Early goal wins it for West Ham

Doncaster Rovers started their home Championship campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to pre season favourites West Ham United.

Kevin Nolan scored the only goal of the game inside the opening ten minutes when he was left to finish past Gary Woods in the Rovers goal.

In a tight game, Nolan came close to making it 2-0 when his long-range effort came back off the crossbar.

Rovers were struggling to make a clear opening and both Chris Brown and Kyle Bennett saw efforts easily saved by Robert Green.

The first half ended with neither side looking like adding to the score.

Rovers continued to be frustrated in front of the West Ham goal in the second half with the hammers defending stoutly.

It was still a game with very few real opportunities; one of the closest either side came to a goal was when George Friend headed a cross wide for Rovers.

Giles Barnes tried his luck for Rovers but his shot cleared the bar.

Simon Gillett came closest to equalising for Rovers when his shot was tipped round the post by Green.

It was to prove the last chance for Rovers as they slipped to their second defeat of the season.

Rovers will still feel optimistic after snuffing out the West Ham attack for long periods and will feel unlucky not to at least earn a point.

Rovers are quickly back in action when they entertain Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night hoping to gain their first points of the season.


Teams

Doncaster
Woods, Dumbuya, Naylor, Friend, Spurr, Oster, Coppinger, Gillett (Hird), Bennett (Keegan 76), Brown, Barnes (Baxendale 76)

Subs not used
Sullivan, Radford

West Ham
Green, O`Brien, Tomkins, Reid, Collison (Sears 72), Noble, Nolan, Parker, Ilunga (Stanislas 86), Piquionne (Cole 62), Taylor

Subs not used
Boffin, Faye

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