February 28, 2010

Rovers 1 Crystal Palace 1

Doncaster Rovers let two points slip away from them after allowing Crystal Palace to come back into the game in the second half after dominating the first 45 minutes. Rovers had the ball in the net twice in the first 30 minutes, only to see both disallowed for offside and (presumably) a push in the goal mouth. However, they deservedly took the lead in the 37th minute with a sublime left-footed shot from James Coppinger, who cut in from the right before unleashing his shot from the edge of the penalty area.
The hard-working Billy Sharp was particularly unfortunate not to score in the second half - a superb acrobatic shot from only eight yards out was well saved by the Palace keeper, then he was mercilessly hauled to the ground by a Palace defender late in the game. Somehow the referee or his assistant failed either to spot the incident or deem it worthy of a penalty, one of a number of decisions that constantly went against Rovers, leaving a normally docile Sean O'Driscoll furious with some of the decisions in his post-match interviews.
Palace did force themselves back into the game after the break, and cut through the Rovers defence fairly easily in the 67th minute to score their equaliser. Rovers then appeared to sit well back and allow Palace to attack them - and for a while, it looked as though it was giving the away side all the encouragement that they needed. However, Rovers did pull themselves together and Sharp and Mutch were particularly unfortunate not to win penalties for Rovers in the last five minutes of the game.
The game saw a promising Rovers debut for on-loan Jay Emmanuel Thomas for the last twenty minutes - he may have to learn to curb his temptation to show off the fancy footwork at times though! He did add a spark to the Rovers attack during his time on the pitch, and given a full week's training with the rest of the squad, he ought to have a very successful loan spell at Rovers.

February 28, 2010

What the managers said

Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll was pleased with the performance of his players during yesterday's home game with Crystal Palace - but was obviously disappointed with the decision of the referee on a number of occasions.
O'Drisocll said: "We created a lot of chances and played some good football so I'm not particularly disappointed. If we could have got a second goal it would have been all over bar the shouting, but we didn't and that's life in this division.
"Palace got out of jail with three decisions. Matt Lawrence was the last man and he has got Billy Sharp in a bear hug. I can't believe the decision. He should have got sent off. I don't always agree with it but they are the rules. It was a deliberate block. We are disappointed because we should have been out of sight but it's our own fault."
"We've had two goals disallowed as well as lots of things in the game - but we've just said to the players, all you need to do is make sure that we react positively. We created some really good chances in the first half, where the strikers have scored but have been offside or the goalkeeper's made a save and we haven't been able to get to the rebounds."
Not surprisingly, Neil Warnock's view of the late penalty appeals was somewhat different to O'Driscoll's. Warnock comented: "I thought the referee today was excellent, he (Sharp) knocked the ball miles. It couldn't have been a goal-scoring opportunity. If it had been a younger ref he could have given him red, but he only gave a yellow. Jordon Mutch's appeals for a stoppage-time penalty against Nick Carle was embarrassing. The dive should have seen a certain yellow card."
"In the second half we were more positive and that takes some doing when you play 10 games in 30 days with a squad of 16 or 17. Some were running on empty but there was a lot of commitment and we could have won it at the end. We showed guts."

February 28, 2010

Around the goals

For a change, we will start this weekend's review of goals with a Rovers connection in the UniBond League, where Robbie Clarke, on loan at Brigg Town from Rovers, scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute of their home game against Cammell Laird. The three points lifts Brigg into 15th place in the First Division (South). The goal is Clarke's first goal in first team football - may it be the first of many!
Meanwhile, back in the Football League, Chris Brown scored Preston North End's third goal in their 3-0 home win over Cardiff City, who are just managing to hang on to a place in the Championship play-offs. In League Two, Adebayo Akinfenwa, who is out of contract in the summer, scored Northampton Town's first goal in their 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town. That win sees the Cobblers two points and once place outside the play-off places, although they have played five more games than seventh placed Notts County.

February 28, 2010

England at the Keepmoat

England's Under-21 team play their first match at the Keepmoat Stadium on Wednesday of this week (3rd March), with the match kicking off at 6pm (due to the senior side's game starting at 8pm). They face Greece in a 2-11 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier, with the cream of England's youngsters set to be on display.
Tickets are now on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office at just £10 for adults and £5 for concesssions.
There are also group discounts available for tickets booked in advance for groups of at least 15 - those discounts are NOT available on the evening of the match.

February 28, 2010

Preston coach information

The Supporters Club are running coaches to Saturday's away game at Preston North End on Tuesday, 9th March. They will leave Retford at 3.45pm, Harworth 3.50pm, Bawtry 4.00pm, Rossington Styrrup 4.00pm, Hare & Tortoise 4.05pm, Doncaster Royal Infirmary 4.15pm and Keepmoat Stadium Car Park 1 at 4.30pm.
The fares are:
Members £12.00 - OAP's £11.00 - U16's £10.00
Non-Members £14.00 - OAP's £13.00 - U16's £12.00
To book a place on the coach, please telephone Harry Bacon (01302 854626), Len South (01302 8174347) or Paul Mayfield (01427 880154),
Anyone who booked a place for the original date for this fixture should also contact the Supporters Club to confirm their booking.

February 27, 2010

Rovers v Crystal Palace

Much of the interest over team selection for this afternoon surrounds the possibility that Arsenal youngster Jay Emmanuel-Thomas will turn out in the red and white hoops after signing a loan deal yesterday. However, the silence from both clubs is puzzling, even though news of the move has been published elsewhere.
If the move does not materialise, we expect Doncaster Rovers to name a virtually unchanged side. There is a continuing doubt over midfielder Brian Stock, although he may play if an injection relieves the discomfort sufficiently. Sean O'Driscoll said: "I think he will give the injection one last chance and see if the reaction is favourable."
Shelton Martis (hamstring) and Martin Woods (groin) will still be absent, as will Adam Lockwood (foot), Byron Webster (foot), Steve Brooker (ankle) and Waide Fairhurst (foot ligaments). With Paul Heffernan still on loan at Bristol Rovers, Rovers may again be struggling to fill the substitutes' bench.
The continuing absence of Sean McDaid is somewhat of a mystery - he played as a late substitute recently, only to be totally left out of the squad in subsequent games. We presume he must be considered unfit to play, but with no news from the club, the supporters can only speculate on the answer.
Most of the news on the Crystal Palace squad for today's squad is being shadowed by news that Queen's Park Rangers have asked Crystal Palace's administrators for permission to talk to manager Neil Warnock over a move to Loftus Road. Were he to move, Warnock would become QPR's fifth manager of a turbulent season. Warnock did little to quell the rumours, but insisted that he would not leave unless compensation were agreed between the two clubs.
Whilst it is certain that Warnock will take charge of Palace for their game this afternoon, the match at Doncaster may well prove to be his last as manager of the Eagles.
From a player point of view, Stern John, Lee Hills and Kieron Cadogan are all available this afternoon after being cup-tied for their midweek game against Aston Villa. Paddy McCarthy is still unavailable after having a shoulder operation.

