Coventry sent to Donny

DONCASTER ROVERS
V
COVENTRY CITY

Should Donny be sent to Coventry for the football they have played of late?  Perhaps, but on Saturday its Coventry who are sent to Donny, but I think the crimes of past games are similar!  

For Sky-Blues fans this bit is the "bigging up" the game bit.  Casting an eye over the stats shows that Coventry are the division's lowest goal-scorers on their travels with just 3 goals.  That matches nicely with the 3 goals Rovers have managed at the Keepmoat this season, making them the lowest scorers at home.  To complete the symmetry, both side have managed just two league win so far this term.

Both sides making the "bigging up" difficult then?  Well, at least crap as our respective form may be, both side have plenty of instentive to win this one.  Coventry to move a bit further away from the relegation zone and Donny need this one to keep in touch with safety.

Sure, there is a very long way to go for both sides but nobody at the Keepmoat tomorrow will enjoy looking at the tables at the moment.

DONCASTER ROVERS

Willie McKay is trying to help us. He’s using all his contacts to try and get good players in. He puts players to me and if I like them we try and sign them. - Dean Saunders

Gillett - Great Strike

Coming in at Donny Rovers - some bloke who is 6' 4".... perhaps.  Is it me or is that a bit of a let down after all the Diouff and Diarra talk?  At last sight, Diouff was being turned down by West Ham so may be, after he's had trials with another couple of teams.

Going out is a little more clear, Mark Wilson is on his way to Walsall for a minimum 1 month on loan.  Wilson is a fringe player but the timing of his move is questionable with John Oster now unavailable for at least 6 weeks due to his needing an operation on bulged neck-discs.  Ouch - my sympathies to John for that one.

Something is needed though for the Rovers though.  All three goals conceded against Pompey were shockers.  A failure by two defenders to deal with a long punt from the 'keeper for the first; the second and third were down to attackers within 10 yards of the Rovers with absolutely nobody near them.  The rest of the highlights just showed weakness after weakness in that back 4.

On the plus side, Simon Gillett scored a cracker from a corner and Deano commented on the play between the two penalty areas being as good as it has been (sadly, there was none to be seen on the highlights).

COVENTRY CITY

We have bounced back because we know that things will come good for us and we are going to go to Doncaster to play our football and try to get a result. - Andy Thorn

Another positive for Donny is historical.  Their visitors tomorrow have yet to record a win at the Keepmoat.  Long may that draught continue!

Looking at the highlights against Burnley, and,  well it all started off very well for the Sky Blues.  From the highlights, they looked to be making chances with a couple of runs through the channels from Cody McDonald being picked out.  One of those at least should have been converted.  Indeed it was McDonald who broke the deadlock with a good diving header.

But there was a couple of issues in the defence to be seen.  Brian Stock and Simon Gillett would be interested to see the defence standing off players at the edge of the penalty area.  Probably of more concern though would be how easy it seems to be to get crosses in.  And after the cross is in, it gets worse with little reaction to pick up second balls.

The match again Leeds saw Coventry somehow rescue a point with an injury-time goal.  It was wave after wave of Leeds attacking for most of the game.  Defensively, I was seeing similar things that I had already seen during the previous highlights.  It looks easy to put crosses in and if the cross is cleared, there is often a second opportunity.  Its how Leeds' scored their goal with a corner not quite cleared, a cross allowed that should have been blocked and even a chance to clear from that cross.  But for a great performance from Joe Murphy, Leeds would have been out of sight.  But credit where credit is due.  The Sky Blues did keep them out and stuck at it to nick a point at the death.

As you would expect then.  Plenty for Rovers to be encouraged about but not if we look at are own videos first!. 

Enjoy the match everybody