Good Friday, 18th April 2014
Skybet League Championship
Doncaster Rovers 0 Derby County 2
Referee – Mr Simon Hooper
Attendance – 11,405 (3,341 visitors)
As the sun went down there was a chill in the air as Rovers and Derby County prepared to do battle in front of the Sky TV cameras.
Rovers had James Husband out with a hamstring injury and Richie Wellens wasn’t fit enough to play so Enda Stevens started a t left back and Dean Furman kept his place in midfield.
Derby County were unchanged from their last game and appeared in a snazzy all blue outfit with a broad diagonal yellow stripe on the front of the shirt.
Rovers hit their stride from the off and in the 4th minute nearly went ahead when Keogh, on the right of his area passed back to Grant, who was out of his goal. The ball went wide of the keeper and was all set to roll into the net when Grant scurried back and cleared off the goal-line.
A corner followed shortly after for the Rovers as they kept their momentum going.
Derby then started to get their game going but in the 13th minute Cotterill won the ball on the halfway line took it on but shot wide from 25yards.
On the quarter hour a cross from the Derby left skimmed off the back of Meite’s head causing Johnstone to tip over the bar for a corner. This was put out for another corner which was cleared.
In the 22nd minute, Coppinger and Tamas linked on the right and a great cross from Tamas was headed under the bar by Brown but Grant managed to tip it over the bar.
Four minutes later and an exact replica of the previous move ended with Grant tipping Brown’s header away for his defence to clear.
A fairly even game developed in midfield as the game moved on to the interval, with each side trying hard to get the breakthrough.
Then, in the 45th minute, Hughes in the Rovers D laid the ball back to THORNE, who hit a low drive from about 30yards that flew into the bottom corner of the net past the despairing dive of Johnstone.
Half Time – Doncaster Rovers 0 Derby County 1
Rovers got the second half going and went straight on to the attack.
Five minutes in and a quick break down the Derby right by Wisdom saw him shoot across goal and out for a goal kick.
At the other end Furman ended a Rovers attack by firing over from 25yards. Then Martin, for Derby, went clear on the right but Johnstone pushed his shot out for a corner, which was then put out for another corner.
Rovers then forced successive corners but nothing came from them. Cotterill then had a good run but shot wide from 25yards and followed this with a good cross but Grant caught it well before Brown got to it.
Past the hour and a free kick by Cotterill was headed wide at the far post by Tamas. As Rovers continued to press, Cotterill blazed high and wide from distance.
In the 76th minute Robinson got in on goal but Grant was out quickly to block his shot.
However, in the 80th minute, Derby broke down their right and when the cross came in MARTIN, just past the far post on the six yard line put the ball past Johnstone with the outside of his right foot.
Try as the Rovers might they could not pierce the Derby defence despite some good build-ups.
Into added time and Ward, coming in from the Derby right tried to chip Johnstone, who was off his line but the keeper got a hand to the ball and steered it out for a corner.
It just wasn’t Rovers night as they slipped to another home defeat.
Teams – Doncaster Rovers – Sam Johnstone; Gabriel Tamas, Paul Quinn, Abdoulaye Meite, Enda Stevens; James Coppinger, Paul Keegan ©, Dean Furman, David Cotterill; Chris Brown, Billy Sharp
Subs used – Theo Robinson for Sharp 66 mins; Mark Duffy for Furman 75 mins ; Marc De Val for Brown 89 mins
Subs not used – Luke McCullough, Jamie McCombe, Lewis Ferguson, Jon Maxted gk
Cautions – Quinn 64 mins; De Val 90+4mins;
Derby County – Lee Grant; Andre Wisdom, Richard Keogh ©, Jake Buxton, Craig Forsyth; George Thorne, Will Hughes, Craig Bryson, Patrick Bamford; Chris Martin, Johnny Russell
Subs used – Jamie Ward for Bamford 50 mins; Simon Dawkins for Russell 61 mins; Jeff Hendrick for Hughes 81 mins;
Subs not used – John Eustace, Conor Sammon, Zak Whitbread, Adam Legzdins gk
Cautions – Bryson 19 mins; Martin 70 mins: