Rovers pay the price for not taking their chances.
Lincoln City U18s – 1 (Loftus 74’)
Doncaster Rovers U18s – 0
Saturday 19th December 2015, 11:00am
Lincoln United Football Club, Lincoln
Youth Alliance League
The last game of 2015 and it was a top of the table clash, Lincoln came into this game on the back of five straight wins while Rovers had only won two out of their last five. It would be the hosts who would end the year with another win.
It took 18 minutes for the first real effort of the game and it came from the boot of Lincoln’s Ryley Thompson, the youngster broke through Doncaster’s defence and unleashed a thunderous left-footed effort which goalkeeper Louis Jones had to tip onto the crossbar.
Rovers began to pick up their game as the half went on and should have been leading with their first real chance of the game. A ball over the top of the Lincoln defence was picked up by Will Longbottom who managed to chip the advancing Richard Walton but there was Archie Moyses who scooped the ball off the line and deny Longbottom his well deserved goal.
From that clearance the ball was picked up 25-yards out by Matthew Parkin who decided to go alone and it nearly proved to be the right decision as his looping effort scraped the post on the way out for a goal-kick.
On the stroke of half time Rovers came close once again, another free-kick from Parkin took a slight nick on the way through but there was Walton to tip the ball round the post.
From that resulting corner Williamson hit the crossbar, another lovely set piece from Parkin was met by the head of the advancing defender but it cannoned off the bar and out to safety.
Half-Time: Lincoln City U18s 0-0 Doncaster Rovers U18s
Shortly after half-time there was a five minute flurry of action, first it was the hosts who came close to breaking the deadlock.
Lincoln were knocking the ball round nicely before Jack Acar decided to pull the trigger from 20-yards out, the ball looked to be heading into the top right corner but a superb left-handed save by Jones kept Paul Stancliffe’s side in the tie.
The ball was punted up the other end from the corner, it fell to substitute Matthew Gains who carried the ball a long way before deciding to have a pop on goal, his effort unfortunately rebounded off the bottom of the post.
On the hour mark Rovers came close once again, another whipped cross from Parkin was met by the head of Jordan Ponticelli but there was Walton to make another outstanding save to deny the visitors once again.
With all that possession you would think that Doncaster would go onto win the game but you would be wrong as they conceded with just over 15 minutes of the game remaining.
A free-kick from Moyses was not cleared by the Rovers defence, there was Leon Loftus who was unmarked at the back post to bundle the ball over the line.
Paul Stancliffe’s men will be looking to push on for valuable points which could ultimately see them pick up the league championship come the end of the season, the next chance to do that is against Notts County on the 9th of January.
Full-Time: Lincoln City U18s 1-0 Doncaster Rovers U18s
#LCFC STARTING XI: Walton (C), Loftus, Anderson, Moyses, Fixter, Weatherall, Thompson (58’Robinson-Jones), Harris, Acar, Millington, Stewart.
#LCFC SUBS NOT USED: Start, Clarke, Horton, White
#DRFC STARTING XI: Jones, Greasley, Mbuti (C), Williamson, Walker, Parkin, Longbottom, Ponticelli, Wanless (54’ Gains) Henderson.
#DRFC SUBS NOT USED: Linley, Townrow, Fletcher.