Rovers 3 Wigan 0
Saturday, 18th January 2014 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Sky Bet League Championship
Referee - Mr Keith Hill
Attendance - 8,331 (1,731 visitors)
A cold but fine afternoon, after morning rain, welcomed Wigan Athletic to the Keepmoat Stadium for the first time. It was the first meeting of the two teams in a League match at Doncaster since February 1997.
Rovers made several changes from the previous week, with Mark Duffy, Paul Keegan and new signing Gabriel Tamas all starting.
Rovers kicked off but Wigan were soon on the attack, winning a corner in the 4th minute, which was headed high over the bar by Browning at the far post.
Then Tamas put Coppinger in down the Rovers right, where he cut in and from the edge of the area put a shot wide of the far post.
The first goal arrived in the 7th minute, for the Rovers. An attack down the right ended with Coppinger laying the ball back to Keegan, who crossed to the middle where BROWN, unmarked, side-footed into the net.
A couple of corners to Rovers followed but came to nothing.
Wigan then went on to the attack, with Maynard receiving the ball just right of the post. Getting to the angle of the six-yard box he fired for the near top corner but Turnbull was there to tip over.
In the 15th minute Powell, for the visitors was played in on goal. From about twelve yards he lifted the ball over the oncoming Turnbull and onto the top of the net.
Rovers were having more of the game, with Wigan trying hard to keep them at bay and get their game going.
On the half hour, a good run through the middle by Wellens forced a corner followed by a second one. This was cleared.
Play had evened out as the time ran down to the break, with neither side settling to play football. It was frenetic but neither keeper was troubled overmuch.
In added time Forrester got in a cross from the left touchline past the far post for Brown to get in a good header but it was blocked and put out for a corner.
Half Time - Doncaster Rovers 1 Wigan Athletic 0
Wigan got the second half underway and immediately won a corner, which was placed past the far post for Boyce to head back but it was deflected for another corner.
The visitors kept the home team in their own half for the first five minutes but then the Rovers got their game going.
In the 52nd minute a good build-up between Coppinger and Wellens led to the latter trying to shoot past the keeper at the post. It bounced back off the keeper and both WELLENS and Coppinger went for it and squeezed it inside the post.
Rovers were now really on their mettle and playing well.
In the 63rd minute Coppinger got into penalty area and lining up his shot when he was barged over but the referee said no penalty.
Wigan broke quickly out of defence when a Rovers attack broke down in the 67th minute and it was four against one, Tamas, who did well to hold them up but the ball dropped to Barnett, who fired high and wide from about 25yards.
The 69th minute brought another goal for the Rovers when Husband tore down the left flank and into the penalty area before being upended. No hesitation by the referee and the penalty was given. BROWN stepped up and planted it wide of the keeper's right sided dive.
This effectually sealed the win because try as Wigan did they were held by some good defending, with the Rovers attack also causing the visitors enough problems to keep their defence back where they should be.
A terrific display and a cracking win for the Rovers, their best of the season.
Result - Doncaster Rovers 3 (Brown 7 pen69 Wellens 52) Wigan Athletic 0
Teams - ROVERS - Ross Turnbull; Gabriel Tamas, Bongani Khumalo, Abdoulaye Meite, James Husband; James Coppinger, Richie Wellens (c), Paul Keegan, Mark Duffy; Harry Forrester, Chris Brown.
Subs used - Dean Furman for Keegan 78 mins; David Cotterill for Forrester 81 mins; Marc De Val for Wellens 90+1 mins;
Subs not used - Paul Quinn, Alex Peterson, Enda Stevens, Jon Maxted gk.
Caution - Tamas 43 mins; Keegan 78 mins.
Wigan Athletic - Ali Al Habsi; Tylas Browning, Emmerson Boyce (c), Leon Barnett, Jean Beasejour, James McArthur, Ben Watson, Chris McCann, Jordi Gomez, Nicky Maynard, Nick Powell
Subs used - Callum McManaman for Gomez 61 mins; Marc-Antoine Fortune for Watson 65 mins; Roger Espinosa for Maynard 79 mins;
Subs not used - Stephen Crainey, James Perch, Rob Kiernan, Lee Nicholls gk.
Caution - McManaman 73 mins.