February 27, 2010

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's home game against Crystal Palace have been confirmed as:
Referee: ND Swarbrick
Assistant referees: AE Fearn & WD Smallwood
Fourth official: C Akers

February 27, 2010

Injury dilemma for Stock

Brian Stock faces a decision which could rule him out for the rest of the season - does he have surgery to resolve his back injury, or does he have an injection that may relieve the discomfort sufficiently to enable him to play in the short term. What seems certain is that he will have to have surgery - the question is 'when', rather than 'if'.
Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll confirmed that the club have now received the diagnosis from Stock's specialist. O'Driscoll said: "We received a report saying that to cure the problem Brian would need an operation which would mean him missing the rest of the season. But there is the option to put another injection in his back rather than go straight in for surgery, so we are just mulling over whether we do that. That's what happened before and it solved the problem short term and then he had surgery to try and cure it. Brian will make the ultimate decision because it is his health that we are talking about."
"The specialist says that putting another jab in wouldn't do him any harm and it might solve the problem. But if it doesn't we are left with no choice. It will be Brian's decision; we don't want to put pressure on people. Brian is a big player and we do miss him, but people's health is more important than three points. He came back from an ankle injury and played a lot of games so it just might be that he needs something to settle it down and he'll be okay. We lose the balance in midfield when he doesn't play. Martin (Woods) filled that gap for us when Brian had his ankle operation and Simon Gillett (on loan from Southampton) came in and did a great job by linking everything together and we haven't really got anybody else who can do that."

February 27, 2010

Stock misses out on Welsh squad

Brian Stock's back injury means that he has been denied the opportunity to play for Wales in their forthcoming match against Sweden at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea next Wednesday. A number of other players have been rested by boss John Toshack for the friendly fixture, although Fulham's Simon Davies looks set to play his first internationl for 11 months afer recovering from a foot injury.
The full Welsh squad for the match is:
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Boaz Myhill (Hull City)
Defenders: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), James Collins (Aston Villa), Neal Eardley (Blackpool), Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Craig Morgan (Peterborough United), Lewin Nyatanga (Bristol City), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Williams (Swansea City)
Midfielders: Jack Collison (West Ham United), Andrew Crofts (Brighton & Hove Albion), Simon Davies (Fulham), Andy Dorman (St Mirren), Andy King (Leicester City), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), David Vaughan (Blackpool)
Strikers: Simon Church (Reading), David Cotterill (Swansea City), Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest), Ched Evans (Sheffield United), Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

February 27, 2010

Ryan's future uncertain

The future of former Rovers defender Tim Ryan is uncertain following yesterday's news that Chester City have been expelled from the Blue Square Premier League. In a meeting held at Rushden & Diamonds' ground, the other Blue Square clubs voted to expel Chester after they failed to fulfill a fixture against Forest Green Rovers - one of five breaches of Conference rules which Chester admitted to ahead of the meeting. Chester face a winding up petition on 10th March over an unpaid tax bill for £26,125.
The decision will mean that Chester's results this season - which still leaves them on -3 points and well adrift of safety - will be expunged, which will have a significant effect on the promotion and relegation situation. The relative points adjustments will not be made until Chester have had the opportunity to appeal against the charges - although they cannot appeal against the expulsion decision taken at yesterday's meeting.
Chester would have been struggling to name a side for today's scheduled game against Oxford United, with just former Rover Tim Ryan and goalkeeper John Danby as professional players left on the club's books - any other players would have been from youth team level. All other players have now left after the club had again missed on paying wages - presumably Ryan remains as he is also fulfilling the role of assistant manager.

February 26, 2010

Arsenal starlet heads to the Keepmoat

Arsenal youngster Jay Emmauel Thomas has signed for Doncaster Rovers in a loan deal that lasts until the end of the season. Rovers have been seeking to strengthen the squad with severe doubts over whether skipper Brian Stock will play again this season due to a recurring back injury. The arrival of Emmauel-Thomas suggests that Rovers fear the worst over the skipper - but nevertheless, it marks an impressive signing for Sean O'Driscoll.
Jay captained Arsenal's under-18 side to the FA Cup and the Academy League Cup 'double' in his first season as a young professional at the club (2007/08), with the midfielder also impressing for Arsenal's reserves at left back, midfield and centre-forward, so his versatility should enable him to fit in well at Rovers.
He has been on loan at Blackpool for a month to gain first team experience this season, but was at the Keepmoat Stadium today to agree terms and have a medical at the club.
Whilst the move is yet to be officially confirmed, with DROS understood to be preparing a statement for tomorrow morning, presuming the paper work is completed, he could make his Rovers debut against Crystal Palace tomorrow afternoon.

February 26, 2010

Barnsley game all ticket

Barnsley Football Club have announced that their game against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, 27th March, will be all-ticket for both sets of supporters.
Tickets will be going on sale to Barnsley supporters on Monday morning, but nothing has yet appeared on the Keepmoat Stadium website to indicate when they go on sale to Rovers fans.
Barnsley have made it clear that there will be no tickets on sale at the North Stand turnstiles at Oakwell on the day of the game.

February 26, 2010

Man of the match results

The majority of the votes for the "Man of the Match" for the game against Leicester City on Tuesday evening went to three players, who between them came well ahead of the other six who received nominations, gaining nearly three quarters of the votes.
The players to receive the most votes were:
1 John Oster (25.64%)
2 Jordan Mutch (23.08%)
3 James O'Connor (20.51%)
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. The next vote will open following tomorrow afternoon's home game against Crystal Palace - and it won't cost you a 25p text charge either!

