Goals from captain Rob Jones and Chris Brown secure Rovers all three points.
Saturday, 19th January, 2013 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Npower League 1
DONCASTER ROVERS 2 Leyton Orient 0
Referee – Mr Darren Drysdale
Attendance – 6,438 (197 visitors)
The Rovers made one change for the game against Leyton Orient, James Coppinger, who had been presented with a memento before the game to celebrate his 300th League game, started in place of Iain Hume, who injured his calf in training yesterday. The pitch was in good condition having been well covered against the snow that had fallen over the last couple of days.
The Rovers kicked off and soon got into their stride although it was the 9th minute before they brought Jamie Jones, the Orient keeper, into the game, when Cotterill hit a stinging shot from 25yards that the keeper had to tip over. Continuing to have the better of the game some brilliant football on the Rovers left between Coppinger, Bennett and Syers led to the latter curling a shot from the edge of the penalty area for the far corner that the keeper, diving to his left, tipped round the post for a corner. Cotterill took the kick and placed it to the penalty spot where Rob JONES bulleted a header into the net in the 18th minute. Then Cotterill, in the 27th minute, got down the Rovers right but his low cross was intercepted and put out for a corner. Cotterill took the corner and put it to the near post about eight yards out where Coppinger glanced a header on goal, which Jamie Jones saved brilliantly. The Rovers continued to boss the midfield, although Jamie Jones wasn’t unduly troubled for the rest of the half, whilst Woods, in the Rovers goal was relatively unemployed. The visitors were awarded a free kick on their right near the corner flag, which Cox took but it was easily cleared. The break arrived with the Rovers, having played some good football, leading by a single goal.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers 1 Leyton Orient 0
The Orient got the second half going but in the second minute Brown was played in on the Rovers left but placed his shot from an angle wide of the far post. Five minutes later and good play by Cotterill , on the right, to Syers, in the middle, to Bennett, on the left, gave the latter a chance to shoot from the byline or pull it back but he overbalanced and the ball went out for a goal kick. Then, in the 54th minute, a ball played down the line on the Rovers right put BROWN clear on goal and as the keeper came out he calmly put the ball through the keeper’s legs and into the net. Minutes later Orient got a sight of the Rovers goal but Mooney put wide from 20yards. The Rovers were still running the show and in the 65th minute Keegan put wide from 30yards followed three minutes later by Bennett doing the same from a bit closer. Dominating the midfield and playing good football it was goals the Rovers needed to improve their goal difference. In the 81st minute the O’s won their first corner of the game but it was easily cleared. In the 87th minute, Quinn went down the inside right channel and fired low from the edge of the penalty area across the face of goal only to see the ball hit the far post and bounce out to Bennett on the left. He hit a curler across the keeper for the far corner but Chorley was stationed there to head off the line. The Orient tried hard throughout but the Rovers were too good for them and in the end it was a comfortable win.
Result – Doncaster Rovers 2 (Jones 18 Brown 54) Leyton Orient 0
Teams – ROVERS – Gary Woods; Paul Quinn, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones (c), Tommy Spurr; David Cotterill, David Syers, Paul Keegan, Kyle Bennett; James Coppinger, Chris Brown
Subs used – Emile Sinclair for Coppinger 72 mins; Robbie Blake for Cotterill 89 mins;
Subs not used – Shelton Martis, Andy Griffin, James Harper, Lee Fowler, Jon Maxted gk
Caution – Quinn 84 mins;
Leyton Orient – Jamie Jones; Leon McSweeney, Scott Cuthbert, Ben Chorley ©, Gary Sawyer; Moses Odubajo, Jimmy Smith, Antony Griffith, Dean Cox; Charlie McDonald, Ade Azeez
Subs used – David Mooney for Azeez 46 mins; Lee Cook for McSweeney 58 mins; Martin Rowlands for Griffith 79 mins;
Subs not used – Michael Symes, Lloyd James, Lee Butcher gk