Middlesbrough 4 Doncaster Rovers 0
Friday, 25th October 2013 at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Skybet League Championship
Referee – Mr Michael Naylor
Attendance – 21,882 (620 visitors)
Rovers were without Richie Wellens, who was suspended for totting up five cautions but Rob Jones reported fit and took his place at the centre of the Rovers defence. Included on the bench was loan signing Yun Suk Young, a left back, signed today on loan from QPR and Alex Peterson replacing Kyle Bennett, who has gone on loan to Crawley Town.
The home team made half a dozen changes from last Saturday’s defeat at Barnsley. There was also a new man in charge, Mark Venus taking over as caretaker manager after Tony Mowbray left the club at the beginning of the week.
So, how will the Rovers perform tonight in front of the Sky Sports cameras?
The Rovers set the ball rolling and in the second minute won a free kick on the right, which was placed to the far side of goal for Jones to get in a header from 15yards but it was straight at Steele, who saved.
In the 5th minute, Carayol cut in from the home left but shot wide from just outside the penalty area. Straight to the other end and Coppinger from the right fired wide of the far post.
Then, in the 8th minute, calamity for the Rovers, when Rovers were caught square at the back and the ball was lofted over them for ADOMAH to run on to and lift over Turnbull from 25yards and into the net.
The Rovers then won a corner but nothing came from it and Middlesbrough retaliated likewise.
In the 18th minute, Carayol cut in from the home left and from the edge of the penalty area hit a fierce drive that Turnbull could only beat away.
Three minutes later and Wabara got in a strike from 25yards but Steele saved comfortably.
The 25th minute saw action at both ends when Carayol crossed from the left for the home team and Kamara headed over, Duffy then received in midfield, put out to Coppinger on the right, inside to Keegan, who hit it high and wide from 25yards.
Kamara, received on the home left, passed inside to Emnes, who laid it back to Carayol but he fired over from 12 yards.
Past the half hour and Emnes dallied with his shot and lost the chance to hit the target but won the corner.
Then, in the 35th minute, the home team extended their lead. Smallwood had a shot blocked but a cross came in from the left for ADOMAH to get the highest and head into the net.
The rovers were still enjoying a fair amount of the possession but could not convert it into goals.
A corner from Duffy in the 44th minute was placed into the six-yard box but two Rovers blue shirts could not make contact and it went out. Into added time and another corner from Duffy was punched away by Steele. Duffy collected and put it back into the area but Steele punched away again and it was cleared. In the third minute of added time, Carayol sprung offside and faced Turnbull, who stuck out an arm to turn away the shot for his defence to clear.
Half Time – Middlesbrough 2 Doncaster Rovers 0
The Rovers started brightly and in the second minute a free kick from their right was put to the far post by Duffy. A home defender tried to clear but miskicked and just put it outside the post for a corner.
Even play followed until the 55th minute when a good combined move down the Rovers right between Duffy and Coppinger but good defending kept the Rovers at bay as Brown and Robinson tried to get in shots.
Two minutes later and another good attack by the Rovers was foiled again. Then, Gibson, for the home team, crossed from the left. It came out of the Rovers defence to Smallwood, who shot over from 30yards.
Middlesbrough got their game going and in the 68th minute added a third goal. A free kick on their left was placed to the foot of the far post where KAMARA had the simple task of guiding it into the net.
The Rovers were now pretty much on the back foot. Leadbitter had a cracker from 30yards beaten out by Turnbull and minutes later Emnes shot wide from just inside the area. Emnes then passed inside to Kamara, who casually side footed well wide.
In the 80th minute Coppinger and Cotterill combined for Brown to get in a good strike which Steele had to go down to his right to push away.
The 83rd minute brought a fourth goal for Middlesbrough when, following a corner, AYALA, got to the ball before Turnbull and bulletted a header into the net.
A comprehensive defeat for the Rovers against a revitalised Middlesbrough side
Result – Middlesbrough 4 (Adomah 8 35 Kamara 68 Ayala 83) Doncaster Rovers 0
Teams – Middlesbrough – Jason Steele; Rhys Williams, Jonathan Woodgate ©, Daniel Ayala, Ben Gibson; Albert Adomah, Grant Leadbitter, Richard Smallwood, Mustapha Carayol; Marvin Emnes, Kei Kamara Subs used - Jacob Butterfield for Carayol 81 mins; Curtis Main for Kamara 87 mins; Jozsef Varga for Adomah 90+1 mins; Subs not used – George Friend, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Seb Hines, Jason Leutwiler gk
Caution – Emnes 28 mins;
Doncaster Rovers – Ross Turnbull; Paul Quinn, Bongani Khumalo, Rob Jones ©, Reece Wabara; Mark Duffy, Paul Keegan, Dean Furman, James Coppinger; Theo Robinson, Chris Brown
Subs used – Yun Suk Young for Quinn 46 mins; David Cotterill for Furman 76 mins;
Subs not used – Billy Paynter, Luke McCullough, Marc de Val, Alex Peterson, Jon Maxted gk
Caution – Robinson 90+2 mins;