Big spending Nottingham Forest visit the Keepmoat this weekend looking to add points to their promotion ambitions but they won’t find Rovers in charitable mood.
In recent history a trip to face Rovers hasn’t been a fruitful one for the Tricky Trees, who have only won one of the last six games played in Doncaster.
In December 2006 Forest came to town sat proudly at the top of League One and would have been many people’s favourites to take all three points. Rovers were in the midst of a tremendous run of form of their own, unbeaten since October spanning ten games in all competitions.
It was a historic game which saw the end of an era as it was to be the final game played at Belle Vue before a move to our current home.
Sean O Driscoll’s side were determined to give the old stadium a good send off and were to go close within 15 minutes, Jonathan Forte was played in by Paul Heffernan but the winger pulled his shot just across goal with Forest ‘keeper Paul Smith grasping at air.
Rovers went close within a few seconds upon the half hour mark, Brian Stock feeding Heffernan whose instinctive first time effort was well saved by Smith, the ball fell to James Coppinger but he couldn’t hit the target.
Just before the break the final chance of the half fell to the visitors as the dangerous Nathan Tyson outpaced Theo Streete and crossed for Grant Holt who turned the ball goalwards only to see it shave the outside of the upright and go wide.
Following the restart the combination of Tyson and Holt were again within inches of opening the scoring with Tyson doing the leg work before crossing but this time Holt missed his kick but behind him was Nicky Southall bursting from midfield, however he too mistimed his kick and the ball rolled harmlessly to safety.
That second warning shot down the flank spurred on Streete to push forward with an attack of his own as he took things into his own hands, smashing a shot from fully 35 yards goalwards which Paul Smith couldn’t keep out.
The league leaders tried instantly to restore parity and Kris Commons arrowed a shot narrowly wide of the mark but it just wasn’t to be their day as Rovers resolute defending and confident keeping from Ben Smith were to see the final game at the grand old stadium finish with three points for Rovers.