February 26, 2010

McCammon off to the Bantams

Former Rovers striker Mark McCammon has moved to Bradford City on one month's loan after struggling to make it into Gillingham's first team this season. McCammon, who has yet to start a first team game in 2010, was reluctant to step down to League Two, but Gills boss Mark Stimson made it plain to the player that it would be in his interests.
Stimson said: "Going out on loan will be good for him. He needs games and, if he comes back fit in four weeks, that would be great. We want him sharp and scoring goals, then he could come back because we might need someone like him. He didn't want to drop down to League Two, but it might get his career back on track."
McCammon had been on the brink of a move to Rotherham, having talked to them yesterday, but it seems he had a change of heart overnight and to move to West Yorkshire.
A frustrated Millers boss, Ronnie Moore, said: "Everything seemed fine, then we had a call late on from the agent saying he'd had a change of mind and he's going to Bradford. It's disappointing for us. Is it the ground? Is there some other reason why he's not come? It disappoints you because I know they get 11,000 or whatever it is they've got in season ticket holders there. Maybe he's gone for that reason."

February 26, 2010

Youth team game off

Doncaster Rovers' youth team game away at York City has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. A new date has yet to be arranged between the two clubs.
The youth team's away game at Chesterfield, which was postponed on Tuesday, has now been rearranged for Tuesday, 30th March, with a 2pm kick-off.

February 25, 2010

Palace tickets update

Sales of tickets for Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace appear to be going rather slowly, according to the latest figures issued on the Keepmoat Stadium website. Palace have sold just 387 tickets, with 8,315 (including season tickets) sold for the home stands, meaning that a sub-9,000 crowd is likely on Saturday.
Tickets remain on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office as follows:
Category A: Adults £23, Concessions £17, Juniors (12-16) £17, 11 & under £10
Category B: Adults £20, Concessions £14, Juniors (12-16) £13, 11 7 under £5

February 25, 2010

Stock sees specialist

Rovers skipper Brian Stock has been sent to see a specialist after suffering a reoccurrence of the back injury that afflicted him last season. Stock had surgery on the injury late last season, but it seems that the problem has resurfaced.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's game against Leicester, Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll told the Doncaster Star: "Brian, who had surgery on his back last year, didn't train yesterday and went to see the specialist. He had a spare appointment so it was a chance for him to have a look at him."
"Brian was struggling with his back on Frlday prior to the Queens Park Rangers' game, but he wanted to play. I don't think playing three games in a week helps; I don't think the long coach journeys help, but there are lots of factors."

February 25, 2010

Oster aims high

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Rovers midfielder John Oster says that he is keen to stay at Rovers after the expiry of his contract at the end of the season - and that he thinks Rovers could push for promotion to the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's game, Oster said: "It would be nice to play in the Premier League again and you just never know what can happen. No-one expected Burnley to go up last season and this year is offering as good a chance as any for a club like us."
However, he appreciates that Rovers cannot afford to match the spending of the bigger clubs in the division. "I am not expecting people to throw in money and go stupid," he said. "Obviously, we have to be sensible – but you can't keep expecting the manager to find players from lower league teams who can perform in this division. Everyone at the club, from top to bottom, has to realise where we are now. For us to get onto the next level, things like the wage structure have to increase."
"Unless the chairman loosens the purse strings, it is going to be a difficult one for the manager," he said. "At the end of the day, it will come to a head and, sooner or later, you are going to find yourself struggling again. That's not what we want. This club is on a better stepping stone to reach the next level and that's what we hope to achieve. While we are doing okay, and trying to push on, that is the time when we should be trying to improve things."

February 24, 2010

Rovers 0 Leicester City 1

On a snowy evening at the Keepmoat Stadium, a Martyn Waghorn goal in the first half sent Rovers to defeat in a match that was postponed from its original date in December.
Rovers were without skipper Brian Stock, but defender Gareth Roberts made a return to the side, with Sean O'Driscoll giving Birmingham City youngster Jordan Mutch his first start.
Leicester showed why they are up challenging for promotion as they pressed forward in the early stages, but Rovers appeared to be able to contain them.
Rovers won a corner in the 12th minute but, with players pushed forward for the set-piece, a quick clearance by the Leciester keeper caught Rovers short in defence, and Martyn Waghorn outpaced Gareth Roberts to slot the ball past Neil Sullivan.
Rovers pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but a combination of interesting refereeing decisions and a well marshalled Leicester defence kept Rovers at bay, with the snow increasing as half time approached and beginning to settle on the pitch.
Rovers replaced Dean Shiels with James Hayter at the half time break, and it was Rovers who attacked with the intent of getting the equaliser as soon as possible, with Sharp and Hayter linking up well. Rovers' best chance probably came in the 66th minute when James Coppinger's fierce shot was parried by a diving Weale, with the keeper clutching the ball to snuff out any chance of Rovers latching onto the rebound. Despite Rovers attacking constantly in the closing stages, they only rarely looked like breaking through a determined Leicester defence who successfully held on for a valuable three points.

February 24, 2010

What the managers said

It was assistant boss Richard O'Kelly who faced the reporters after last night's home game against Leicester City, and he was a little disappointed that Rovers failed to take any points from the game. He said: "I thought the effort we put in there was excellent and we probably dominated possession. Our passing and moving was good. I definitely feel we should have got something out of the game. Bruno Berner's foul on Billy Sharp was intelligent defending. If we had done it at the other end we might not have been a goal down. That's what the top teams have and what we need to learn at this level. A red would have been harsh. I would have loved it to be a red card, it would have given us more opportunity, but realistically I wouldn't have thought it should have been red."
Understandably, Leicester boss Nigel Pearson was rather pleased to have taken three points away from the Keepmoat Stadium, which lifts the Foxes into fifth place in the Championship. He said: "It was good to get a win in one of our games in hand and it was a good win for us. I thought we started the game very well. Second half they had a lot more possession, created a couple of half-chances themselves but didn't carve out any real openings. Generally speaking I thought we were well worth the win. Relatively speaking, we felt comfortable. I thought the players worked very hard tonight and played with a lot of commitment for which I am pleased."

