#afcb 1 v 2 #drfc

 

It’s unusual but if I can, I would like to start today’s blog with a mini summary. For me, in the last 5 games which I have been unfortunate enough to witness, we have either been absolutely awful (Preston,Orient, Sheffield – in descending order of crapness) and were toothless, or we’ve played quite well (Coventry) and were toothless.

This game was more like Coventry, but the theme remains –toothless.

Maybe this bad patch is doing us a favour. If this team went up to the Championship it would be battered each and every week as we seem incapable of taking chances and look weak as dishwater at the back.

I don’t usually like spoilers like this in a story but thought I’d give you the chance to bale now, rather like my previous MOM Josh Whitehouse. The junior cherry clearly saw what was coming and decided he’d rather go to a party – I wish I’d gone,  I bet there was jelly ……

Anyway, the teams lined up and we could see that Doncaster were clearly going to play some deft football with dazzling foot speed as they averaged 9 feet tall.

 

Still, Eddie would have thought of that…..

AFCB started the brighter with Pitman’s header being pushed round the post and Seaborne’s header from the resulting corner sent crashing against the bar and cleared on 6 minutes.

Allsop, in the team for the previously woeful Jalal, made his first save 2 minutes later as a long range shot was hit at him – this seemed to settle him nicely as he’d looked a bit nervous before.

Doncaster then were forced to play the counter attacking role as AFCB dominated possession and chances.

Grabban and Pugh both had headers saved before a lovely 1-2 between Pitman and Grabban allowed Pitman the space to shoot – just narrowly wide on 26 minutes

As chances were spurned AFCB fell into a trap of their own making. Either they sideways passed it a la Groves awaiting that perfect passor we passed if forward way too early when there was still space to be run into and the passes easily cut out – O’Kane was particularly wasteful

The pressure was all AFCB’s though, and Ritchie and Pugh put in some lovely crosses – we simply don’t possess a player able to get in amongst the giants of Doncaster and head it home - and Donny did look dangerous on the counter - something to ponder.....

HT 0-0

Early in the second half Pugh was upended and Pitman was faced with a wall he’d need crampons and a pick-axe to get over so he curled it around and just wide of the post

This was obviously exciting for one of the stewards as his sudden movement caused his seat to break – I’ll leave it to your imagination as to how that could have occurred…

Crosses were now being slung in from all angles but nothing would drop for AFCB. Even when Pugh decided to fire it in low on 63 minutes their no 5 still managed to head away when on his knees. To be fair, even on his knees he was bigger than O’Kane…..

Next, an apology. I’ll be the first to admit I rarely bother to find out the oppositions’ names but because of the weather, I couldn’t even see the opposition let alone identify them.

Where's everyone gone?

It was on 66 minutes after almost continuous AFCB pressure that Doncaster broke down the right, crossed it in and a Donny attacker crashed it in at the near post – BUGGER…AGAIN

The crowd and AFCB responded though and 8 minutes later Pitman delivered a perfect defence-splitting pass for Grabban to run on to.Despite being on his own, he decided against rounding “old father time” in goal and sent in an early shot – pushed away around the left post. *GROAN*

For me, this was a wretched end, to a wretched 2 or 3 games where his lack of confidence is only surpassed by a first touch of a man wearing diver’s boots – thank God he was subbed, along with Mcquiod.

We now had 3 up front with Supa and Tubbs joining Pitman and it was the first two that combined to bring AFCB level on 86 minutes. Tubbs soared like an eagle and flicked the ball onto Fletcher who ran through and delightfully chipped the keeper

Ok, it was the other way around – would have made for a better story though and would have created an excellent ending, if only Doncaster had read the script.

For those party poopers went tearing up the left and into the “great mist”. From what I could make out, Allsop stopped a fierce shot at his near post and the ball bounced out past Francis straight back to their attacker, who fired home. Maybe Francis could have helped more, maybe not –without wearing a high visibility jacket it was impossible to say

ADDITIONAL - I wasn't going to add this as quite frankly I'm fed up of people banging the "it's not fair" drum - but for completeness in the last minutes Pitman had a header strike the post and the rebound fell to the on rushing Pugh. He smashed the ball at the goal but the shot was blocked by a defender throwing himself at the ball. Yes it did look like it hit his arm, no, it wasn't given - time to move on

Summary – This wasn’t a “mugging” or a “robbery” – in the long term you get what you deserve and if you can’t score more than 1 in 50 chances you deserve f*** all - Doncaster came here with a set mission and followed it through professionally. Lots of opportunities but no class (Tubbs’ goal apart) in front of goal. Heading is a real weakness and attackers seem afraid to just put their laces through the ball. Unless Howe either gets in a striker that can head a ball (not Supa – no legs for 90 minutes) or somehow improves overall confidence, we’re already building for next season, in Division 1

Star Man – Pitman: Continued the running and passion shown when coming on against Orient and the ball to Grabban for his 1 to 1 attempt was simply sublime

Away Support

East Stand

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