DONCASTER ROVERS 1-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Date 08/03/11 At Keepmoat Stadium
Team
Quirke, Keogh, Cranie, Cameron, Wood, McSheffrey, Gunnarsson, Bell (Baker 87), Clingan, McSheffrey, Jutkiewicz, Eastwood. SNU L.Burge, Clarke, Hussey, O'Halloran, Ruffles
Doncaster
Woods, Martis (Herd 75), Souza (Kilgallon 85), Thomas, Friend, Wilson, Hayter, Stock, Moussa, Coppinger, Sharp (Mason 60). SNU Alnwick, Gillett, R.Burge, Shields.
HT DRFC 0-1 CCFC FT DRFC 1-1 CCFC ATT 7,921
Goals Freddy Eastwood (22), James Hayter (87)
Referee David Webb Booked Cameron, Stock
Man Of The Match Richard Wood, Martin Cranie, Gary McSheffrey and Michael Quirke all got votes in our car.
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Coventry City had a first ever win at Doncaster Rovers wiped out by a goal three minutes from time.
Actions speak louder than words and although City boss Aidy Boothroyd had apologised for the defeat at Bristol City, what the two hundred and fifty eight hardy Sky Blue souls who come from as far away as Kent wanted was the chance to see City's first ever win in Doncaster.
Having foregone the chance to watch Barcelona v Arsenal or Friar Lane V Coventry Sphinx, We arrived in Doncaster 45 minutes before kick off to see Michael Quirke get his first start in goal and a return for Gary McSheffrey.
It had been a gorgeous day in Coventry but it was a cold night in Doncaster as the teams came on to the pitch with City attacking the end where the City fans were housed.
McSheffrey had City's first chance in the fifth minute with a right footed volley at Woods and seven minutes later David Bell fired wide after his inital shot was blocked.
A third attack came in the 17th minute and saw Richard Keogh picking out Lukas Jutkiewicz who had his header pushed over by Woods.
The Doncaster fans had either been annoying the hell out of us with their drummer in the top end and his nauseating beat or berating our subs who had been warming up in front of them but in the 22nd minute, we were the ones making the noise when a corner went over to McSheffrey on the left hand side of the goal. He drilled the ball straight into the mixer where FREDDY EASTWOOD lashed into the net.
We went mental and nearly had a goal a minute later with a twenty yarder.
City with Gunnarsson and Clingan controlling things, made sure the good spell continued.
A 27th minute McSheffrey cross from the left found the green booted David Bell whose shot was blocked.
McSheffrey 's next raid into the area saw him sent crashing but nothing was given by the referee from County Durham, who is one of the few on the Football League list to have refereed a City and Coventry Sphinx match., who then turned down City's penalty for a deliberate handball by Thomas.
"Take Me Home Highfield Road" and a new Michael Quirke song were booming out of the away end when Doncaster went up the other end and the City keeper made a superb save to push a 33rd minute shot onto his left hand post before the solid Nathan Cameron cleared it.
Now I know I sound like a stuck compact disc when I keep banging on about City always needing a second goal but when Jutkiewicz missed what was an easy chance from six yards out in the 52nd minute, this gave Doncaster the belief that they were still very much in this match.
With City giving away possession too cheaply, the ball was always coming back and forcing the likes of Keogh, left back Wood, centre half Martin Cranie and Quirke into heroical defending.
Quirke made a cracking save with his legs in the 78th minute as apart from the odd move over the halfway line, it was alll Doncaster.
Aidy Boothroyd had just sent on Carl Baker for David Bell when Doncaster got the ball, it was played in for JAMES HAYTER who flicked past the helpless Quirke and into the empty net.
Sammy Clingan slammed his fellow team-mates for giving away this goal but if the Ulsterman had put away his chance in the 69th minute instead of giving Woods a chance to keep his hands warm, the goal would have been a mere consolation and the Sky Blues would have taken the three points they probably deserved.