February 24, 2010

Bayo on target again

Ex-Rovers striker Adebayo Akinfenwa scored his 13th goal of the season last night as Northampton Town picked up another three points by winning 2-0 at Hereford United. The win lifts the Cobblers into 8th place, just two points out of the play-off places.

February 24, 2010

Price keen on Latics stay

Former Doncaster Rovers striker Jason Price is keen to extend his loan spell at Oldham Athletic, which is due to come an end after Saturday's home game against League One leaders Norwich City. The Afro Goal Machine wants to continue his strike partnership with Pawel Abbott, and to keep playing first team football.
As he told their official website, "I hadn't been playing regularly at Millwall which is why Kenny Jackett suggested it would be better for me to go out on loan and play some games. I have been playing regularly and would be happy to stay, though nothing has been mentioned as yet

February 23, 2010

Match set to go ahead

Thanks to the help of a number of Rovers supporters, the pitch is now clear and looks to be in good condition, meaning that this evening's home game against Leicester City should go ahead as planned. The pitch was covered and the pitch underneath is not frozen so with temperatures forecast to be around +4C today, the pitch ought to be on good condition for the game. The area around the touchlines are wet, but the stadium are planning to use the blowers to dry them out today.
All those who helped clear the pitch will get tickets for a Rovers home game, despite rumours elsewhere to the contrary.

February 23, 2010

Rovers v Leicester City

Sean O'Driscoll's main concern ahead of this evening's home game against Leicester City is the fitness of skipper Brian Stock, who was forced off the pitch late in the QPR game on Saturday with a back injury. That news is of concern to Rovers, with Stock undergoing an operation on an ongoing back injury during last summer. Whether this back injury is a reoccurrence of that injury, or a different problem, is something Rovers have not yet elaborated on.
Rovers are not reporting any new injury problems following Saturday's trip to Loftus Road, with Gareth Roberts not reporting any adverse reaction to his short time on the pitch after missing a couple of games with a knee problem.
Martin Woods and Shelton Martis are expected to resume training this week, but they will not be considered for this evening's game.
Apart from those two, the only absentees are the longer-term injury victims Steve Brooker and Waide Fairhurst, with Jason Shackell back at Wolves receiving treatment for his groin injury that is likely to keep him out for two months, and Adam Lockwood, who is still around four weeks off the prospect of returning to the squad.
Midfielder Dean Shiels is available again after recovering from injury, and on-loan centre back Elliott Ward is set to make his home debut for Rovers.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson looks to have no new injuries to contend with ahead of this evening's game, although he has admitted that he is considering making changes to his starting line-up to rest some players, with tonight's game being their sixth game in 17 days. Pearson has named an unchanged line-up for the last three games, but has hinted that it may be time to use some other players. Midfielder Richie Wellens is likely to make his first return to Doncaster after leaving Rovers for the Foxes in the summer.
Leading scorer Matty Fryatt will miss the game after breaking his jaw in a collision with Brian Stock in the match at the Walkers Stadium just two weeks ago, with Yann Kermorgant, Dany N'Guessan and Steve Howard all hoping for a recall.. On loan defenders Ryan McGivern and Alex Bruce, along with midfielders Nolberto Solano and Nicky Adams are also pressing for a game tonight.

February 23, 2010

Tonight's match officials

The match officials for this evening's home game against Leicester City have been confirmed as:
Referee: KA Woolmer
Assistant referees: DK Benton & PR Marsden
Fourth official: DJH England

February 23, 2010

New date for youth game

The youth team's game at Preston in the Youth Alliance Cup on Saturday was postponed due to the wintry weather. It will now be played on Tuesday, 9th March - the same day that the first team make their trip to Deepdale.

February 23, 2010

Shiels called up for international

Rovers midfielder Dean Shiels has been selected for the Northern Ireland squad for their friendly fixture against Albania on 3rd of March in Tirana's Qemal Stafa Stadium.
Shiels has recently recovered from injury, but has shown good form this season and has scored five goals so far during the campaign.
The full squad is:
Goalkeepers: M Taylor (Birmingham City), J Tuffey (Partick Thistle), T Carson (Sunderland).
Defenders: G McAuley (Ipswich Town), J Evans (Manchester United), S Craigan (Motherwell), G McCartney (Sunderland), R McGivern (Manchester City), A Little (Rangers).
Midfielders: N McGinn (Celtic), G McCann (Scunthorpe United), Michael O'Connor (Scunthorpe United), S Davis (Rangers), C Brunt (West Bromwich Albion), D Shiels (Doncaster Rovers), D Johnson (Birmingham City), S Clingan (Coventry City).
Forwards: D Healy (Sunderland, on loan at Ipswich Town), W Feeney (Cardiff City), K Lafferty (Rangers), A Kirk (Dunfermline Athletic), R Patterson (Coleraine).

February 23, 2010

Voting results v QPR

It was a close run affair for the "Man of the Match" in Saturday's away game against Queen's Park Rangers, with many players receiving very similar levels of votes. As it turned out, striker James Hayter came ahead of the pack as recognition of his second half goal that looked to have clawed Rovers' way back into the game. There were seven players to receive nominations, with those receiving the most votes being:
1 James Hayter (31.25%)
2 Elliott Ward (18.75%)
3 Neil Sullivan (15.63%)
4 Billy Sharp (14.06%)
We would like to thank everyone who took the time to place a vote. The voting for the "Man of the Match" for the Leicester City game will open following this evening's match.

February 22, 2010

Rovers v Leicester City

Tickets for tomorrow evening's rearranged home game against Leicester City are still on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium Ticket Office. The original match date was postponed due to a frozen pitch - and snow lies on the ground in Doncaster this morning, with subzero temperatures experienced in the area overnight. Yesterday's rugby game at the Keepmoat Stadium was postponed - but with a forecast of +4C during daylight hours, we expect any remaining snow to melt today.
All tickets for the original date in December are still valid for tomorrow's game, with the Keepmoat Stadium reporting 9,111 home tickets sold and 1,600 tickets sold to Leicester supporters.
Ticket prices available are as follows:
Category A: Adults £23, Concessions £17, 12-16s £17, 11 & under £10
Category B: Adults £20, Concessions £14, 12-16s £13, 11 & under £5

February 22, 2010

Miils - I want to be captain

Former Rovers defender was given the captain's armband for Reading's win at Crystal Palace last Wednesday when club skipper Ivar Ingimarsson missed the game after being rested by boss Brian McDermott. Ingimarsson also missed Saturday's defeat to Blackpool, and Mills is keep to keep the armband for the rest of the season.
He said: “I think the added responsibility will bring the best out of me and I would love to keep hold of the armband until the end of the season. The manager called me into his office on Tuesday, sat me down and told me the news. I’m really honoured to take on the role and being a club captain one day is a big goal of mine. It’s something that I like doing. Brian has given me the chance and I’m really grateful to him for showing that kind of faith and belief in me.”
He added: “I just want to be my own person and go about it my own way. There’s not anyone in particular who I will try to emulate.”

