cotterill was headed for goal by McCombe at the far post but Foderingham brilliantly tipped it round the post for a corner. This came out of the Swindon defence to Griffin, who fired wide. The pressure was continuous, another corner came to nothing and then a free kick by Cotterill from 35yards was going just inside the near post when the keeper got to it and pushed it out for a corner. Another corner followed, which Brown headed over. The Rovers were playing some good football. Another corner in the 80th minute from Cotterill was placed to the middle where McCOMBE got highest and headed down and into the net. Swindon tried to hit back but the Rovers were not going to be denied. Woods had not been troubled throughout the half and his defence saw to it that he would complete the match with a clean sheet. The Rovers had played well and were back on the winning trail.
Result – Doncaster Rovers 1 (McCombe 80) Swindon Town 0
Teams – ROVERS – Gary Woods; Andy Griffin, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr; James Coppinger, John Lundstram, Dean Furman, David Cotterill; Kyle Bennett, Chris Brown
Subs used – Iain Hume for Bennett 66 mins; Billy Paynter for Brown 88 mins;
Subs not used – James Husband, Liam Wakefield, Emile Sinclair, James Harper, Neil Sullivan gk
Swindon Town – Wes Foderingham; Nathan Byrne, Aden Flint, Darren Ward, Alan McCormack ©; Massimo Luongo, Alan Navarro, Simon Ferry, Dean Parrett, James Collins, Adam Rooney
Subs used – Raffaele De Vita for Parrett 82 mins; Gary Roberts for Navarro 82 mins;
Subs not used – Joe Devera, Luke Rooney, Louis Thompson, Mark Francis, Leigh Bedwell gk