Doncaster Rovers

Rovers go up against Grimsby Town this weekend looking to make it back-to-back victories in Sky Bet League Two.

Danny Schofield’s side picked up their first three points under the new head coach in their last league outing against Gillingham on October 29.

Here we provide all the details on our latest opponents.

Manager 

Former Rotherham United player Paul Hurst is now in his second spell in charge of Grimsby having returned to the club in 2020.

Hurst made more than 450 appearances in a 15-year spell with the Millers, before turning his attention to his coaching career. He and his former Rotherham team mate Rob Scott were appointed as joint managers of Northern Premier Division outfit Ilkeston Town in January 2009, and led the club to promotion to the National League North. The pair joined Boston that summer, and won three trophies in their first season in charge.

They continued to climb through the divisions and made the first move to Grimsby in 2011, with Hurst taking sole charge from 2013 onwards. Hurst helped the Mariners to clinch promotion back to the EFL in 2016, ending a six year absence.

The 48-year-old moved on to Shrewsbury in 2016 and guided them to the Sky Bet League One play-offs, before spells at Ipswich Town and Scunthorpe United before his return to Blundell Park.

Although he couldn’t prevent the Mariners from dropping out of the EFL, he won promotion last season, beating Solihull Moors in the play-off final to secure a swift return to League Two.

Form

Grimsby have lost two of their previous six league games stretching back to a 1-1 draw at Salford on October 1. They followed that up with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Crawley Town, before beating Stockport County 3-1 on the road a week later.

They were then held to a goalless draw by promotion chasing Bradford City, with their last two games being defeats on the road to Barrow and Hartlepool United respectively. 

Key men

Midfielder Harry Clifton has been with Grimsby his whole career to date and has made almost 200 appearances for the club.

The 24-year-old Welshman made his first team debut for the Mariners in an EFL Trophy tie against Rovers in August 2017, a game that finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. He made 13 appearances that season but it was a year later when he really established himself in a Grimsby shirt, playing 43 times in the 2018/19 campaign.

Clifton scored seven goals in the National League last season to help Grimsby win promotion back to League Two, and has already chipped in with five this time around.

Irish midfielder Gavin Holohan signed for Grimsby from Hartlepool United in March and was key in the latter stages of their promotion winning campaign.

After initially coming through the ranks at Hull City, Holohan returned to his homeland to sign for Drogheda in 2013. He also spent time with Cork City, Galway and Waterford over a six-year spell, before returning to England to join Hartlepool.

The 30-year-old was a team mate of Luke Molyneux’s at Victoria Park, and having won promotion with Pools in the 2020/21 campaign, made it two in a row having signed for Grimsby last season.

Experienced striker Ryan Taylor spent six years with Rotherham United early on in his career, making 152 appearances for the Millers and scoring 24 goals. During his time in South Yorkshire, he also had loan spells with Burton Albion and Exeter City, before a permanent move to Bristol City in 2011.

The much travelled striker has since played for Portsmouth, Oxford United, Plymouth Argyle and Newport County, prior to joining Grimsby in the summer of 2021. He chipped in with nine goals as the club won promotion last season, and has three in his past five appearances at Blundell Park.

Last league meeting

A hat-trick from John Marquis helped to all but seal promotion for Rovers with a 5-1 at Grimsby when the two teams last met in Sky Bet League Two back in April 2017.

Sam Jones had initially given the Mariners the lead on 34 minutes, before Marquis turned the game on its head by securing the match ball. Andy Williams and Alfie May also found the back of the net to cap a memorable day for Rovers and their supporters.