Pre Season Friendly
at the Martin & Co. Arena, the Northolme, Gainsborough
Gainsborough Trinity (0) 0
Doncaster Rovers (2) 2
Ben Whiteman 24
John Marquis 32
Attendance: 1,123
THE66POW point and hope photo gallery: Click HERE
Trialist, Topliss, Green, Russell, Hotte, Stainfield, Trialist, Middleton, Worsfold, Allot, Trialist.
Subs: Chapman, Maguire, Davie, Young, James, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist.
Doncaster Rovers:
First half - Lawlor, Halliday, Wright, Anderson, James; Whiteman; Blair, Gomes; Coppinger; May, Marquis.
Doncaster Rovers:
Second half -
Jones, Trialist, McLean, Blaney, Amos; Sadlier, Sheaf, Prior, Kiwomya; Watters, Longbottom.
Unused subs - Horton, Boocock, Greaves, Walker, Gibbons, Hasani
As pre-season picks up a head of steam towards the promised land of yet another season of 'joys and sorrows', it's becoming easier to recognise the players who are turning out under the alias of 'Trialist' now, even those without shirt numbers on their backs, but out of respect to both managers, if they prefer to keep things 'hush, hush', then I'm more than happy to oblige... even the guy listed as 'Trailaist' on the official teamsheet is entitled to the same level of anonymity as anybody else; including the player who left Mansfield Town as a free agent at the end of last season and played at right back during the second half for Rovers and was named by local Doncaster newspaper's online report.
The new 'Donny' manager Darren Moore watched on from the main stand, as John Schofield, who now runs the Under 23 side at the Keepmoat Stadium, took on the duties of coaching the visitors from the bench.
In my humble estimation, Moore is something of a coup as regards the managerial post at the South Yorkshire club... and though there is always (at least) two sides to every football story, it seemed like a crazy decision for West Bromwich Albion to axe him towards the end of last season.
When the official announcement was made, that Moore was the new name at the helm at Rovers, after Grant McCann had defected and moved to Hull City, there was a tangible relief amongst the Doncaster fans who I work with, after they had seen the stories pertaining to a certain Steve Evans having been in the frame for the job. Such a scenario had prompted them to turn the air blue with expletives, to a degree that shocked even me, i.e. a person afflicted with advanced Tourette's syndrome, who invented the world's longest ever swearword: cuntastical, for the purpose of being offensive about somebody (who effing well deserved it) within the rambling off piste and oft meandering trail of (semi)consciousness, that (just about, but barely) passes for social commentary, insight and reportage on this very blog.
Alfie May set up the first goal scoring chance of the afternoon, rolling a sideways pass to his right, where Madger Gomes met the ball and launched a sweetly struck right footed shot towards the bottom left hand corner of the net, that Sa... whoops! I mean the 'trialist' in Trinty's goal, did very well to reach at full stretch and push around the post.
The lively Gomes was involved again shortly afterwards, rolling a well weighted pass into the path of Ben Whiteman, who unleashed a pile-driver of a shot from fifteen yards out, that the Trinity keeper did well to block, before May scooped the ball over the bar from the rebound.
Gomes hooked the ball forward for John Marquis to run onto, but Nathan Stainfield had read the situation well and got across the path of Marquis to cut out the danger.
Rovers took the lead in the twenty fourth minute, with a sublime long range strike from Ben Whiteman, that nestled just inside the right hand post. It was a quality strike, that Whiteman should be justifiably proud of... even though the matchday announcer credited it to Tom Anderson.
Joe Wright cleared up at the back for Trinity as May delivered another dangerous cross into the area, but Doncaster's second goal wasn't long in coming, when Anderson put an angled ball into the path of Marquis, who took it down cleverly on the run, before doubling the visitors advantage from inside the D on the edge of the Holy Blues area.
Having found his range, Whiteman was enthused and confident enough to try his luck with another strike from outside the area, but this time he leathered the ball against the foot of the left hand post.
HT: Holy Blues 0 v Rovers 2
Wholesale changes at the interval, saw a completely different Rovers eleven line up take their places to start the second half, but even so, their pressing game was just as relentless, as it had been when the more senior players had been strutting their stuff before half time... while the 'Trialist' in goal for Trinity, was still passing this afternoon's audition with flying colours, while Stainfield, who'd earlier done a great job of tracking Marquis (who'd ultimately only needed the one opportunity, and brief moment of freedom, to make his mark), had a similar pass rate against Alex Kiwomya during the second half.
Stainfield, who has previously turned out for Spalding United, Hucknall Town and Boston United, has impressed me no end over the last couple of weeks, against League One opponents, in 'Donny Rovers' and Lincoln City.
The second half saw a lot of hard graft and slog, but no more goals. The Trinity trialist goalkeeper took a heavy knock when making a clearance in an improvised sweeper role on the edge on the Trinity area late in the game.
While the hosts went close to forcing a consolation goal at the end, but were thwarted when Louis Jones pulled off a great save right at the death, from another 'Trialist'.
Ironically, Jones and this afternoon's Trinity keeper who was substituted to great acclaim in the eighty eighth minute, by another 'Trialist' have featured on opposing sides several times in the not so distant past, when Doncaster Rovers youth team have faced Mansfield Town.
'Twas a decent workout for all concerned I reckon.
FT: Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Doncaster Rovers 2
As we walked around the open end of the ground, during stoppage time, to stand near the exit gate opposite where my car was parked, a scuffle broke out nearby, between two small groups of Doncaster fans.
Least said the better methinks. But I'll put it on record, that we were only a few feet away from what happened and I can confirm, that no Trinity supporters were involved in the short heated skirmish that flared up... but that several people who did have a hand in the incident, were even older than me.