February 22, 2010

Blundell misses out

Ex-Rovers striker Gregg Blundell was omitted from Barrow's squad for their home FA Trophy tie against York City on Saturday after suffering a head injury that saw him admitted to hospital at the end of their previous game against Kettering. The incident that led to Blundell being injured as he crashed headfirst into the concrete surround preceded a mass brawl involving most players on the pitch, with Barrow boss Dave Bayliss also getting involved. Bayliss was disciplined by Barrow following the incident, with the FA also confirming that they are investigating the matter.
Blundell was released from Furness General Hospital late on Satruday evening, where he spent some hours for observation by medical staff. Blundell is understood to be OK, and it is now up to the club's medical staff as to when he can resume playing.
As it was, Barrow's game on Saturday was postponed due to a frozen pitch. It has been rearranged for tomorrow evening.

February 22, 2010

Voting results v Sheffield Wednesday

We would like to apologise for the delay in bringing you the result of the "Man of the Match" voting for last Tuesday's away game at Sheffield Wednesday. We received nominations for nine players, with debut-making defender Elliott Ward coming a little ahead of the pack.
Those players receiving the most votes are as follows:
1 Elliott Ward (26.19%)
2 Neil Sullivan (21.43%)
3 Billy Sharp (19.05%)
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote - the voting for Saturday's game at Queen's Park Rangers continues - see below if you want to place your vote.

February 20, 2010

QPR 2 Rovers 1

February 21, 2010

What the managers said

Sean O'Driscoll was clearly perplexed as to why Rovers produced such a disjointed performance yesterday, only a few days after one of the best couple of performances of the season. A number of players had off-days, but as O'Driscoll said: "We were awful, we never got going. We got back into the game, but it was a poor second goal. It looked as if the two centre backs had only played two games together and it was a poor goal to give away, especially at a time where you were thinking that we could have gone on to win this. Performance wise - we weren't good enough."
"The players are a little bit bewildered too. We came into the game confident - perhaps too confident, I don't know. But we never got started; a poor start, the first ten minutes were awful and we conceded a goal. The half time break helped us, the fifteen minute break sometimes hinders you, but this time it helped us. We came out with a different shape and that helped a little bit. We huffed and puffed but even if we had come out with a draw, I would be saying the same thing; the performance wasn't good enough."
O'Driscoll was clearly impressed with young debutant, Antonio German, and said: O'Driscoll said: "The youngster German did well for them.The young boy was ­terrific today, they might have found a star.”
Rangers' boss, Mick Harford, also thought that German had a stunning debut, commenting: "I thought Antonio German was the best player on the pitch. He made his debut and deserved it because he's worked so hard on the training ground. If you give someone a chance the fans will back them, I thought he was fantastic today. I was so happy for him, he's got to continue to work hard ahead of what should be a good and long career I hope. But if he can put on performances like that he's got a bright future."
However, Harford is uncertain of whether he will be in charge for next weekend's game, with Neil Warnock rumoured to be lined up by the club's new chairman. But as he said: "The football club need to appoint a new manager. If it's me then great, if not then they should bring someone in to take this great club forward. My remit is simply to look after the team. I've been given no assurances and I don't know if I'll be in charge against Middlesbrough next Saturday."
Of yesterday's game, Harford said: "I've said it over the past few weeks that our performances have been more than acceptable. We just haven't had the breaks. I thought today that the players showed fantastic attitude along with the ability that they've got against what are a very good Doncaster team, who play their football in the right way. We stopped them playing and imposed ourselves, we deserved the win."

February 21, 2010

Around the goals

With the freezing conditions affecting a number of non-league games, there are just two former Rovers players we've noticed scoring goals this weekend.
In League Two, Adebayo Akinfenwa scored Northampton's second goal in their 3-2 defeat at Crewe Alexandra.
Meanwhile, a couple of rungs down the league ladder in the Blue Square North, ex-Rovers midfielder Warren Peyton scored a 90th minute penalty for Stalybridge Centic in their 2-1 win at Gloucester.

February 21, 2010

Lee fears administration

Former Rovers skipper Graeme Lee has spoken of the fears of the Notts County players over the precarious position of the club following the high-profile departure of club backers Munto Finance and the subsequent takeover of the club. With Munto's brief involvment leaving the club's finances in disarray, with money spent in large amounts in their ambitious aim of reaching the top flight in the next five years, their departure left County with the prospect of real financial problems.
As Lee said to Sky Sports: "The financial situation obviously worries the players because we have seemingly gone from being one of the richest football clubs in the country to one that is scrapping to save itself from administration. If the new people didn't come in when they did we would have definitely been in administration, so they've saved us once already from that pitfall. They are now fighting to make sure that we don't fall into it still, so it is a worry, but we can only concentrate on what we do on the pitch and let others worry about off-the-field problems."

