Rovers cruise to easy win over Scunthorpe

Rovers enjoyed a great start to 2011 with a comfortable 3-0 win over near neighbours Scunthorpe United.

The game was held up for nearly an hour when only one ambulance was present at the Keepmoat and Football League regulations stipulate that there must be two in attendance.

Former Rovers loan player Jonathan Forte had the first chance of the afternoon and he shot straight at Sullivan.

James O`Connor had Rovers first chance when he shot straight at Murphy in the Scunthorpe goal.

Sharp opened the scoring on 26 minutes when he got his head to a Brian Stock corner to head past Murphy.

James Hayter almost made it 2-0 just past the half hour when his shot went just wide of the post.

Hayter did make it two on 37 minutes when he got on the end of a James Coppinger cross and beat Murphy to the ball to find the back of the net.

Hayter could have made it 3-0 soon afterwards when he got on the end of a free kick but failed to hit the target with his header.

Rovers did make it 3-0 just before half time whistle when Joseph Mills scored with a volley from an inch perfect cross from Oster.

The half time followed soon afterwards, as Rovers thoroughly deserved their three-goal advantage at the break.

Billy Sharp went close to making it four early in the second half but his shot was deflected wide for a corner.

From the resulting corner, Brian Stock saw his header saved by Murphy.

Having lost Shelton Martis in the first half through injury, Rovers were forced into their second change of the afternoon just past the hour when Stock went off with what looked like an ankle injury.

The game had gone a little flat as Rovers were cruising to an easy victory with twenty minutes remaining.

Rovers almost made it 4-0 when John Oster put James O`Connor through but he couldn`t beat Murphy.

Rovers afternoon was marred late on when Sam Hird received his second yellow card of the afternoon from referee Paul Tierney who looked to be influenced in his decision by three or four Scunthorpe players who surrounded the referee.

The tackle was a poor tackle but the referee didn`t look like booking Hird until the Scunthorpe players got involved.

It was to prove to be the last incident of any sort as the referee had done his best to spoil the game in the second half.



Teams

Doncaster
Sullivan, O`Connor, Martis (Lockwood 17), Mills, Hird, Stock (Shiels 63), Oster, Wilson, Coppinger, Sharp, Hayter (Healy 80)

Subs not used
G. Woods, Souza, Gillett, Fairhurst

Scunthorpe
Murphy, Byrne, Mirfin, Nolan, Wright, Togwell, Woolford, O`Connor (Wright 62), Collins, Dagnell (Thompson 73), Forte (Godden 46)

Subs not used
Slocombe, Raynes, McClenahan, Cowan-Hall

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