Saturday, 8th March 2014 at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Skybet League Championship
Doncaster Rovers 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Referee - Mr Mark Haywood
Attendance - 9,305 (2,831 visitors)
It was a fine but windy afternoon for this Yorkshire derby game. The visitors were unchanged from their 5-0 win over Barnsley last week, whilst Rovers made four changes to their side. Out was Khumalo, injured while playing for South Africa in midweek, Coppinger, his wife had gone into labour, Jordan Bowery and Dean Furman. In came Paul Quinn, with Tamas moving to centre half, Mark Duffy, David Cotterill and Billy Sharp.
Huddersfield kicked off and won a corner after 40 seconds. Quinn headed out for another corner followed by a third one. Each were successfully defended.
Rovers made an occasional foray into the visitors half but Huddersfield were having more of the play and in the tenth minute won a corner that was again well defended.
Rovers began to get into the game and minutes later won their first corner but nobody from either side got a touch as it went across the goalmouth and out for a throw in.
In the 18th minute a free kick for the Rovers on their right just two yards in from the by-line came out of defence to Duffy just outside the penalty area but he fired wide.
Rovers were now well in the game and a cross from the right by Quinn found Sharp 15yards from goal with only Smithies to beat but he shot straight at him and the keeper saved comfortably.
In the 28th minute Meite surged forward with the ball and won a corner, which Cotterill placed to the far post for SHARP to head in.
Past the half hour and as play evened out the sides exchanged corners but nothing came from them.
Husband then took a pass from Cotterill and fired wide from 25yards and a couple of minutes later a good run by Cotterill on the left ended with him shooting wide of the far post from a similar distance.
As the last five minutes came up the visitors began to push on. Hamill on the right put the ball high and wide then Johnstone saved with his feet from a shot by Wells that brought another corner for Huddersfield. Gerrard got a good header to it but Keegan, at the far post, cleared off the line.
Play went on but Gerrard accosted Tamas and a general melee ensued, which the assistant had to draw the referee's attention to. A severe lecture to both players from the referee sufficed.
Half Time - Doncaster Rovers 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Huddersfield started the second half on the offensive, with Hammill having a shot blocked and Wells blasting in a shot from the left edge of the penalty area that Johnstone could only push out for a corner.
Cotterill, for Rovers, cut in from the right by-line and hit a fierce low ball to the middle that a defender put over his own bar for a corner to Rovers. Another corner to Rovers was headed wide by Tamas.
In the 55th minute Rovers increased their lead when Brown got down the right, cut in and squared for COTTERILL to slot in from 12yards.
The visitors tried to hit back but Rovers were not willing to let things slip and continued to play attacking football but couldn't add to their total.
All Huddersfield's efforts came up against a resolute Rovers defence and try as they might they couldn't get through.
A hard fought game had Rovers back on the winning trail, with a good three points in the bag.
Result - Doncaster Rovers 2 (Sharp 28, Cotterill 55) Huddersfield Town 0
Teams - ROVERS - Sam Johnstone; Paul Quinn, Gabriel Tamas, Abdoulaye Meite, James Husband; David Cotterill, Richie Wellens, Paul Keegan, Mark Duffy; Billy Sharp, Chris Brown
Subs used - Theo Robinson for Sharp 81 mins;
Subs not used - Dean Furman, Luke McCullough, Liam Wakefield, Marc De Val, Jordan Bowery
Huddersfield Town - Alex Smithies; Calum Woods, Anthony Gerrard, Murray Wallace, Paul Dixon; Keith Southern, Adam Clayton, Daniel Ward, Oliver Norwood; Adam Hammill, Nahki Wells
Subs used - Martin Paterson for Ward 46 mins; Sean Scannell for Norwood 63 mins; Joe Lolley for Hammill 73 mins;
Subs not used - Peter Clarke, Oscar Gobern, Tom Smith, Ian Bennett gk