Late drama at the Keepmoat as Richie Wellens 90th minute wonder strike makes it three wins from three for Rovers.
Rovers - 2 (Furman 62’ , Wellens 90')Crewe - 1 (Ray 8’)
Tuesday 17th February, 2015
Keepmoat Stadium
Sky Bet League One
Rovers went into the game having scored eight goals in their last two games and were looking to make it three wins from three.
Paul Dickov was forced to make one change to his side, an injured Harry Forrester saw former Crewe loanee Uche Ikpeazu come back into the starting eleven.
Despite two brilliant performances from Rovers against Crawley and Yeovil, the home side couldn’t have got off to a worse start at the Keepmoat.
With just eight minutes on the clock Stephen Bywater was called into action as Jamie Ness tried an ambitious chip that was heading for goal.
The resulting corner saw Bywater make a superb reflex save, but it wasn’t enough as a goal mouth scramble saw George Ray knock the ball in from just four yards. The visitors led.
Kyle Bennett went close as Rovers looked to respond. His surging run through the middle kept goalkeeper Ben Garratt on his toes as the Rovers winger released a vicious shot that went narrowly over the bar.
Rovers enjoyed the majority of possession for the first half, however chances were few and far between as Crewe stuck to their tactics keeping men behind the ball.
Bywater was called into action again when Nicky Ajose forced a brilliant double save from the Rovers keeper after going through on goal.
With very little chances and a quite 45 minutes, the referee blew for half time.
Half Time Score: Rovers 0-1 Crewe
The home side looked a different team in the second half and came out fighting.
The drama started when Rovers had a big penalty appeal turned down. Reece Wabara cut inside before releasing a shot on goal, it appeared to strike the arm of the defender but the referee said no.
Rovers took control of the game from then on and created a string of chances to put pressure on the visitors.
Uche Ikpeazu found room for a shot from a tight angle but saw it cannon back off the post, before Nathan Tyson was brought down on the edge of the area- a sign of frustration from the visitors.
Minutes later the home side found the equaliser. A Bennett free kick was headed back across goal by Jamie McCombe and Dean Furman was there to bravely see the ball over the line for the equaliser.
From here the game came to life. It was a mad ten minutes at the Keepmoat as Tyson forced a brilliant save from Ben Garratt as his shot was heading for the top corner.
Minutes later Rovers had another penalty appeal turned down. Tyson again getting a shot away that struck the arm of a defender, but the referee waved away the protests.
Despite having all the possession, it was beginning to look like it wouldn’t be Rovers night. Curtis Main came close to scoring the goal of the season when his back heel volley was somehow kept out by a great reflex save from Garratt.
In the 90th minute some great work by Wabara and Main set up Richie Wellens on the edge of the area. His first time shot couldn’t have been hit any sweeter as it curled into the top corner to give Rovers the lead in stoppage time.
Rovers were calm and held on through five minutes of injury time to secure a much deserved victory, taking nine points from the last possible nine and moving up to sixth place in the League One table.
Team Lineups -
Rovers: Bywater, Wabara, McCombe, Butler (c), Stevens, Wellens, Keegan, Furman, Bennett (Razak 78’), Tyson, Ikpeazu (Main 73’)
Unused Subs: Marosi, Evina, Robinson, McCullough, Whitehouse
Crewe: Garratt, Davis (c), Ray, Turton, Jones (Nolan 73’), Leigh, Haber, Ness, Tate, Ajose (Dalla Valle 73’ (Cooper 82')), Grant
Unused Subs: Inman, Baillie, Stewart, Etheridge
Cautions: Tate
Attendance: 6,164
Away: 217