Rovers v Shrews

DONCASTER ROVERS

 - V - 

SHREWSBURY TOWN

My apologies on this one - I've run out of time to do an intro!

DONCASTER ROVERS

They are going to be well organised because they’ve got a really experienced manager in Graham Turner, who has worked at the top level - Dean Saunders

At the moment, the Rovers are about as infuriating to their fans as a small team can get.  They are going away from home and putting in some good performances and getting results.  No better demonstration of this was last weekend, when our trip to East London saw us completely control opponents, who until then were on a very good run.  

Much to the chagrin of the Eastenders, Rovers didn't allow Orient a sniff and were 2:0 up by the break through Iain Hume and David Cotterill.  The second half was then an apparently easy matter of Donny swatting away the aerial attacks launched be Orient and  they won at a canter.

Four league games unbeaten with three home fixtures to come; unbeaten in 4 and a defence that was proving itself to be mean to say the least had Rovers fans in confident mood for Preston's visit to the Keepmoat.

What a no show it was for the Rovers.  Sure, Preston played well but we saw three poor goals put past that "good(?)" defence.  The first from a corner saw Martin Woods put no challenge at all in on Jack King while the twin towers of Jone and McCoombe marked - who exactly?  Number 2 was another corner and this time it was a run to the front post by Scott Laird that went unnoticed until too late.  At least the third came from open play to save the biggest defence in the league the ignominy of conceding three from corners.  Stuart Bevan got away from Cotterill very easily indeed and Jones never looked like holding him up at all.

The good news is the Michael Woods has jopined from Yeovil to bolster the Rovers midfield, the bad news is that Rob Jones and Jamie McCoombe are both out.

The million-dollar question - Which Rovers will turn up today?

SHREWSBURY TOWN

It’s always difficult to go to a ground when they have just lost at home - Graham Turner

Graham Turner obviously thinks Rovers will be out to prove a point to their fans today, and I do hope so! This season has so far been one of being very reasonable on the road. but then getting it all wrong back at home.

Shrewsbury on the other had, are struggling more when away from New Meadow.

The highlights against Swindon showed that Rovers have opponents who can play a bit in the midfield.  There was good passing and movement that was all evry nice to watch.  But there was little end product to be seen.  Either final balls just weren't quite good enough or chances were fluffed by the strikers.  

At the back it looked solid enough, although I do think the extended highlights on Shrews player may have provided a more lop-sided view of the game.  The goal the Shrews conceded looked like one of only two occasions when they lost Swindon strikers.

Marvin Morgan - Handful

Typically, the first goal that I watch Shrewsbury score is nothing to do with playing football. Route 1 stuff, a big free-kick knocked down for Marvin Morgan to power-drive home.  Their second against the Monkey-Hangers was more the kind of goal I'd have expected, a quick break ending with a slide-rule pass between two defenders (it really shouldn't have got between them but that was the intention so I'll give it credit) and it was Morgan again who just had the 'keeper to beat.  

Morgan, who looks a real handful on the ground and in the air,  should have scored his hat-trick a little later and the Shrews should have beaten Hartlepool, but they didn't.  The high ball to the edge of the area from a free-kick showed Shrewsbury's left back to have an aerial ability that Martin Woods might envy as Hartlepool won the knock-down and Franks profited.   The second was conceded late on and in a similar way.  A ball to the edge of the box just wasn't defended with any commitment and the knock-down was hammered home.

So an aerial attack, may be in order today for the Rovers.  And I'm calling for them to play with more style.  That's football!

PREDICTION

Doncaster 3 : 1 Shrewsbury . Rovers first scorer, Billy Paynter.