Saturday 26th December 2015 (3pm), Sky Bet League One, Keepmoat Stadium.
Doncaster Rovers are looking for their eighth straight successive victory over local rivals Scunthorpe United when the Iron come to Keepmoat Stadium on Boxing Day.The hosts haven’t dropped a point against the North Lincolnshire side since chucking away a 2-0 lead at Glanford Park in September 2009 when midfielders John Oster and Quinton Fortune were both shown straight reds. Martin Woods and Billy Sharp had put Rovers in command of the Championship encounter before being pegged back by Cliff Byrne and Grant McCann.
Six of Darren Ferguson’s latest starting XI are yet to taste the blood and thunder of a Rovers v Scunthorpe clash although they will be looking to continue their good form which has seen them close the gap to just six points from the play-off places after a run of four wins in their last eight games.
The latest came in a crackerjack of a game at league leaders Burton where Rovers twice held the lead before succumbing to old boy Mark Duffy. Nathan Tyson scored Rovers’ third goal – taking the club’s Football League goals tally to the 5000 mark.
Tyson, in particular, enjoys featuring against United, having netted four times against them last term.
Rovers had to come from behind at Glanford Park after Rory Fallon’s opener gave Russ Wilcox’s men the lead. James Coppinger and Tyson were to respond either side of half time to give Paul Dickov’s side the points.
The end of season finale was a spectacle to behold in the May sunshine as Rovers raced in to a three goal lead by half time thanks to an own goal and headers from Tyson and former Scunthorpe old boy Rob Jones. Though another former Iron old boy in Andy Butler put through his own goal also, Tyson’s two penalties in six second half minutes wrapped up the win despite the last gasp effort of Hakeeb Adelakun.
Last time out (Sunday 3rd May 15):
Rovers - 5 (Canavan 11’ OG, Tyson 33’,74’, 80', Jones 45')
Scunthorpe - 2 (Van Veen 53’ , Adelakun 90’)
Sunday 3rd May, 2015
Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
Sky Bet League One
Attendance: 9,394
DRFC - M Marosi, M Lund (R Wabara, 74), A Butler, C Evina, R Jones, K Bennett (C Main, 70), J Coppinger, R Wellens, H Forrester, D Furman, N Tyson (J McKay, 82)
SUFC - L Daniels, J Clarke, A Boyce, N Canavan, M Williams, P Madden, G McSheffrey (G Evans, 81), N Bishop (D Syers, 81), S McAllister, H Adelakun, K van Veen (K Wootton, 82)
Head to head league results (in Doncaster):
Rovers – 13
SUFC – 7
Draws – 8
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Rovers 6/5, Draw 5/2, SUFC 21/10
Listen to ROVERS PLAYER for live coverage from 14:45 with Tom Biltcliffe and Danny Czepiec.
Follow ROVERS WALL for all the action as it happens from 14:00.