Dickov's men edged out in thriller by Bolton Wanderers who take all three Sky Bet Championship points.
Tuesday, 8th April 2014 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Skybet League Championship
Doncaster Rovers 1 Bolton Wanderers 2
Referee – Mr Gary Sutton
Attendance – 7,508 (717 visitors)
A cool but fine evening was the setting for Bolton Wanderers to play their first League match in Doncaster since December 1986.
Rovers welcomed back their iconic captain and midfielder Richie Wellens and Abdoulaye Meite back after injury kept them out of the Birmingham game.
Rovers kicked and won a corner in the 2nd minute and put it back for Coppinger but it was intercepted and cleared.
Two minutes on and the first shot at goal of the game came when Cotterill had a go from 20yards but put wide.
Then, in the 7th minute, came a big blow for the Rovers when Hutton, on his own on the Bolton right and halfway in Rovers half, received the ball and squared it for DANNS to shoot hard and low just inside the post to put the visitors in front.
Rovers tried to hit back and, following a corner, Keegan got in a good header but Bogdan saved.
But on the quarter hour Rovers were caught out again when MASON received the ball on the right angle of the six-yard box and, despite the presence of three Rovers players he rifled low across the keeper into the far bottom corner.
Three minutes on and Rovers were awarded a free kick in a cetral position about 30yards out. COTTERILL placed the ball into the keeper’s top right hand corner of the net.
In the 21st minute, Jutkiewicz cut in from the right and unleashed a terrific drive from 25yards that Johnstone tipped over for a corner, Knight got a good header in that was going under the bar before Johnstone tipped it over.
Then Coppinger gave the ball inside to Keegan and his low shot was deflected for a corner. The corner kick came out of the Bolton defence to Coppinger outside the penalty area but he volleyed it high and wide.
On the half hour Lee on the Bolton laid the ball back to Danns on the edge of the penalty area but he fired over the bar. Then Jutkiewicz, on the Bolton left, had a go from 30yards but Johnstone saved.
Immediately, at the other end, Cotterill had a good run on the left before cutting inside and shooting over the bar from the edge of the area.
Sharp then had a shot blocked after good work on the Rovers right. In the 42nd minute successive corners to the Rovers led to the ball being knocked on to the top of the bar following the second corner,
In to added time and a great cross by Sharp on the right touchline was headed on goal but Bogdan saved.
Half Time - Doncaster Rovers 01 Bolton Wanderers 2
Rovers came out in the second half full of fire which had no doubt been inbued into them by the Manager. Only good defensive work by the Bolton rearguard prevented Furman stabbing the ball into the net.
Then successive corners for Rovers brought a header from Sharp to the second one but he put it over the bar.
In the 60th minute Husband had a good shout for a penalty when he was felled in the area but the referee awarded a corner.
Rovers were fired up and over running Bolton at this stage but couldn’t make the final breakthrough. A cross from Husband was headed wide in the 69th minute.
In the 72nd minute Bolton started to get back into the game when Danns had a crack from 25 yards that Johnstone saved.
But Rovers were going hard for at least an equaliser but the two big men in the middle of the defence were equal to every cross that came in.
A free kick to Bolton from their left in the 82nd minute was placed by Ream to the far post where Trotter got a good header on goal but Johnstone saved well.
In the 88th minute, with the Rovers continually pressing, Tamas put over a cross that was met at the far post by a diving Brown but he couldn’t get enough on it and put wide.
Into five minutes added time and a cross from Coppinger on the right was headed wide by Cotterill. Meanwhile Rovers were leaving themselves short at the back and Bolton could easily have added a couple of goals to their total in the dying seconds. Firstly Beckford bore in from the right but fired across goal and out at the other side of goal for a goal kick then Danns had a clear sight of goal but shot wide.
Result – Doncaster Rovers 1 (Cotterill 18) Bolton Wanderers 2 (Danns 7 Mason 15)
Teams – ROVERS – Sam Johnstone; Lucas Neill, Paul Quinn, Abdoulaye Meite, James Husband; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens ©, Paul Keegan, David Cotterill; Chris Brown, Billy Sharp
Subs used – Dean Furman for Wellens 35 mins; Gabriel Tamas for Neill 66 mins;
Subs not used – Mark Duffy, Marc De Val, Theo Robinson, Enda Stevens, Jon Maxted gk
Caution – Husband 82 mins;
Bolton Wanderers – Adam Bogdan; Alan Hutton, Tim Ream, Jay Spearing ©, Zak Knight, Neil Danns, Joe Mason, Chung-Yong Lee, Lucas Jutkiewicz, David Wheater, Mohamed Kamara
Subs used – Liam Trotter for Mason 68 mins; Jermaine Beckford for Lee 89 mins;
Subs not used – Matt Mills, Robert Hall, Andre Moritz, Alex Baptiste, Andy Lonergan gk
Caution – Danns 81 mins;