Doncaster Rovers

REPORT: Bolton 3 Rovers 0

Rovers made one change from the starting eleven at Birmingham, David Cotterill coming in for James Coppinger, who dropped to the bench. 

The home team, who lost at home to Huddersfield Town in midweek, made five changes. Medo, Zat Knight, Jermaine Beckford, Rob Hall and Neil Danns were relegated to the bench and Alex Baptiste, Chris Eagles, Darren Pratley, Chung-Yong Lee and Joe Mason replaced them. 

Rovers defended the South Stand end in front of their supporters in the first half.

A minute’s applause in memory of Nelson Mandela was perfectly observed.

Rovers started on the attack but the home team won a corner in the fifth minute, which came to nothing. 

They continued to press over the next ten minutes. Moritz put wide from 25yards and another corner yielded nothing for the home team. 

In the 18^th minute the Rovers won a free kick on their right and after a bout of inter passing it was put out for a corner to the Rovers. A thumping header by Khumalo in the middle hit the post and rebounded back into play.

Back came Bolton and a low cross from the left by Moritz came to Pratley about 15yards out with a clear sight of goal but he fired well wide. 

Past the half hour and only a last ditch tackle by Wellens on the edge of the six yard box stopped the home team scoring. 

However, it was only a stay of execution because a minute later, the 33rd, Mason received from Moritz just past the post on the right. The Bolton man’s shot was going out but hit McCULLOUGH  and took a huge deflection  into the net. 

Piling the pressure on the Rovers defence was all at sea in the 39th minute when MORITZ hit a low drive from the right that hit the far post and bounced into the net. 

Although Rovers tried to come back the home team penned them in their own half more or less to the break. 

Half Time – Bolton Wanderers 2 Doncaster Rovers 0

Rovers made a change at half time, Duffy being replaced by Brown. 

Three minutes in and Robinson, on the Rovers right, hit a left footer that Lonergan saved going down to his right. 

Then the home team took over again, with three successive corners as Rovers defence defended well before getting the ball away. 

Just before the hour a quick break by Bolton following a Rovers attack gave Pratley the chance of a shot from the left angle of the penalty area but he put wide of the far post. 

Past the hour and Rovers got forward to win a corner. Coppinger put it across, it was missed by everybody and went out for a throw in.

It was practically all Bolton to the finish, with Rovers seemingly having no answer to their abilities to keep the ball and move forward as a unit. They had dominated the game from start to finish.

In the third minute of added time the home team attacked down the right and the ball reached DANNS just outside the penalty area. His low drive just inside the near post sent the Bolton crowd home happy.

Result – Bolton Wanderers 3 (Mason 33 McCullough o.g. 39 Danns 90+3) Doncaster Rovers 0

Teams – Bolton Wanderers – Andy Lonergen; Kevin McNaughton Tim Ream, Matt Mills, Alex Baptiste; Chung-Yong Lee, Andre Moritz, Jay Spearing ©, Chris Eagles; Darren Pratley; Joe Mason

Subs used – Neil Danns for Eagles 70 mins; Medo for Pratley 84 mins; Rob Hall for Pratley 86 mins;

Subs not used – David Ngog, Jermaine Beckford, Zat Knight, Arran Lee-Barrett gk

Caution – Pratley 71 mins;

ROVERS – Ross Turnbull; Paul Quinn, Bongani Khumalo, Luke McCullough, Enda Stevens; David Cotterill, Richie Wellens ©, Dean Furman, Mark Duffy; Theo Robinson, Federico Macheda

Subs used – Chris Brown for Duffy 46 mins; James Coppinger for Cotterill 60 mins; Billy Paynter for Macheda 70 mins;

Subs not used - Liam Wakefield, Martin Woods, Marc De Val, Jon Maxted gk