Central League (Reserves)
at the Impact Arena, Alfreton Town FC
Mansfield Town (0) 0
Doncaster Rovers (1) 1
Mallik Wilks 14
Conrad Logan, Aiden Walker, Henri Wilder, Ben Turner (Jimmy Knowles 60), Will Atkinson, Riley O’Sullivan, Alex MacDonald (C) (Tyrese Sinclair 84), Ali Smith, Otis Khan, Nicky Ajose, Tom Fielding.
Unused subs - Leon Philips, Jack Cornell, Nathan Saunders.
Doncaster Rovers:
Louis Jones, Aaron Lewis, Brandon Horton, Cody Prior (C), Shane Blaney, Andy Butler, Kieran Sadlier (Will Longbottom 62), Tommy Rowe (Rieves Boocock 62), Tyler Smith, Andrea Borg, Mallik Wilks (Max Watters 46).
Unused subs - Myron Gibbons, Elliott Walker.
Alfreton gets an unfair amount of flack for being home to more than it's fair share of rogues, but when I arrived in this Derbyshire enclave early this afternoon, it appeared that they had got their very own local superhero in situ these days, keeping the villains and ne'er do wells in check... but first impressions can be deceptive, and it soon transpired that the figure I saw tearing along North Street with a cape flapping in the wind, was in actual fact, being chased by the local barber who hadn't been paid for giving the said individual a haircut.
Joking aside, if you're ever of the inclination to visit Alfreton Town's enclosure, make sure that you visit their well stocked club shop, that doubles up as a treasure trove for discerning football anoraks. As per usual when I'm visiting this ground, I purchased arms full of reading material... for such a bijou amount of collateral, that I actually chipped in a bit extra to ease my guilt of having picked up such a pile of desirable bargains for next to 'nowt. Maybe I should wear a cape the next time I visit too, along with a stocking over my head and a swag bag.
Rovers striker Mallik Wilks, who is on loan at the Keepmoat Stadium from Leeds United at the moment, following previous loan spells at both Accrington Stanley and Grimsby Town, scored what proved to be the only goal of this Central League (reserves) clash at the Impact Arena after fourteen minutes.
Having graduated from the Leeds United Academy set up, Wilks was promoted into the first team set up by Garry Monk, who was still managing at Elland Road at that time.
So far this season, Wilks has already scored ten times in thirty outings for Rovers first team... and subsequently he is on the radar of several Championship sides, should he ever feel the urge to cut links with his hometown club.
Both teams fielded a mix of first team players and Under18/21 fringe players, and though I was au fait with who all of the Mansfield players were, I only recognised a few of the visitors, until I got my hands on a team sheet to familiarise myself with them all.
It was good to see Louis Jones in action again today. playing in goal for John Schofield's Rovers team, who despite still being so young, is actually a time served veteran of this blog, from when he was getting some work experience under his belt, minding the net at Maltby Main, at the same time that I had the pleasure of serving on the committee there... for the record, he put in a great shift today, especially during the second half.
The Stags recent new signing Ben Turner, who'd played for forty five minutes in Saturday's horror show against Notts County at Meadow Lane, got another hour in towards building up his match fitness on the North Street pitch today, with the youthful Aiden Walker and Henri Wilder playing alongside him in a three man defence... it must be nice to have two young lads to do a lot of your running for you; while they will both have benefited from playing alongside such a voice of experience, against an attack minded 'Donny' side. It must be said that they both fitted in well and didn't look overly troubled at any point; against a Rovers side that contained both Tyler Smith and the aforementioned Wilks up front.
Mansfield made all of the running in the opening exchanges, but Doncaster grew in stature as the first half ticked down.
Ali Smith, who looked a tower of strength as an attacking midfielder, before slotting into the middle of a back three between Walker and Wilder after Turner went off on the hour mark, saw his headed flick on from Alex MacDonald's free kick blocked by Shane Blaney and was unlucky to see his twenty yard strike fly just over the bar, after he picked up the ball in midfield and motored forward. Smith joined the Stags as a sixteen year old, after being released by Hull City and was instrumental in John Dempster's Under 18 side that won back to back EFL Youth Alliance league titles... and on today's showing he is living up to the promise and potential that he showed then. It's been good to see his name frequently appearing on the team sheet as a substitute for the first team recently too.
Shortly after taking the lead 'Donny' had a sniff of another goal, but Tommy Rowe's ambitious long range strike flew high and wide of the target.
Otis Khan then repeated the trick at the opposite end of the pitch, but could only rattle the ball against a few of the empty seats behind Jones' goal.
MacDonald, wearing the captain's armband today, decided that Wilks was getting too big for his boots and clattered him from behind with a challenge that earned him a booking. The Stags number seven had made a brief cameo appearance on Saturday, but was obviously still short of match time and sharpness, but he stayed the course and looked to be back to his usual self today, completing eighty four minutes, before being substituted as he walked the tight rope with another hefty challenge that almost warranted a second yellow card.
HT: Stags 0 v Rovers 1
Mansfield were straight on Rovers' toes from the restart and a well weighted knock from Khan put Nicky Ajose through with just Jones left to beat, but the 'Donny' stopper was alert to the situation and pulled off yet another of the string of saves, that must have put him in line for consideration as man of the match.
MacDonald and Khan combined to unlock their visitors with a free kick routine, but the latter cleared the bar with a looping shot.
Doncaster were on the back foot in the second half, but Rowe wasn't far away with a half chance from the edge of the box, as the Stags defence had a brief dizzy spell.
Fielding danced past two challenges, but once more, he was thwarted by Jones, as the visitors continued to count their blessings that their goalkeeper was in such good form.
Jimmy Knowles, the highly rated youth team striker, came on just after the hour mark, to add more firepower to the Stags attack, while Turner went off and Smith switched to the middle of the defence.
The promising youngster tested Jones twice, just moments after coming on, but the Rovers keeper was still playing out of his skin... and when Knowles and Atkinson combined with MacDonald, to create yet another chance, the Jones boy, though troubled momentarily, claimed the ball at the second attempt.
Ajose showed good feet to set up Knowles with a great chance to level things up, but 'you know who' was on hand to tip the ball around the post at full stretch. "Stop showing off Jonesy, just because Grant McCann is here watching you today!", called out a fat jolly bald guy in the stand.
Just when Conrad Logan must've thought that he'd been given time off in the second half, Rovers countered and Smith missed an absolute sitter of a chance from just six yards out and was forced into making a fingertip save from Rieves Boocock, down to his right hand side.
With full time almost up and Tyrese Sinclair on in place of MacDonald to run at the visitors tiring defence (Atkinson took over the captain's mantle for the closing stages), Khan had a shot from the edge of the area blocked and when the ball rebounded back for him to have a second attempt, Jones pulled off his final save of the afternoon.
O'Sullivan appeared to be fouled in the area, right at the end of the game, but the referee ignored Mansfield appeals for a spot kick and Rovers saw the game out, by the skin of their teeth.
FT: Mansfield Town 0 v Doncaster Rovers 1