February 20, 2010

QPR v Rovers

Doncaster Rovers look likely to field an unchanged side for this afternoon's away game at Queen's Park Ranger following their convincing victory at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday. Rovers are not reporting any new injuries after the midweek game, whilst those unavailable at Hillsborough due to injury are still expected to be absent.
There is an outside chance that Gareth Roberts could be included after a scan earlier in the week did not reveal the immediate need for surgery, but his inclusion is likely to be last minute. With the gamble over Jason Shackell backfiring a week ago, Rovers may be a little more cautious this time around. There were hints earlier in the week that Shelton Martis may be in contention for today's game, but the impressive debut of Elliott Ward makes that unlikely.
Those unavailable for today's game are centre backs Jason Shackell, Adam Lockwood, Byron Webster and probably Shelton Martis, midfielder Martin Woods and strikers Steve Brooker and Waide Fairhurst.
Queen's Park Rangers go into today's match without Mikele Leigertwood, who serves the final match of a three match ban - he could have played if their midweek game against Watford had not been called off at the last minute due to a waterlogged pitch. Gavin Mahon and Martin Rowlands continue to be absent with injuries, whilst Hogan Ephraim (ankle) and Marcus Bent (hamstring) are both considered doubtful to play. Young striker Antonio German may make his full debut this afternoon.
The behind-the-scenes situation at QPR took another twist yesterday when chairman Flavio Briatore resigned with immediate effect - since he and Bernie Ecclestone bought the club in September 2007, they have had TEN managers and 47 players have been signed by the club. That turnover and lack of continuity has certainly been reflected on the pitch, with Rangers precariously positioned just above the Championship relegation places - and they have lost their last five matches. Not only that, but they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 19 league games - the longest such sequence in the Championship since Colchester went 38 matches without a clean sheet, and they ended up being relegated.

February 20, 2010

Roberts could delay surgery

Rovers defender Gareth Roberts could be back in action sooner than expected after it was finally revealed that his knee injury does not appear to be as serious as was initially thought. He was scheduled to rejoin training yesterday, with the physios then deciding whether it is wise for him to return to playing.
Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll commented: "Gareth has had a scan and there was nothing on the scan that would stop him from playing. However, his knee is still swollen and there is still a bit of discomfort. The surgeon wanted to 'scope him, which would obviously have meant that he would be out for a couple of weeks. Gareth is a bit reluctant for that to happen. It has got remarkably better and he played the whole game at Leicester with the problem, so it is something - touchwood - that we might get away with as long as we're not making any further problems for him later on. He came in on Thursday and feels okay and he went out with the physios and has been running, so depending on how he feels about that - we'll see what we do from there. As long as we know that we are not doing him any further damage, it might be one of those where we put him back into training on Friday and see how he feels.

February 20, 2010

Injury update

It now appears that midfielder Martin Woods will also delay surgery on his groin injury in a bid to be available for the rest of the season. He has opted to play through the discomfort in the hope that he can delay his surgery until the summer break, with medical staff indicating that he will not do any further damage by playing matches.
Sean O'Driscoll explained to BBC Radio Sheffield: "The surgeon has assured him he's not going to do any more damage. The same operation would happen now that would happen at the end of the season. If he can play with the discomfort then he's okay to play. If he can't, then he will have the same operation as he would if he had it done straight away. Were we to get him back it would be another body and another quality player."
Woods will have another injection to reduce the inflammation and, if all goes according to plan, he may be ready for action in about a week's time.
One other piece of news to come out under the radar this week is that Adam Lockwood has resumed light training following his broken metatarsal injury, but Byron Webster continues to be sidelined with a similar injury.

February 20, 2010

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's away game at Queen's Park Rangers have been confirmed as:
Referee: D Whitestone
Assistant referees: GS Evetts & T Mason
Fourth official: TJ Robinson

February 19, 2010

Injury update

The superb performance of on-loan centre back Elliott Ward greatly pleased boss Seaon O'Driscoll following Tuesday's win at Sheffield Wednesday, but his inclusion in the side was forced by a lengthy injury list to Rovers' defenders.
It looks as though Jason Shackell could face two months on the sidelines after sustaining a tear to his groin during last Saturday's game against Nottingham Forest. Sean O'Driscoll said: "Losing Jason again is a big blow. He's gone back to Wolves to have the injury assessed but we know he won't be back soon. With hindsight maybe he came back too early but he had trained all right and he thought he would be good for an hour or so. He has been a very good player for and we will miss him."
Shelton Martis, on the other hand, suffered a hamstring strain in the Forest game, but it looks as though he could be fit for tomorrow's game at Queen's Park Rangers.
As we reported yesterday, Martin Woods is to undergo a groin operation and will be out for around a month, and defender Gareth Roberts will be out for at least two weeks after having an exploratory operation on his knee.
Whilst there is no new news on Steve Brooker or Waide Fairhurst, both will continue to be absent from action as they continue their road to recovery after ankle and foot injuries respectively.
However, Sean O'Driscoll was quick to deny that there were any injury concerns over skipper Brian Stock, who was substituted in Tuesday's game. He said: "He block tackled somebody in the far corner and he's just come back from ankle surgery so we just took him off as a precaution. I didn't want to take any risks with anybody."

February 19, 2010

Survival is O'Driscoll's aim

With Rovers fans dreaming of higher things after Tuesday's win saw the club rise into the giddy heights of 10th place in the Championship, Sean O'Driscoll is refusing to get carried away with thoughts of reaching the play-offs, insisting that his only priority for this season is to avoid relegation.
O'Driscoll told the Yorkshire Post: "We are determined to stay in this division, that is our main motivation, and that result moved us a step closer. When we play well and get beat, we have to lift the players' confidence. When we play really well and win, we have to make sure they don't get complacent. We try to get the best out of the players we have got. We also try to take results out of the equation so everything is about 'can you do the right things at the right time?' Everything we do is about 'performance'."
There is a four point gap ahead of Rovers in the league table - but they do have two games in hand over the next three ahead of them - Middlesbrough, Blackpool and Sheffield United. Victory in those two games in hand would obviously make things interesting, and could lift Rovers into 7th place - but that would also depend on other results until those two games are played.

February 19, 2010

Ward looks to the future

On-loan defender Elliott Ward is looking forward to putting himself in the shop window in a bid to earn himself a contract for next season - but he admits that it is unlikely that his future lies at parent club Coventry City. Of his prospects at Coventry, Ward told reporters: "I think there are a few people in front of me and they are happy for that, so I'm happy to be here (at Doncaster) for this month and hopefully it goes well."
"I'm out of contract in the summer, so I just want to play well. I've missed a lot of football this season so I want to play games until the end of the season and that's all I want to do at the minute. That's my focus."

