Rovers lose the battle of the Roses against Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic U18s – 3 (Middleton 4’, Glackin 47’,King 62’)
Doncaster Rovers U18s – 0
Saturday 19th March 2016, 11:00am
Chapel Road, Oldham
Youth Alliance League
After performing brilliantly against Notts County’s U21s on Tuesday, the youth team were looking to kick on in the youth alliance league. However Paul Stancliffe’s men and their title challenge took another dent after losing 3-0 to league newcomers Oldham Athletic.
Oldham took the lead with their first chance of the game, the referee awarded a foul on the right-side of the Rovers penalty box. The ball was floated into the middle by Ryan Leonard, Rovers goalkeeper James Leverton missed the flight of the ball which left Rory Middleton with the simple task of heading home.
Not the start Rovers had planned.
As the half went on the visitors began to get a grip of the game and were close to levelling the scoring on the 27th minute.
A long ball over the top was cushioned down by the head of Lloyd Henderson for the advancing Michael Carberry, the talented left-footer released a dipping half-volley that clipped the outside of the post before heading out for a goal kick.
That scare urged Oldham on as they broke through the Doncaster defence five minutes later, this time a superb one-on-one save by Leverton kept the score line at 1-0 as the clock counted down.
Rovers thought they had levelled on the 41st minute as Jordan Linley’s free-kick was bundled in by Will Longbottom but the linesman had his flag up claiming that the ball had crossed the line for a goal kick moments before Rovers had the ball in the net.
Half Time: Oldham Athletic U18s 1-0 Doncaster Rovers U18s
It was a sense of Deja Vu for Rovers at the start of the second half as they found themselves conceding early on.
Substitute Brendy Glackin picked up a loose ball before dropping a shoulder and working the ball inside, he unleashed a thunderbolt that flew into the top right giving Leverton no chance in the Rovers goal.
The hosts made it three just after the hour mark, a corner kick from goal scorer Middleton was met on the half-volley by Dylan King who blasted the ball into an empty net. There was a suspicion of a foul on the goalkeeper but the referee was not interested in any of the Rovers appeals.
It took Rovers until the 76th minute to get their first real chance of the second half, a stunning whipped cross by Tyler Walker was met by the head of Joe Pugh who had recently come off the bench but the striker could not angle his header on target.
The final chance of the game fell to Rovers and they arguably should have pulled a goal back, this time it was a quick free-kick from Linley who picked out Kevin Mbuti who was up from the back but the towering defender could not get his header on target.
Full Time: Oldham Athletic U18s 3-0 Doncaster Rovers U18s
OAFC STARTING XI: Renshaw, Mantack, Fallon, King, Read (Uche 69’), Middleton, Leonard, Murray, Kay(Brown 76’), Hargreave, Knight (Glackin 5’).
OAFC SUBS NOT USED: O’Neil
DRFC STARTING XI: Leverton, Turnbull, Carberry (James 74’), Williamson, Mbuti, Barker, Walker, Linley, Wanless (Pugh 60’), Longbottom, Henderson (Overton 66’).
DRFC SUBS NOT USED: Fielding, Fletcher.
CAUTIONS:
22’ Williamson – Yellow