Doncaster Rovers

Blackpool  1 Doncaster Rovers 1                                                                                                                   

Saturday, 25th January 2014 at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool                                                                                  

Sky Bet League Championship                                                                                                                                                                           

Referee - Mr David Coote                                               

Attendance - 13,468 (938 visitors)

It was cold, wet and very windy day at the seaside for today's game. 

Rovers made one change from last week, with the return of the prodigal son, Billy Sharp, who replaced  Harry Forrester.

The home team made four changes under their caretaker-manager, Barry Ferguson, who was one of the four to drop out. Tony McMahon, on loan from Sheffield United made his debut for the Seasiders, with David Perkins, Michael Chopra and Nathan Eccleston also starting.

Blackpool got the game going  and went straight on to the attack. In the third minute, Khumalo brought down Davies, who threatened to break through. The referee deemed it worthy of a yellow rather than a red card because of other players being nearby. McMahon put the free kick wide of the far post. 

The 6th minute brought Rovers first attack when Tamas put over a good cross from the right, which Brown headed wide of the far post.

Two minutes later and Robinson, cut in along the left byline before shooting but Turnbull beat it out at the near post for a corner.

Then Davies got in behind the Rovers back line and tried to lift the ball over Turnbull but it was a poor effort that Turnbull easily caught.

Blackpool were having most of the possession, with the Rovers unable to get their game going.

In the 18th minute Eccleston cut in from the home left and hit a good right foot shot just past the far post.

Davies then followed this by threading the ball through  from the home left to Chopra on the Rovers six yard line. Unaccountably he miskicked the ball and Khumalo cleared. 

Basham, for the home team, tried his luck from 35yards but put over the bar.  Past the half hour and Basham headed over following a free kick on the Blackpool right.

As the last ten minutes of the first half came up, Rovers got more into the game without troubling the keeper, Gilks.

In the 42nd minute a misplaced pass by Husband was seized on by Chopra but Turnbull pushed his effort away for a corner.

As the 45th minute came up a good cross from Coppinger on the Rovers right was met with a diving header by Sharp, about 15 yards out, but it went wide of the near post.

Into added time and Ecclestone got to the left byline before chipping the ball to the far post for the big man, Basham, to head the ball down but Turnbull got to it and cleared off the line for a corner, which was headed wide by Basham at the near post.

Half Time - Blackpool 0 Doncaster Rovers 0

Rovers got the second half underway but it was the home team who got the first strike at goal when Perkins shot over from 20yards. Keegan followed this with a shot from 25yards that Gilks saved comfortably.    

Blackpool then won a corner that was cleared and in the 56th minute Davies and Chopra both went for a ball just outside the six yard area, with the ball being skewed over the bar.

Past the hour and Coppinger had a twenty-five yarder saved by Gilks and McMahon, for the home team, fired over from a free kick.

In the 65th minute Davies skied his effort high over the bar from 25yards.

Minutes later Rovers won a corner, which came out to Coppinger but his effort from 25yards was saved.

Rovers , enjoying their best spell of the game, won another corner in the 70th minute, which came out of the Blackpool defence to Keegan, who put it back in for Brown, beating the offside, to shoot over from 8yards.

Duffy then had a shot deflected for another corner to the Rovers but nothing came from it.

Then, in the 78th minute, Blackpool made the breakthrough. A bout of head tennis, with Rovers failing to clear their lines, gave HALLIDAY the chance to shoot past Turnbull for the opening goal.

The Rovers tried to hit back and in the 85th minute were awarded a free kick on the left touchline halfway in the home half. Husband put it over the defence for SHARP to divert into goal for an equaliser.

Two minutes later Cotterill crossed from the left to the far post to Sharp but his header landed on top of the bar.

Both clubs battled away for a winner but the referee blew time on a one-all draw. A good point to get  for Rovers.

Teams - Blackpool - Matt Gilks; Tony McMahon, Kirk Broadfoot (c), Craig Cathcart, Jack Robinson; David Perkins, Chris Basham, Isaiah Osbourne; Nathan Ecclestone, Steven Davies, Michael Chopra                                  Subs used - Andy Halliday for Chopra 66 mins; David Goodwillie for Eccleston 66 mins; Nathan Tyson for Davies 81mins;                                                                                                                                    Subs not used - James Caton, Adam Dodd, Angel Martinez, Tony Warner gk                                         

             Caution - McMahon 88 mins;

ROVERS -    Ross Turnbull; Gabriel Tamas, Bongani Khumalo, Abdoulaye Meite, James Husband; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens (c), Paul Keegan, Mark Duffy; Billy Sharp, Chris Brown                                                         Subs used - David Cotterill for Duffy 82 mins;                                                                                                                                                                 

                  Subs not used - Paul Quinn, Dean Furman, Marc De Val, Alex Peterson, Enda Stevens, Jon Maxted  gk                                                                                                                                                                 Caution - Khumalo 3 mins;