February 18, 2010

Woods goes under the knife

Doncaster Rovers' midfielder Martin Woods faces an operation on his groin injury after struggling to recover from the injury by rest alone. The Woods told BBC Radio Sheffield: "The op will only keep me out for three or four weeks, so I may as well get it done. I'll be able to finish the season stronger so that's something I'll be looking for to."
Woods has been out of action since early December and recently started training after having an injection in the injury, but clearly by this news, it did not have the desired effect.
Thankfully, all the other regular midfielders are currently fit, so Rovers can continue their push up the table.

February 18, 2010

Heffernan considers options

Rovers striker Paul Heffernan is taking his time to consider all alternatives, with his contract at Doncaster Rovers set to expire at the end of the season. The Rovers' hit-man is currrently on loan at Bristol Rovers, and his performance in Monday's televised match will do his prospects fo a new deal no harm at all.
Heffernan's agent, Clive Hart, said to Sky Sports of the situation: "Sean O'Driscoll has been brilliant in allowing Paul to go out on loan as he understands his need to play first-team football even though he is coming to the end of his contract. Of course if Doncaster want to sit down and discuss a new deal we would be delighted to speak to them. As Paul is a free agent in the summer he is also willing to see what other options are out there for him. He is enjoying his loan spell at Bristol Rovers and his display against Charlton reminded people of his talent."

February 18, 2010

Swailes transfer listed

Ex-Rovers defender Chris Swailes has been transfer listed by Gateshead after their manager, Ian Bogie, challenged his struggling side to improve their form to pull away from the relegation places in the Blue Square Premier Division. They are only out of the relegation spots on goal difference, with Tuesday's 2-1 win over Barrow pushing them ahead of their Cumbrian opponents in the league table.
Bogie has made experienced former Football League defenders Chris Swailes and Mark Robinson, along with Carl Jones, available for transfer - with Swailes again not being included in the Gateshead squad on Tuesday.

February 18, 2010

Bristol City ticket details

Tickets for the away match at Bristol City on Saturday, 6th March are now on sale to season ticket holders, members and Rovers Alliance members. Rovers have received an initial allocation of 500 tickets for the match, which will go on general sale from Monday, 22nd February. Tickets, which are for unreserved covered seating in the Wedlock Stand, will remain on sale until midday on Friday, 5th March at the following prices:
Adults: £25
Senior Citizens (65+): £20
Students (with NUS cards): £15
Juniors 18 & under: £10
Ambulant/Wheelchair Disabled & Carer: £15
Tickets for Wheelchair Disabled supporters must be bought direct from Bristol City on 0871 222 666.

February 17, 2010

Sheffield Wednesday 0 Rovers 2

Doncaster Rovers reached the dizzy heights of tenth place in the Championship last night with a thoroughly deserved win, with a stunning goal on his debut by Elliott Ward sending Rovers on their way to victory, with a Billy Sharp shot going in off Wedneday defender James O'Connor in the second half to seal the three points for Rovers. The result marked Rovers' first league 'double' over the Owls and marked their first league success at Hillsborough (although Rovers did win there in the League Cup in 1978/79).
More realistically, the win now puts Rovers on 40 points, just four wins short of the usual 'safety' target of 51 points - although tantalisingly, they are 7 points short of the play-offs and eight above the bottom three, so tightly are many clubs bunched together. With a trip to Queen's Park Rangers on Saturday ahead of Sean O'Driscoll's men, there is every chance to close the four-point gap that lies ahead Rovers in the league table, as well as to keep their recent good run going.
The home side had the upper hand for the first quarter of an hour, but after that, Rovers took control, with even the Wednesday manager Alan Irvine quick in his praise of how well Rovers played. In the end, Rovers only made two changes to their starting line-up for the game, with Sam Hird replacing Jason Shackel, and Elliott Ward replacing Shelton Martis, with James O'Connor passing a late fitness test, although the extent of injuries in the Rovers squad meant that they only named six substitutes on the bench instead of the allowed seven.

February 17, 2010

What the managers said

Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll was quick to praise debutant defender Elliott Ward after his impressive performance at Hillsborough last night. He said: "Elliott's come in and done really well and everybody else has matched what we did on Saturday, so I'm pleased. I've known him since he was a kid at West Ham, he is a ball playing centre-half. I thought his use of the ball was excellent and it's one of those, it's in the box and he's had a stab at it and it's one for the archives. We've just had a look at it on the tape in the dressing room and it will be one for him to show the kids when he gets a little bit older. He was excellent. He trained with us this morning and I thought his use of the ball long and short was excellent and he'll fit into the way we want to play. He's been terrific. Twenty four hours ago we were struggling to put a backline together, but he's come in almost seamlessly, so he deserves a lot of credit for that."
O'Driscoll confirmed that skipper Brian Stock was withdrawn as a precaution late in the second half, saying: "He block tackled somebody in the far corner and he's just come back from ankle surgery so we just took him off as a precaution... I didn't want to take any risks with anybody."
Moments
His opposite number, Alan Irvine, conceded that Rovers deserved to win the game. Irvine said: "The better team won the game, they deserved to win. We had a couple of big moments obviously, early in the game we hit the post twice at 0-0 and they were good chances. We need to pass the ball better, we didn't pass it so well. We worked hard, you know you're going to have to do that against Doncaster with the way they play. They get an extra man in the middle of the park quite often and they move the ball around well. It's important that when you do get possession you use that well but we didn't do that in this particular game."
"I am disappointed with any defeat and particularly disappointed that this is the first home defeat since I have been here. We all knew it would come at some point but it would have been nice if it hadn't come for a while yet but now it's about how we respond to that. I don't want to be too critical of the players because they have been terrific and for them to have won five games from eight is fantastic. They deserve a lot of credit. We didn't play well enough tonight. We can do as much as we like preparing the players but it is all very well when you are standing on the sidelines but it's out there on the pitch that the real work goes in. I can't fault the lads for their effort and commitment; they were trying to do the right things but they didn't do them so that coupled with not taking the two chances early on has cost us."

