Rovers U18s bow out of the Youth Alliance Cup at the Third Round stage.
Doncaster Rovers U18s - 0
Preston North End U18s - 1 (Tracey 50')
Saturday 31st October 2015, 12:00pm
Cantley Park Training Ground, Doncaster
Youth Alliance Cup
Doncaster Rovers U18s bowed out of the Youth Alliance Cup after a bullet header from Freddy Tracey on the 50th minute beat the stunned Johnathan Iveson in the Rovers goal. Preston North End saw out the victory to book a place in the next round of the competition.
The visitors started the game brightly and should have opened the scoring on the 17th minute, a whipped cross from Dylan Davidson was met by the head of James Boyd who could not direct his effort on target.
PNE continued their pressure on the home side as they came close once again this time from a set piece, it was Davidson again with the pinpoint cross but it was fired just over the crossbar by the advancing Tracey.
Just before the half hour mark Rovers had a chance to open the scoring on the counter attack, some quick feet from Tyler Walker opened up some space on the right wing, he put a superb cross in to North End's box, the ball was met by the diving header of Matty Parkin but the centre midfielder could not get his header on target.
There was one more opportunity for the Lancashire side ten minutes before the break but this time it was not through their own doing, a pass back to Iveson was miss-kicked by the keeper which essentially left Tracey with an open goal but Iveson made a fantastic one-on-one save to atone for his error.
Doncaster Rovers U18s 0-0 Preston North End U18s
PNE had the best chance of the game on the 47th to break the deadlock but Davidson could not find the back of the net, Adam Robinson played a ball over the top of the sleeping Rovers defence into the feet of Davidson, who instead of placing the ball past Iveson he decided to put his foot through it sending the ball miles over the crossbar.
The visitors took the lead three minutes later, a cross from the right hand side was met by the head Tracey who sent his header past Iveson despite his best efforts to keep the ball out.
Rovers began to find a way back into the game and they were inches away from getting back on level terms, some superb individual play from Parkin bamboozled the Preston defence before he unleashed a wonderful effort that hit the inside of the post before bouncing wide for a goal kick.
With five minutes to go Rovers thought they had the breakthrough that they deserved, a wicked cross from Will Longbottom was met by the head once again by midfielder Parkin only to see his looping header cannon off the crossbar and back into Hudson's arms.
Doncaster Rovers U18s 0-1 Preston North End U18s
DRFC STARTING XI: Iveson, Greasley, Carberry, Williamson, Mbuti, Fielding, Parkin, Linley (C), Walker (Barker 55'), Longbottom, Henderson (Gains 70').
DRFC SUBS NOT USED: Jones, Burdis, Slater.
PNE STARTING XI: Hudson, Smith, Whelan, Jagne, Roberts, Robinson, Davidson (Howard 82'), Meulensteen, Tracey, Boyd, Lunney.
PNE SUBS NOT USED: Crankshaw, Roberts, Earl, Fensche.