10 men Rovers battle for a point at Cantley Park
Saturday, 18th January, 2014 at Cantley Park, Doncaster
Football League Youth Alliance, North-East Conference
DONCASTER ROVERS Youth 1 Lincoln City Youth 1
Referee – Mr P Saunders
A cold and wet winter’s morning saw the Rovers U18 team, down to ten men for over an hour, salvage a draw in their match against Lincoln City.
Rovers started well and had a header from Askins cleared off the line in the first five minutes following a corner.
However, Lincoln hit back in the 14th minute when Simmons, son of Tony of Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Lincoln City fame, was played in on goal but McLaren was out quickly and as the shot came in he spread himself and saved with his legs.
The game developed as a midfield battle culminating in Steadman being shown a straight red card for a foul on Bowles in the 27th minute, with the Lincoln man receiving a caution.
This put the Rovers on the back foot as the visitors tried to take advantage of their numerical advantage. This they did early in the second half, the 48th minute, when Rob SMITH ran on to a through ball down the middle and go on to slot past McLaren and take the lead.
The Rovers defence had been caught short at the back following a Rovers attack but they continued to put pressure on the visitors defence so that Lincoln’s forays to the Rovers end were kept to a minimum.
The Rovers efforts were rewarded in the 76th minute when Brown, with a good run, got into the penalty area and was then brought down. FERGUSON stepped up and put the ball past Henry Smith in the Lincoln goal from the resultant penalty.
As the game ran down to the close the Rovers were well on top possession-wise so that it was a case of when would a winning goal come. But the Lincoln defenders got their bodies in the way to block shots and defended well so that the match ended all square.
Rovers – Jack McLaren; Mitchell Lund, Jacob Dawson, Jack Steadman, Ben Askins, Scott Brown ©, Lewis Ferguson, Spencer Lund, Jack McKay, Liam Mandeville, Billy Whitehouse
Subs used – Aaron Gordon for Whitehouse 63 mins; Alex Head for Jack McKay 63 mins; Jordan Linley for Mandeville 89 mins;
Subs not used – Joseph McCormick
Sent Off – Steadman 27 mins;
Lincoln City – Henry Smith; Nick Green, Kieran Walker, Kegan Everington, Callum Ward, Jordan Cooke, Alex Simmons, Matt Bowles, Josh Barr-Rostron, Matt Cotton, Rob Smith
Subs used – Jordan Harper for Cotton 46 mins;
Subs not used – Marlon Grundy, Connor Griffin, Andy Wright, Kieran Hellsdown
Caution – Bowles 27 mins;