February 17, 2010

Colin's new job

Former Doncaster Rovers midfielder Colin Miller has been named as the new assistant coach at to Canadian club Vancouver Whitecaps, and joins up with had coach Teitur Thordarson and the rest of the squad on Friday when they meet up for pre-season training camp at Casa Grande, Arizona.
Miller was head coach at Victoria Highlanders FC during their first season in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League in 2009, leacing them to a fifth place finish - and then was head coach of Abbotsford Soccer Association ( a role he had also undertaken back in 2000) and head coach of the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women's team.
Miller's playing career spanned two decades, beginning with Toronto Blizzard in the North American Soccer League in 1982. He then moved to Scotland to join Rangers before joining Doncaster Rovers. He then moved back to Canada with Hamilton Steelers before moving back to Scotland to play for Hamilton Academical, St Johnstone, Heards, Dunfermline and Ayr United. He became player/manager at Hamilton during the 1998/99 season before moving to Canada in 2000 and was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005 after maing 61 appearances for the Canadian national side between 1983 and 1997.

February 17, 2010

Campbell moves on

Former Doncaster Rovers striker Neil Campbell has moved from Horden CW to Thornaby, who play in the Arngrove Northern League Division 2 - they were relegated from Division 1 in 2005/06 due to the poor state of their ground.
Campbell made his debut as a substitute during Thornaby's 5-1 home defeat to Stokesley S.C.

February 16, 2010

Rovers sign defender

Doncaster Rovers have signed Coventry City's central defender Elliott Ward on one month's loan after it became apparent that injuries left Sean O'Driscoll with Sam Hird as the club's only fit centre half. Added to that, full backs James O'Connor and Gareth Roberts are doubtful for tonight's game at Sheffield Wednesday, and it became imperative that Sean O'Driscoll moved to strengthen his squad.
Ward became Coventry City's first £1 million player in five years when he joined from West Ham United in 2006, but since the arrival of Chris Coleman as manager, Ward has struggled to hold down a first team place. He will go straight into the squad for tonight's game and could well be included in the starting line-up this evening.
As well as being a solid centre-half, Ward is also known for being a quality penalty taker, but we are sure that Billy Sharp may well have something to say about that when Rovers win their next spot kick!
Ward has been allocated number 32 in the squad list at Rovers. The 25-year old is out of contract in the summer and will be hoping to gain sufficient first team action during his time with Doncaster to put himself back into the spotlight.
Rovers' defensive crisis goes on - at the moment, Shelton Martis (hamstring), Jason Shackell (groin), Byron Webster (foot) and Adam Lockwood (foot) will definitely miss tonights' game. James O'Connor did not train yesterday and is doubtful for this evening's game, and Gareth Roberts was due to have a scan on a knee injury to determine how long he will be out of action for. He will definitely not play today, and could be out for the rest of the season.

February 16, 2010

Sheffield Wednesday v Rovers

As mentioned above, Doncaster Rovers face a defensive selection crisis ahead of this evening's local derby against Sheffield Wednesday, with Shelton Martis (hamstring), Jason Shackell (groin), Adam Lockwood (foot), Byron Webster (foot) sidelined, and doubts over Gareth Roberts and James O'Connor. Roberts was due to have a scan on his knee yesterday, but Rovers have not yet issued any word on the outcome of that - the fear is that it could be damage to a cruciate ligament in his knee that would mean he would be out for the rest of the season. O'Connor did not train on Monday and is rated as only 50-50 to play today.
Midfielder Brian Stock also did not train yesterday, but Sean O'Driscoll will be keeping his fingers crossed that his talismanic skipper will be fit to play, especially when you consider the other absent players.
On-loan defender Elliott Ward looks certain to play his first match for Rovers after signing yesterday from Coventry City, and he could line up against young right back Mustapha Dumbuya, who impressed many fans with his contribution to Saturday's win over Nottingham Forest.
Midfielder Dean Shiels is fit and available for selection and will be added to the squad travelling to Hillsborough this afternoon, but Martin Woods is still absent as he recovers from his groin injury. Striker Waide Fairhurst continues to be absent with a foot injury, and Steve Brooker is still out after having an exploratory operation on his ankle last week.
In contrast, Sheffield Wednesday have now new injuries to worry about, with boss Alan Irvine likely to keep the same starting line-up that beat Blackpool at the weekend. However, they will be missing Tommy Miller (hamstring), Lewis Buxton (hamstring) and Jermaine Johnson (hamstring) for this evening's game, with Miller not being considered even though he has now returned to training.

February 16, 2010

Tonight's match officials

The match officials for this evening's away game at Sheffield Wednesday have been confirmed as:
Referee: E L Ilderton
Assistant referees: P Bankes & RJ Jones
Fourth official: MA Naylor

February 16, 2010

Heffernan off the mark

Paul Heffernan got off the mark for Bristol Rovers last night when he scored their second goal in their televised match against promotion chasing Charlton Athletic. Charlton suffered the setback of having Grant Basey stretchered off early on in the game with a suspected broken leg, with the Pirates going on to score twice, with Athletic scoring a consolation goal seven minutes into added on time at the end of the second half. Heffernan sealed the win when bursting through in the 64th minute to unleash a powerful right-footed shot into the net.
This marked Paul's first goal since signing for Bristol Rovers on a month's loan from Doncaster Rovers just over a week ago.

February 16, 2010

Man of the Match result

Billy Sharp was the clear leader of the "Man of the Match" voting for Saturday's home game against Nottingham Forest, with his usual great industrious contribution being capped by his twelfth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for Rovers to beat Forest.
There were ten players to receive nominations, with those receiving the most votes being as follows:
1 Billy Sharp (28.57%)
2 Brian Stock (17.46%)
3 Sam Hird (14.29%)
4 James O'Connor (12.70%)
5 James Hayter (11.11%)
As always, we would like to thank everyone who took the trouble to place their vote. All votes will be counted and carried forward to an end of the season total for the Player of the Season, so all votes do matter! The next poll will open following this evening's away game at Sheffield Wednesday.

February 16, 2010

Coppinger in Team of the Week

Rovers midfielder has been named in the Team of the Week for the Championship by the Press Association for his performance in Saturday's home win over Nottingham Forest. It marks Coppinger's first recognition in the Championship XI of this season.
The full "Team Of The Week" is: Andy Lonergan (Preston), Michael Morrison (Leicester), Wayne Brown (Leicester), Kyle Bartley (Sheff Utd), Billy Jones (Preston), Jamie Ward (Sheff Utd), Carl Fletcher (Plymouth), Barry Robson (Middlesbrough), James Coppinger (Doncaster), Darius Henderson (Sheff Utd), Paul Gallagher (Leicester)