Late drama as Rovers and Bury share the spoils on opening day.
Doncaster Rovers 1 (Forrester 90)
Bury 1 (L. Clarke 90)
Saturday 8th August 2015
Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Attendance: 6,429
Doncaster Rovers began the new League One campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bury in an end to end match full of drama at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Quadruple Thorsten Stuckmann, Richard Chaplow, Andy Williams and Aaron Taylor-Sincliar were all handed their first league starts in a Rovers shirt for the visit of Bury by manager Paul Dickov, with fellow new recruit Gary MacKenzie named on the bench.
It was the visitors who made the brightest start, Chris Hussey tested Doncaster's German goalkeeper, Stuckmann with a low fizzing drive, before Danny Mayor teed up Tom Pope moments later, but the striker couldn't get his head on the end of the cross.
Andy Williams had Rovers' best chance early on, James Coppinger played a neat ball to him in the box, but he could only slice his shot over the crossbar.
The visitors had another chance in the 21st minute, Bury caught Rovers on the break and Mayor fired low and hard from the edge of the box, with the ball heading just inches wide of Stuckmann's left post.
Tom Soares then teed up Clarke but he again couldn't get the better of the Rovers stopper. The impressive Stuckmann was on hand to deny Bury twice more in the next four minutes, Danny Pugh, Leon Clarke and Pope all combined, with the goalkeeper making a fine save to deny the latter.
After Clarke's miss however, Rovers countered up the field, Coppinger in acres of space found Curtis Main in the box free with a fine low pass, however the striker fluffed his chance firing wide.
Rovers had another chance just before the break, Christian Walton was caught by Williams who took it around the keeper and tried to find the back of the net from the byline, but couldn't find the target.
Half Time: Doncaster Rovers 0-0 Bury
Clarke was once again played through, but Stuckmann again got the better of the forward. The second half began frantically by both sides, with the game really opening up.
Clarke had another fine opportunity to give Bury the lead just moments later, this time he beat Stuckmann, but his effort rebounded off the post.
Williams was just a whisker away from getting on the end of Harry Forrester's fine low ball. Rovers produced chances of their own,
Andy Butler had a good opportunity, he got on the end of Forrester's free-kick, but he was unable to guide his header on target.
Bury then had another fantastic chance, forward Clarke was sent through in space, he found substitute Jacob Mellis, but a combination of the Stuckmann, Butler and the post denied Bury the lead.
Rovers had two penalty appeals turned away with eight minutes remaining, James Coppinger was felled, before Nathan Tyson was brought down one-on-one with Bury goalkeeper Walton, however referee Eddie Ilderton waved away the protests.
There was however even more late drama in stoppage time, with the game paused due to an injury to Nathan Cameron, Harry Forrester kicked the ball back to Bury to resume play but scored, causing pandemonium all over the Keepmoat Stadium, with the ball looping over Bury keeper Walton.
However after large confrontations and much discussion, Bury restarted the match and Rovers allowed striker Clarke to walk the ball into the goal to level the scores once again, in what concluded a dramatic opening day of the season.
Full Time: Doncaster Rovers 1-1 Bury
Subs: Lund, Evina, Tyson, MacKenzie, Marosi, Middleton, Whitehouse. Rovers: Stuckmann, McCullough, Jones, Butler, Wellens, Chaplow, Main, Forrester, Williams, Taylor-Sinclair, Coppinger.
Subs: Tutte, Hope, Mellis, Sedgwick, Lainton, Rose, Brown. Bury: Walton, Riley, Hussey, P. Clarke, Etuhu, L. Clarke, Mayor, Pope, Soares, Pugh, Cameron (c).
Clarke Booked: L.